Windows XP: what the real users say

Businesses are not about to rush to adopt Windows XP, despite the millions Microsoft has spent trying to ensure they do.

The immediate reaction from the user community to the XP launch seems to be at best a shrug of the shoulders, and worse still from many quarters a resounding "No".

In stark contrast to the atmosphere at the XP launch today, IT directors up and down the country who have to decide whether or not to roll this out seem indifferent, if they are not actively upset.

David Rippon, CIO of Land Securities, and chairman of IT directors' association Elite, summed up the mood of many: "This is irrelevant to most of the IT directors I talk to. The biggest problem most of Elite's members face is technology churn - with increasing concern about the amount of money they are being expected to shell out just to keep up to date - it's a treadmill."

Frank Coyle, IT director of John Menzies, was harsher still to Microsoft, saying CIOs are fed up with being forced to constantly upgrade. "I wouldn't touch XP with a barge pole. If I buy XP I then have to update my hardware to be able to run it. IT directors are now saying they've had enough of spending more and more with the benefit never matching up to the money you've spent.

"Fed-up just doesn't express it strong enough."

A real concern for Microsoft will be that seemingly even those impressed with the new product don't necessarily have the budget to buy it in the current economic climate. Robert Dickie, IT manager of engineering firm the McKean Group, said: "It's a good product, the new security features are just what we need, but the bad news is we just don't have the money right now to buy it, it's the wrong time for us."

It is customers from firms such as these who were noticeably missing from Microsoft's launch today. The large corporates seem to be showing little enthusiasm.

Roger Ellis, formerly IT director of Blue Circle, said: "In summary, I am far from being convinced that many IT directors will rush to XP with open arms. There is nothing there that cries out 'enhanced productivity' - probably the reverse. And any implementation on a global scale costs time and money. I feel in today's business climate there are more pressing issues to devote your resources to."

Oliver Roll, Microsoft's UK marketing director, denied this. He said: "For corporates this is a question of lowering costs, making employees more productive, and delivering more valuable, personal business services. The large customers are very enthusiastic."

He also denied customers did not have the money to buy XP: "On the contrary, I think customers are choosing to invest now, particularly when they see the value it delivers."