Windows Vista: implementation challenges

Abstract

Since Windows Vista was released in January 2007, Lehigh University was eager to start the task of planning for the campus wide implementation of Vista - until it was tested. There were numerous incompatibilities with various systems and software packages on campus which left the University's technical staff scrambling to find solutions. In many cases, the roadblocks encountered included a variety of issues including: hardware limitations, driver incompatibilities and peripheral incompatibilities but in many cases it was outright software incompatibility. In November 2006, Lehigh created a Windows Vista Task Force to look at specific problems relating to Vista and to start planning for the numerous problems anticipated when students, faculty and staff start showing up with Windows Vista and the numerous questions to follow - why doesn't my computer work with the campus network? What do you mean I don't have enough RAM to run Vista? Why doesn't the university site-licensed software work under Vista? Why can't I sync my handheld with university calendaring system? Why don't my network drives map properly? This presentation will outline the Vista planning process at Lehigh, the major problems encountered, the problems solved and how Lehigh is planning for the future.