Half of the UK’s IT workers feel that adapting to Microsoft’s latest operating system, Vista, will distract them from more important issues and 63% believe it will have a negative financial impact on their organisation.

In a survey of 150 IT managers across different industries by online research specialist E-media, 49% said migrating from Windows XP to Windows Vista would take them away from more pressing issues.

Microsoft chairman Bill Gates was in London on Tuesday to launch Vista, with the claim that it will improve the security and usability of business PCs.

However, only 47% of respondents expect their organisation to migrate to Vista in the foreseeable future. And more than a quarter do not expect the new package to have much impact on their business over the next 18 months, according to Personnel Today’s sister publication Computer Weekly.