Microsoft’s missteps with Vista, and attempts at redemption with Windows 7, offers firms valuable lessons in IT, be it in rolling out a new corporate application or delivering millions of copies of a new OS.

Windows 7 has been regarded as a make or break product for Microsoft, with many inside and outside IT left with a bad taste in their mouth from the company’s Vista operating system.

While I have enjoyed my experience with Windows 7 thus far, we certainly do not need yet another review of the software here. Perhaps even more interesting than the new operating system are the lessons a CIO and his or her IT shop can learn investigating Microsoft’s missteps with Vista, and attempts at redemption with Windows 7, as these apply to nearly any organizational effort, be it rolling out a new corporate application or delivering millions of copies of a new operating system.

Lesson 1: Don’t forget the core “experience”

While this may sound like consultant-speak, critical to any application is the experience of using the software. Microsoft touted Vista as having lots of improvements to the user experience, from an enhanced UI to improved ancillary applications. While all this was well and good, merely booting up Vista was a painful drawn-out experience.

via 3 Lessons a CIO can learn from Windows 7 : TechGuides : Tech Management : ZDNet Asia.