Upcoming Windows christened Vista

Microsoft has revealed that the forthcoming release of Windows will be called Windows Vista. 

An online video posted by Microsoft reveals that the tagline for the new operating system will be: 'Clear, confident, connected: bringing clarity to your world'. The software was previously known under the codename Longhorn. 

Microsoft unveiled the new name on Thursday at Microsoft Global Briefing, the company's annual sales meeting in Atlanta, a spokesman for the company told vnunet.com.

The vendor confirmed that it will release a first beta or test version of the software on 3 August. The final product is scheduled for release by late 2006. 

Windows Vista will be Microsoft's first fully featured operating system for 64-bit client computers. A current 64-bit version of Windows XP offers only a limited number of software drivers and caters primarily for computer enthusiasts.

Microsoft has already stated that the software will form the platform for Windows for the next 10 years.

Windows Vista promises to make it easier for IT managers to maintain systems, and to find and organise documents and information such as emails.

Microsoft first started talking about Vista in 2003. The software suffered numerous delays and Microsoft has had to pull several features from the application to make next year's release date.

A new file system dubbed WinFS, that makes it easier to find documents, will be delivered through an update after the official release.

And a feature called 'Secure Startup' will be the only element of the operating system's next-generation security system to ship at the time of the release. Additional elements that help users battle hackers, viruses and worms are scheduled for delivery through updates at a later stage.

Microsoft plans to provide additional details about Vista at its Professional Developer Conference on 13-16 September in Los Angeles.