A survey by Intel of its employees has brought us back to the question of whether or when to deploy Windows 7, Microsoft's new replacement operating system (OS) to Vista. Intel might be described as a biased party; after all it wants to sell the high-powered chips in the computers loaded with the operating system.

However, Intel's decision to hold off on upgrading until next year lends some credence to the report, which is a must-read for any IT specialist and company executive who must make a decision for their corporate networks.

Briefly, the study, "The Value of PC Refresh Microsoft Windows 7" (see http://communities.intel.com) surveyed 300 Intel employees who tested the operating system for three months. A total of 291 found that Windows 7 had improved performance and stability when compared to Windows XP.

Note the comparison is with XP and not with Vista. Intel decided in June 2008 not to deploy Vista on its network after the company's technology staff found no potential benefits in upgrading from XP. In fact, as many users found out too late, there was a lot of downside to Vista, including reduced computer performance.

Intel also says it skipped Windows 2000 by waiting for XP before upgrading, which says a lot for not following the Microsoft money chain.

Intel reports its IT department plans to begin enterprise-wide deployment of Windows 7 on desktops in early 2010. The evaluation showed the OS would save the company $11 million over the next three years through giving "us the ability to improve employee productivity, deliver IT cost efficiencies, and improve manageability and security".

The delay in deployment is standard for most companies, which prefer to wait until the first bugs in the system are worked out and Microsoft releases its first update pack to the OS.

For home users the advantages are (according to Intel) are an OS that is more responsive for key tasks such as booting and launching applications and had improved stability.

Intel won't deploy Windows 7 on its 100,000 desktops until the next year: "During 2009, we plan to continue preparing for deployment by creating a Microsoft Windows 7 build and by installing the OS on systems in test labs to enable business groups to test applications and perform any necessary remediation. In the first quarter of 2010, we plan to begin deployment of Microsoft Windows 7 on new PCs with Intel vPro technology as part of our established refresh cycle. We intend to roll out the new PCs to segments of our user community based on factors including their job role and application requirements."

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Here is what seems like a good idea to protect your business: anti-Wi-Fi paint. "Turn your wall into a firewall" the exultant headlines declared last week when researchers from the University of Tokyo published the results of their work.

Paint mixed with aluminum-iron oxide particles resonate at the same frequency as Wi-Fi and other radio waves, thus blocking the signals from access by outsiders. It also works to prevent someone inside from accessing a secret outlet by blocking signals from outside.

Does this discovery mean you will be able to protect your network better from drive by hackers and also prevent employees from using an outside conduit to secretly pilfer data? Yes, according to the researchers. It also means you will not be able to receive low-frequency radio signals like FM radio.

Still the paint might put one more layer of protection between your data and a hacker. Anyone with a bit of technical know-how can download freeware and instructions from the internet and take less than 30 minutes to crack a secured wireless according to security blog wisdom.

Perhaps they will now have to park outside a window in a building protected with the said paint to get access. The research also does not address the problem of mobile phone reception. The paint can apparently be used to block mobile phone signals, a useful passive means of ensuring a respectful silence at movie theatres, concerts or art galleries. Many employees and businesses would not be pleased to learn that in the interests of security their Blackberries would also be down. There is probably a workaround.

An unnamed engineer quoted by the BBC (probably one of their own) put the discovery in proper perspective: "Surely the thought of having to redecorate a building in order to provide Wi-Fi security is more costly and complex than the security functionality available in even the cheapest of Wi-Fi access points..."

As the comics put it: 'Nuff said.

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If you use Hotmail as your online email account then it might be wise to change your password now. Many in the blogsphere have warned that their Windows Live Hotmail accounts have been hacked.

Apparently the passwords and other details of thousands of Hotmail accounts have been posted online. If you have any other sensitive passwords held online better think about changing those as well.

Send any comments to elamin.ahmed@gmail.com