Nearly half of 1,200 companies surveyed by a veteran technology analyst plan to deploy Windows 7 in its first year of availability, and another 11 percent say they will make the shift as soon as Microsoft releases the first service pack update for the new operating system.

The report from Laura DiDio's Boston-based Information Technology Intelligence Corp., in partnership with Sunbelt Software, is the latest piece of encouraging news for Microsoft in advance of Windows 7's release next week. DiDio said this afternoon that the independent survey was conducted without any influence or funding from Microsoft, and she hasn't yet informed the company of the results.

"They needed a winner, and it looks like they have it -- barring any unforeseen mishaps, such as some egregious bug," DiDio said.

The results reflect the fact that a significant number of businesses avoided Windows Vista, sticking with Windows XP, a version of the operating system that's now nearly 8 years old. A separate report this week from research firm Gartner Inc. cautioned companies against similarly skipping Windows 7.

DiDio's survey suggests that many companies were already heeding that advice.

The attitudes come in part from positive experiences with preliminary Windows 7 versions. Nearly 80 percent of companies that have tested the operating system rated it "excellent" or "very good," according to a summary of the results that DiDio provided to TechFlash today.

"Overall, the mood based on the survey comments, is generally positive," DiDio wrote in the summary. "However, some corporate customers did voice healthy skepticism on issues ranging from application compatibility to upgrade pricing for the commercial and business editions of Windows 7. It will be incumbent on Microsoft to respond quickly and efficiently to any technical issues that arise during the first wave of user deployments"

The 40 percent of companies with no specific timetable for Windows 7 deployment cited reasons including satisfaction with their current Windows XP or Vista computers; lack of a compelling business reason to shift to Windows 7; and the desire to make sure the new operating system doesn't bring significant compatibility problems for their applications.

The survey polled executives and IT managers around the world. About 85 percent were in North America; and the rest were in Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and South America.

Previously: Microsoft to businesses: Enough with the Windows XP already