IT Managers: Windows XP Update Not a Priority

Thanks Tech001101. Hype and deployments should never be mixed to achieve a recipe for avoiding disaster. Sophos told eWeek that they, unlike most home users, are not eager to deploy XPSP2 and here's why.

Microsoft may have delayed Windows XP Service Pack 2 yet again this week, but IT managers are, in any case, not exactly champing at the bit to roll out the security-oriented update.

The most eager IT departments contacted by eWEEK.com said they would deploy SP2 only after extensive testing. Others said the update was not a priority or they weren't running Windows XP in the first place. Despite the hype around SP2 and the expected benefits, IT managers said the difficulty of the installation process means they are taking a gradual approach.

"Sooner or later Sophos will have to roll out Windows XP SP2—it's just not something we consider a very high priority presently," said a representative of U.K.-based Sophos Antivirus. "We will only do it when we are confident the time is right and we can do it properly."

This caution is exactly what Microsoft says it has been trying to impress upon customers. "Enterprises should approach their deployment of Windows XP Service Pack 2 with the same rigor as they do any normal operating system software rollouts," said Windows client product manager Janet Gibbons. "We advise testing SP2 in a nonproduction environment and working with Microsoft or its partners to plan its deployment around their networks."

She confirmed that SP2 hasn't yet been released to manufacturing, but said Microsoft is still "on track" for an August release. The company had hoped to wrap up work on SP2 this week but decided more work was needed to ensure quality. Most recently the update was delayed from June to July and from July to August.

View: The complete article at eWeek