UMKC Information Services →  Support Services Initiatives → Microsoft Vista OS

 Workstations replaced as part of the 2007/2008 workstation replacement program will have Windows Vista Enterprise and Office 2007 pre-installed.

Many older computers on the UMKC campus do not meet the recommended Windows Vista hardware requirements, as the new operating system needs a robust computer. When Windows Vista was released in January of 2007, there were numerous reports of software driver issues and program compatibility problems. Many of these have been resolved over the past year, but some still remain. For these reasons and others, the transition to Windows Vista will be phased in as older computer equipment is replaced. This phased approach will provide the necessary time and funding to update UMKC's hardware infrastructure to catch up with the new requirements of Windows Vista.

At some future date, when Microsoft announces end-of-life for Windows XP, the migration to Windows Vista may be accelerated.

Departments or users who experience hardware or software compatibility issues with Windows Vista should work with their technical staff to resolve issues. If problems persist, users should continue to use Windows XP but should budget for replacement of obsolete hardware and software so that they are able to migrate to the new OS.

Departments or users requesting upgrades to Windows Vista using current hardware should check with their local IT support providers to ensure equipment meets recommended hardware minimums and that current software is compatible with Windows Vista. Support Services will review requests on a case by case basis.

Hardware Recommendations for Windows Vista

Support Services' recommendations for Windows Vista include a processor speed of 3.0GHz and 2GB of memory. In order to activate the Aero Glass portion of Vista, a video card with at least 256MB of video memory is needed. Hard drives should be 80GB or larger.

Support for Vista

Support for Windows Vista is available by contacting your department's IT Liaisons or the UMKC Call Center. Users should also visit the UMKC Knowledgebase for assistance.

	Vista Deployment Plan

Month/Year	Phase
January - March 2007	Testing Phase Technology staff analyzing Vista and Office 2007 in test environments IS working to build new software (WIM) images Microsoft visits campus to provide a first look at new features for technology staff Limited support available Working with Microsoft on licensing issues with new product line Working with UM Campuses on new deployment technologies
April - December  2007	Early adopter identified; pilot group is formed to test IS will install software on faculty and staff computers in pilot but with limited support No training is available IS continues testing new technologies Vista is available for personally owned computers at UMKC bookstore
January 2008	Vista is pre-installed on new computers.

	Training Opportunities

Information Services and Human Resources recently partnered with MU's IT Training Division to offer several MS Office and Windows Vista faculty and staff training sessions to the UMKC campus. If you missed the courses you can still download the training materials below:

Click here to download the Office 2007 training document.

Click here to download the Vista training document.

Feedback? - Please use our Vista OS online feedback form for comments concerning our Vista OS pilot and deployment initiatives.