Today we announced the Windows Vista Application Compatibility Factory (ACF), an offering to help enterprise customers identify and resolve compatibility issues they may face when migrating their desktops and applications to Windows Vista. We have teamed up with world class service partners including Wipro Technologies, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), and Satyam Computer Services to deliver application compatibility and remediation services. You can learn more about the ACF program in this interview with representatives from Microsoft and some of the partners. One of the great things about this program is that the ACF companies in partnership with Microsoft Consulting Services are committed to sharing their findings and best practices with each other to help accelerate the rates of application compatibility for all customers. If you are interested in taking advantage of this service, you may contact your Microsoft account team.

This is just one of the many things that we are doing as part of the release of Window Vista to provide a high level of application compatibility so that organizations will be ready to deploy it sooner. Other initiatives include:

• The Microsoft Application Compatibly Toolkit 5.0, which has been available in beta form since beta 2 and will be available in final form soon after RTM. (We will also post more information about this toolkit next week.)
  
• Regular internal testing of ~1,900 enterprise and consumer applications to ensure high compatibility for leading applications.
  
• A more rigorous “Certified for Windows Vista” logo program that requires 3rd party verification and testing before an application can earn that mark.