One of New Zealand's largest corporates, Telecom NZ, has committed to deploying Microsoft's Windows Vista across 500 of its desktops this quarter.
The telco's commitment to install Vista in what amounts to 7 percent of its desktop fleet by March is expected to make it New Zealand's heaviest user of the new operating system by that date.
Telecom's relatively early adoption of Vista has been driven by a desire to get staff of its trans-Tasman ICT services division, Gen-i, up to speed with the OS.
The company hopes that embracing Vista at a corporate level will help it win consultancy business from Australian and New Zealand companies intending to deploy Vista themselves.
Telecom chief operating officer for Technology and Enterprise, Mark Ratcliffe, said the company had been participating in Microsoft's Enterprise Technical Adoption Programme for Rapid Deployment (TAP) for Vista. Participation in the programme means the company has not had to pay licensing fees.
-It allows us to explore the capability and value in the new Microsoft products and fast track our learning on these technologies for our customers," Ratcliffe said.
Another Vista early adopter headquartered in New Zealand is professional services consultancy firm Beca Group, which says it intends upgrading its dated Windows 2000 environment to Vista following a successful trial involving 32 desktop PCs.
Beca CIO Robin Johansen said the company, which operates in New Zealand, Australia and South East Asia, researched the deployment of Microsoft's beta release of Vista among corporates before deciding to trial it.
-The obvious concerns were is it stable enough to get on this process, or is it going to be incredibly disruptive? We were persuaded that the development at that point was looking pretty good, and so it's proven, it's not been hugely disruptive," Johansen said.
I'd play ball too if I did not have to pay. Otherwise, i'd have the 'care factor' attitude like most informed IT people.