Microsoft Vista on Our Computers?

With all the news about Microsoft’s new operating system, Vista, many of us are wondering when we will get our hands on a copy of the new OS. Mike Lewis outlines the SMC process for major upgrades below. We currently don’t have the new OS media on campus yet, so we are not presently in this process. We can anticipate seeing Vista on campus sometime next year.

Here’s a summary of the 6-to-9-month process we normally use to test and upgraded major applications and operating systems:

As soon as we get the media from district, we allow it to be installed by our SMCC pilot users (usually this includes: CIS instructors, TLC instructors, power users by special request, and a half dozen desktop techs and managers). We get feedback from these users and begin the formal evaluation process:

1. First, we determine what will be the impact if the software cannot be released to the whole campus simultaneously, which is almost always the case due to hardware requirements for OS and Office apps. We look at problems in classrooms, within departments, between departments and between colleges to make sure all major issues are identified.
2. Next, we evaluate all other issues related to: software compatibility with other critical applications, user and tech support training, service pack releases, security, computer hardware limits, and vendor-reported problems.
3. We discuss these issues at CTC meetings and get CTC input on the best release date.
4. Finally, we start planning the release to coincide with the TLC’s training schedule and the next major computer replacement cycle (usually in the late spring and early summer).

If possible, we like to install new Office apps on as many computers across the college as possible but usually hardware and user training issues limit the speed with which we can actually deploy major applications. Operating system installs usually are done only on new hardware but after about 40% of all college desktops have been upgraded, we start a push to get all desktops upgraded for simplicity.

We will automate the installation of the new Office within 60 days after it is released and stable so the installation should be very simple.

Please ask if you have any questions.

Hope this helps,

Mike