This doesn’t effect us peons on the front end, but enterprise customers who were planning to purchase – or already purchased – bulk licenses for Vista and Microsoft Office 2007 are getting discounts and sales incentives in order to keep them quiet while Vista runs through its endless development phase.
Computer manufacturers and even some businesses were on track to receive Vista this year and many planned their holiday sales around the new product. Unfortunately, Vista doesn’t look like it’s hitting stores until January 2007, leading to much grumbling in the IT set.
The new incentive program, designed to address any possible fallout from that, is still under development within Microsoft’s OEM group and not yet finalized, is expected to be rolled out sometime in the fall of 2006, a Microsoft spokesperson said to eWEEK, but declined to give any further details.
Folks are going to buy Vista – that’s a given. But incentivizing patience is not Microsoft’s business model. Apple – if you’re listening, maybe take a bottle of wine over to the enterprise side, some Barry White, and some Boot Camp. Maybe you can move a few XServes and Mac Minis while Microsoft perfects their bamboo wallpaper?
Microsoft to Pay Reparations for Vista, Office Delays [eWeek]