2006 Products Of The Year

OPERATING SYSTEM
Microsoft Vista Enterprise Edition

With Windows Vista, Microsoft has refreshed the user desktop experience. While debate rages over whether the five-year wait was worth it, the truth is Vista is pretty much the only game in town.

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One may question whether Vista should be bestowed with Product of the Year recognition in the operating system category. But the product unquestionably brings new features and capabilities to solution providers that in turn promise new revenue generation dialogues with end users.

A number of new capabilities cemented Vista's place as our OS of choice on the desktop. First off, the Aero Glass interface offers a stunning look and is a lot more than just window dressing (pun intended). Aero offers an elegant user experience, transparent windows, purposeful animations and intuitiveness that will help to make the OS a hit with consumers and business users.

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Vista's integrated search capability is also worth noting. Tightly integrated into the operating system, users can search for applications, documents, folders and so on. What's more, searches can be saved and turned into virtual folders, which will automatically update as new content is created.

Microsoft has put security first with Vista and has incorporated several technologies to protect the core OS from exploits. Those enhancements range from integrated antispyware to digital sandbox technology to a software firewall. Automatic updating along with the product's user control center further round out the security equation, making it Microsoft's most secure desktop OS to date. Vista's network control center shows visual cues to networking status, security and network options, while wizards speed connectivity to various networks or resources. That simplicity continues through to wireless networking capability, which allows users to quickly and securely join both public and private wireless networks with click-and-play simplicity.

These elements combined with an OS that brings enhanced stability to the desktop should shepherd a plethora of upgrades and opportunities for the channel through the coming year.

-- Frank J. Ohlhorst