NEW DELHI, INDIA: IT major Microsoft Corp., recently announced that it has reached a significant milestone with the Release Candidate (RC) of the highly anticipated Windows 7 operating system, now available for download to MSDN and TechNet.

The RC milestone is a result of feedback from millions of customers and partners around the world, said a press release.

It indicates the operating system is entering the final phases of development and is ready for partners to develop new applications, device drivers and services, and ready for IT pros to evaluate Windows 7 and examine how it will operate in their environment, it added.

“Listening to our partners and customers has been fundamental to the development of Windows 7,” said Bill Veghte, senior vice president for the Windows business at Microsoft.

He further said that they heard their customers and worked hard to deliver the highest quality Release Candidate in the history of Windows.

They have more partner support than they ever had for an RC and are pleased to say that the Windows 7 RC has hit the quality and compatibility bar for enterprises to start putting it through its paces and testing in earnest. Overall, Windows 7 has garnered strong industry support.

According to an independent report from Forrester Research Inc.’s Ben Gray, “The beta of Windows 7 shows significant promise, and most IT operations professionals are looking forward to its availability and eventual enterprise deployment."

With Windows 7, customers would have access to the broadest array of software and hardware options the industry has to offer, and Microsoft is committed to delivering tools and support that enhance software compatibility as well as ease deployment and migration concerns for businesses and consumers alike, said the release.

“With the upcoming introduction of Windows 7, Microsoft’s new operating system will redefine how people think about computing,” said Joe Roberts, executive vice president, Products for Corel Corporation.

Customers also would benefit from the strong industry and partner support of Windows 7, added the release.