Sources close to the Redmond software company said that while users will have to wait until November for a full release of the Vista Service Pack 1, a beta version will be available shortly, possibly even this week. What will be included in Windows Vista Service Pack 1 aside from the usual operating system updates is not yet known, as Microsoft declined to comment on it.

“There will be a Windows Vista service pack and our current expectation is that a beta will be made available sometime this year. Service packs are part of the traditional software life cycle they’re something we do for all Microsoft products as part of our commitment to continuous improvement, and providing early test builds is a standard practice that helps us incorporate customer feedback and improve the overall quality of the product. Service packs are just one example of the work we do to constantly improve the Windows experience. We also deliver improvements to Windows via Windows Update, which is an excellent channel for providing our customers with the most significant updates as they happen. And, since Windows Vista launched, we have continued working with partners to improve overall device coverage and application compatibility. There are now more than 2.1 million supported devices and more than 2,000 logoed applications for Windows Vista. We think customers will have a great experience using Windows Vista today” the Windows oriented Web site Winbeta.org cited Microsoft sources.

During the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference in Denver, Mike Sievert, corporate vice president of the Windows business group, made a few comments about Vista SP1, but did not mention any certain date for its release or about its software components. He also hinted that Microsoft’s own plans for Vista SP1 are yet to be finalized. Sievert also said that he doesn’t think that Vista SP1 will attract a large number of customers and inspire them to upgrade to Windows Vista, even if it’s a well known fact that many enterprise, business and corporate customers are waiting for the first service pack before upgrading from Windows XP to Windows Vista.

“Most companies are still in the evaluation phase,” he said in an interview. “Service pack or no service pack, they’re still looking at what they will deploy.” This comes as no big surprise since Microsoft’s planned number of Vista users was never achieved, most Windows users still preferring the more hardware-friendly Windows XP