Microsoft has been releasing Economic Impact studies on the effects of Vista in various metros and regions, but the vista appears too rosy. The eight reports (one on Illinois was announced Feb. 12, but unavailable as of publication), commissioned by Redmond and performed by IDC, divine a significant surge in IT employment and revenue to…

The mass-market advertising for Windows Vista is here and it’s impressive, according to Microsoft Watch’s Joe Wilcox. Wilcox called the campaign, which he caught during an episode of ABC television’s “Lost,” “approachable and familiar,” like Wendy’s “Where’s the Beef?” The fact that the campaign is quality is something VARs can use to their advantage, even…

Microsoft hosted a live Web meeting Feb. 7 to clear up the vista on its retail strategy to reach small and midsize businesses and how it relates to SMB VARs, but the end result was a smudgy view. Eric Ligman, senior manager of community engagement on Redmond’s U.S. Small Business Team, clearly spelled out Microsoft’s…

The consumer and small business launch of Microsoft Windows Vista and Office on Jan. 30 meant very little for business customers, but for VARs and partners trying to sell it to them, it’s the air cover they’ve been waiting for. The first mass-market Vista marketing blitz hits the airwaves and billboards Feb. 1, with a…