Microsoft has extended (doubled) the time they will allow businesses to block the automated installation Windows XP SP2. I have mixed feelings/thoughts about this, but ultimately I think it's a good thing for Microsoft to allow it's customers to control the update for a while.

For my part, I think everyone should install this service pack as soon as you reasonably can. Companies should know that delaying without a good business reason to do so is almost certainly a mistake. If your reason is that you overheard or read about some vague problems, you better have the details, and they better be real. I've already had a number of conversations with IT-types who made what they positioned as an informed business decision not to install SP2, with absolutely no good reasoning behind their decision.

Details on the delay from Microsoft Watch:

Microsoft has allowed XP users who were leery of taking delivery of Windows XP Service Pack 2 to postpone the patch by using automatic-patch-blocking tools. Microsoft is now giving XP customers using Windows Update/Automatic Update a deadline (April 12, 2005) by which they need to finish preparing for SP2 before Microsoft pushes SP2 out to them.

and from Microsoft's web site:

Please note that the mechanism to temporarily disable delivery of Windows XP SP2 will be available for a period of 240 days (8 months) from August 16. At the end of this period, Windows XP SP2 will be delivered to all Windows XP and Windows XP Service Pack 1 systems.