No plans to take Vista off shelf – Onyeje

Despite sudden large amount of complaints surrounding Windows Vista across the global, Microsoft Corporation, owners of the Operating System (OS), is not tinkering on taking the ‘dreadful’ version of its solution off the shelf.

This is coming as Microsoft has concluded plans to invest $7.1 billion in development of its data centre globally.

Country Manager, Microsoft Anglophone West Africa, Mr. Emmanuel Onyeje, told ITRealms Online in an exclusive chat in Lagos, weekend, that unknown to many people, Microsoft Vista sold more than ever anticipated in the history of the firm’s Operating System (OS).

Onyeje, who made these disclosures at the end of media enlightenment session organised by the Information and Communication Technology Correspondent Association of Nigeria (ICTCAN) for the first quarter, said that though there were so many security prompts in Vista, which have been taken care of in the forthcoming Windows 7, due to released before the end of this year, or at most the first quarter of next year.

According to him, Microsoft is investing heavily on data centre and has even gone ahead of hardware companies in its investment portfolio in this pecular area, which is regarded as alien to software companies like Microsoft.

“We buy about 15,000 servers every month,” he declared, stressing that it is only a company like Microsoft with global view that could make such an investment.

He also said that most of the issues with Windows Vista are well noted, even as some of them have been patched before now with upgrades. Onyeje butressed that Windows 7 has been built to cater for whatever shortfalls of Vista.

In addition, he said that most of the issues of Windows Vista, apart from the security aspect were based on perception by individuals, promising that Windows 7 has been streamlined to cushion that effect and many more.

He further advised Microsoft customers and end-users particularly to take advantage of the online services being offerred by the firm.

“Microsoft online service can reduce a customer’s Total Cost of Ownership (TCO),” he said, emphasising that in recent years, customers have begun to recognise the values in Microsoft solutions.

The vision of the software giant, Onyeje said, is to create experiences that combine the magic of software, because they foresee a future connected to all sort of Information Technology (IT) devices.

He explained that what IT does to people is to make more people very agile in handling their jobs, just as Microsoft believes in the ability to allow people to communicate.

Onyeje who was accompanied at the parley by the public relations manager, Ms Ndidi Victoria Uwadoka, Development Platform Manager, Mr. Ken Spann, Lead, Emerging Market Services, Small and Medium Size Solutions and Partners Lead, Mr. Marius Moantsoga, Marketing Manager, Enterprise Partner Group, Mrs. Ejieke Maduka-Ezeadiugwu, and Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility Platform, Mrs. Jumia Ajijola, said that the misson of Microsoft in Africa is to ensure that it becomes a household name, so as to open Africa for the world to see.

Dwelling on essence of Microsoft evolution, Onyeje noted that at Microsoft, they create software; an instructions that helps electronic devices like computers, cars, and digital cameras work efficiently.

“Millions of people around the world use our technology every day, from multinational corporations that do business in many currencies and languages to small companies that count on just-in-time inventory systems to keep others flowing. Educators and students use our softwarre for lesson plans, homework, and collaborating on projects. In the homes, families manage their personal finances, share photographs and communicate online,” he asserted.

He recalled that Microsoft Nigeria was established in 2000 to deliver these solutions and services through local partnerships, and building local capacity in ICT.

“Microsoft Nigeria, currently works with over 1000 local partners to deliver business, eduction, communications and financial business solutions,” he submitted.

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