Round 2: Manageability
One of the key drivers for Windows 2000 adoption, and later Windows XP adoption, was the debut of Active Directory and its Group Policy framework. For the first time, IT shops could address the myriad configuration management issues that plagued traditional, fat client installations, using a standardized, centralized repository of rules and restrictions. Vista adds a few extensions to this mechanism. However, as with the aforementioned security improvements, many of these issues have already been resolved.

For example, Vista adds support for locking down block devices at the client level. This is a useful feature – you can restrict users from accessing certain external media devices, such as CD driver or USB keys – but it's another XP loophole that was closed long ago by third-party management agents. Likewise, the inability to install printer drivers using a non-administrator account – something Vista now allows via a Group Policy extension – was resolved directly by many large IT shops, in some cases through the creation of their own elevation utilities (see Security for details).

On the management tools front, there is a dearth of new Vista-specific features, either from Microsoft or from major third-party framework vendors. In fact, outside of support for Vista's new image-based installation and deployment mechanism, which is one of the product's few noteworthy manageability improvements, there's little incentive to move to Vista from a purely systems management perspective. The image-based installation model makes it easier for IT to capture a “golden” working image of their runtime configuration, and then spin this out to multiple systems regardless of the underlying hardware. This was a real challenge under XP, so definitely a point to Vista, but given the myriad third party installation and provisioning tools (one or more of which are probably in use at any given IT shop) it’s no TKO.

Decision: Moving to Vista provides little or no ROI from a systems management perspective. Yes, the new image-based installation model is a welcome addition. However, the lack of significant innovation in other areas makes Vista's management story less than compelling.

Round 1: Security
Round 2: Manageability
Round 3: Reliability
Round 4: Usability
Round 5: Performance
Round 6: Hardware compatibility
Round 7: Microsoft software compatibility
Round 8: Third-party software compatibility
Round 9: Developer tools support
Round 10: Future-proofing