hankyoreh

Microsoft’s Windows Vista, the next-generation computer operating system that will be available worldwide on January 31, was found to be incompatible with major Internet services provided in Korea.

The Ministry of Information and Communications on January 23 said it had confirmed that important Internet services, including Internet banking, do not work with Windows Vista.

"It has been confirmed that it will take one or two months for the related companies to resolve the problem of compatibility regarding some Internet services," said Seo Seok-jin, an official of the ministry, advising consumers to be prudent in purchasing the new program.

As its security function has been sharply strengthened, Windows Vista clashes with the User Account Control (UAC) system used by many Korean servers in order to prevent malicious codes such as spyware programs from entering computers. In particular, the new operating system does not harmonize well with application programs based on the Active-X program, which is widely used on sites featuring Flash-made or other motion graphics. As a result, errors may occur in connection with various services such as Internet banking and online games. Uploading and downloading images or audio/video files on portal sites may not function as well, either.

Internet banking is expected to be hit the hardest. The Internet banking services at seven banks, including Woori, Shinhan, Hana, and Citibank, will not be available via Windows Vista until their security programs have been rendered compatible. Internet stock trading features of some securities companies will be affected, as well. The Internet sites of these financial institutions will likely be able to provide full services to Vista customers by mid-February.

The government’s Web site administrators plan to complete correction of programs like the G4C, the government for citizens system under which civil documents are available online, and Home Tax, through which people can pay national taxes online, by late this month, but it will take an additional three or four months for Vista users to be able to print documents off of these sites.

Web portals, online game sites, and Internet shopping malls will be able to resume full services around late February for Vista customers. In case of application programs, a Vista version of the Hangeul 2007 program will be available during February, and a security vaccine for Vista will be released in March.

Experts say such "market confusion" is a result of Microsoft Windows’ monopoly. Since there is no alternative to the system, service programs should be modified according to the Vista program.

South Korea is reportedly going to be hit more seriously than any other nations. In foreign nations, the Active-X program has not been so widely used, and sites relying on high-speed Internet connections are not as prevalent as in South Korea. An official of the Ministry of Information and Communication said on condition of anonymity, "We have been jointly working with Microsoft since the third quarter of last year. Even if there were many problems due to our domestically-developed application programs, Microsoft was late in providing us data on their technology, causing such confusion."

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