Quoting from ZDNet:
Analyst group Gartner believes that virtualisation will allow Microsoft to create a more flexible operating system platform in the future based around modularity.
…
The claim, which has been rejected by Microsoft, stems from the argument that the current Windows architecture is unsustainable for Microsoft and its customers.
…
In a research note released this week, Vista Will Be the Last Major Windows Release as We Know It, the analyst group claims that the trend of building ever more functionality into Windows may be reversed thanks to the virtualisation technology which will soon be integrated into the operating system…
Read the whole article at source.