Microsoft confirmed that it would make Windows 7 RTM available to customers weeks before the official public release. The Redmond-based company is aiming for October 22, 2009 as the deadline when the next iteration of the Windows client hits the shelves and be offered by OEMs preinstalled on new computers. However, by that time, select customers would have already deployed and started using the gold edition of Windows 7. It is the case of Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, which, according to the software giant, will soon roll out Windows 7 PCs for the hotels’ Link@Sheraton. The announcement that Windows 7 RTM will be available to Sheraton guests weeks ahead of October 22 came at the HITEC conference in Anaheim, California on June 23.
“We wanted to create a destination where all of our guests could come to socialize, be entertained, people watch, or be alone but not lonely,” said Hoyt Harper, senior vice president of Brand Management for Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, describing Link@Sheraton. “We found our inspiration in parks because they’re a symbol of community where people gather to play games, to eat and drink, or just to unwind. With that in mind, we designed the Link@Sheraton to be much more than a business center. It’s a social enabler.”
Neither Microsoft nor Sheraton Hotels & Resorts indicated a specific date at which they plan to wrap up the introduction of Windows 7 on the computers in Link@Sheraton, but the Redmond-based company did point out that it was aiming for a summer rollout. Link@Sheraton is an effort from both Sheraton and Microsoft debuted in 2008 aimed at combining the business center, the lobby and a social experience into the same place. At this point in time, Sheraton has revamped the lobbies in 80% of its 205 hotels in North America, a number which is expected to jump to 90% by the end of 2009. Hotel guests noted that Link@Sheraton was a critical aspect of the overall increase in customer satisfaction by 10%.
“If you exceed a guest’s expectations, then you’ve created a memory, and if you create a positive memory, then you build brand loyalty. That’s the name of the game in hospitality,” revealed Sandra Andrews, U.S. hospitality industry solutions director for Microsoft. “Sheraton guests can say goodnight to their kids, or send a video post card to their parents. By providing this for customers, Sheraton helps its guests create a great memory, and Microsoft gets to teach consumers about our technology. So it’s a win-win-win, all the way around.”
Windows 7 will be installed on PCs with 17-inch screens, complete with Windows Live Messenger and Web cams, as well as the Office 2007 System. Of course, Microsoft plans to finalize Windows 7 by the end of July 2009, almost three months before the public availability deadline. In this context, the company is bound to serve the final version of Windows 7 to audiences such as MSDN and TechNet subscribers, but also partners, well ahead of October 22.
source: www.softpedia.com
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