The launch of the Windows XP operating system this Thursday could position Microsoft as a provider of a wide range of services, applications and content that consumers might want on their home PCs. But IT managers told IT Week that XP's features were likely to distract users from business tasks, and deployment could lead to a drop in productivity. XP's new features include enhanced instant messaging, video conferencing and online photo processing. It also links into Microsoft's .Net software-as-a-service infrastructure, which will connect applications and enable users to access them from multiple devices. However, the instant messaging and video conferencing features will not work with common firewall configurations. Microsoft and analysts agreed that XP is unlikely to be used by most businesses. Microsoft said business users of Windows 9x should evaluate XP Professional, which also ships Oct. 25, but said it is not a replacement for Windows 2000. XP Professional offers consumer-oriented features.
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