Windows Vista at a Glance

Stronger security that reduces risk and eases compliance.Large organizations spend 1–5 percent of their total IT budget on security. Where does that money go? For one, defending against the top-three causes of data loss: viruses, denial of service, and theft of proprietary information. The threats and consequences are real. Recently, a lost, unprotected laptop in Berkeley exposed 98,000 social security numbers and personal records of graduate students. Microsoft® Windows VistaTM reduces business risk by protecting data, minimizing attack surface, and providing robust reporting and auditing tools.

Reducing cost • Sophisticated auditing and reporting capabilities lower the cost of

regulatory compliance.

Delivering value• User Account Control limits access to authorized users and applications.

Minimizing risk • Detects, blocks, and removes malicious software before it can

infect systems.

• BitLocker™ Hard Drive Encryption helps prevent data theft from computers that are lost, stolen, or retired.

• Better protects corporate data by letting administrators control installation of removable storage devices.

• Increases the security and privacy of wireless networks with support for new wireless protocols, such as 802.11i and fast roaming.

New ways to manage information that help people get more done.Up to 80 percent of digital information can be found on workers’ individual hard drives and in their fi les. It can cost up to $18,000 per year, per employee in lost productivity when workers can’t fi nd fi les and have to re-create them. Windows Vista helps put that money back in your pocket by giving people ways to quickly and easily fi nd and organize the information they need to do their jobs.

Reducing cost• Provides the option of minimizing training costs by using the familiar

user interface or maximizing productivity with the new Aero interface.

Delivering value• Integrated search makes it faster and easier to fi nd information on PCs,

networks, and the Internet.

• Search Folders help people fi nd the fi les they’re looking for in less time.

• Users get a snapshot of a fi le’s contents, so they can open the right fi le every time.

Minimizing risk • Helps users recover lost data with easy backup and restore of settings,

applications, and fi les.

An infrastructure that takes less time to deploy and manage.Today, a large organization typically manages hundreds of operating system images at a cost of up $100,000 per year, per image. Deployment and user migration alone take up to seven hours per PC. Total cost of ownership per desktop can easily escalate to $5,520 per PC, per year. Windows Vista provides a more secure, manageable, and reliable desktop, so your people can spend less time deploying and maintaining infrastructure.

Reducing cost • Improved deployment tools mean Windows Vista costs less to deploy

than Microsoft Windows® XP.

• Fixes for known hangs and crashes, and built-in diagnostics minimize downtime and boost reliability.

• Behind-the-scenes updates mean fewer reboots and reduced desktop management costs.

• Reduces power costs by up to $50 per desktop, per year.

• Lowers help desk costs with new diagnostic, remote assistance, and self-help tools.

• Reduces the time and cost of integrating legacy applications.

• Included now with Virtual PC Express, Windows Vista even supports Windows 95 applications.

Delivering value• Fast startup and improved power management boost performance

and user productivity.

Minimizing risk • Prevents malicious Web sites from modifying user fi les or installing software.

Windows Vista—enables people to drive business success.Security that protects data and diminishes risk

Security breaches and compliance violations can serve up severe consequences. It’s critical that organizations protect themselves from security threats that can compromise proprietary information. Windows Vista reduces risk by tightening corporate defenses with multi-layer security and providing robust, in-the-box reporting and auditing capabilities.

An infrastructure that delivers more with less overhead

Windows Vista delivers a desktop that’s easier to manage, more reliable, and more secure. Less time spent on infrastructure allows people to concentrate their efforts on core business goals instead of everyday operations. A rock-solid operating system means people can focus on what they need to do without distracting disruptions. Windows Vista helps organizations realize the full value of their IT investment—lower total cost of ownership, increased productivity, and quicker return on investment.

Information unlocked

Making sure people can access information across a large company is a challenge. A challenge that, in the past, has required expensive third-party solutions. Not anymore. Windows Vista features a core information management system out of the box. When people can fi nd and organize information quickly and easily, they can be more productive. With Windows Vista, organizations can capitalize on vital information and transform it into a competitive advantage.

An offi ce without boundaries

Today’s workforce is increasingly mobile, spread out over multiple locations, and constantly on the go. With good reason, a virtualized workforce can make great business sense, reducing both travel and real estate costs. Windows Vista helps people be more productive wherever they are with easy, secure access to information across locations and devices. Decrease overhead and speed return on investment with Windows Vista.

Easy access to resources, so people can collaborate—from virtually anywhere.Employees get 50–75 percent of the information they need to do their job directly from co-workers. With the number of wireless hotspots worldwide estimated to reach 250,000 by 2008, it’s just as likely that a co-worker is across the country as across the hall. New form factors mean data must span devices as well as distance. Microsoft Windows Vista helps minimize the cost and complexity of today’s distributed computing environment.

Reducing cost• Minimizes branch offi ce support costs with better update distribution,

diagnostics, and remote assistance.

Delivering value• Enables collaboration for groups of up to 12 users.

• More easily discovers and maintains wireless connections, increasing mobile productivity.

• Gives users one place where they can synchronize data between devices.

• Adapts to a variety of presentation devices, eliminating presentation delays.

• Makes the Tablet PC interface as easy to use as a keyboard and mouse.

• Auxiliary displays show mobile users essential information, such as battery life, wireless strength, e-mail, contacts, and calendar, without having to open or turn on their laptop.

• Auxiliary displays support sending data and notifi cations to other nearby devices, like cell phones.

• With the next version of Microsoft Windows ServerTM, code name “Longhorn,” it enables secure access to corporate resources without a traditional VPN.

Minimizing risk • Allows users to more securely create and distribute documents from

any application.

© 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Windows, the Windows logo, Windows Server, and Windows Vista are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Part No. 098-94015

To fi nd out more about how Windows Vista helps people drive business success, go to:

www.microsoft.com/windowsvista