November launch for Microsoft SMS successor

Microsoft will start shipping System Center Configuration Manager 2007, its new system-management software, in November.

Previously known as Systems Management Server, the enhanced product is designed to allow companies to more effectively manage upgrades and application changes in dynamic IT infrastructures, according to Microsoft.

A trial version of the product is now available for download.

The software giant said the product can be used to manage servers, clients and handheld devices across physical, virtual, distributed and mobile systems from a single console and with greater security.

System Center Configuration Manager 2007 also is designed to allow companies to manage full-application deployments and update system lifecycles with streamlined, policy-based automation.

The product is optimized for common enterprise platforms, including Windows Vista and the forthcoming Windows Server 2008.

Antony Savvas of ZDNet UK reported from London.

[inachu]

This might be a good thing.

Also I think this version will make companies phase out the use of norton ghost when all clients start to use Windows Vista.

[fred dunn]

Good Only For Microsoft-ONLY businesses

We have an ever-growing Apple Mac base since Vista was released and also Linux is picking up steam since Dell (our standard desktop provider) introduced Linux on the Desktop models.
When is Microsoft going to come to grips that other OS's exist and need patch and configuration management as well?
We used SMS 2.0 for about 3 years until the CIO and CISO mandated that we patch all OS's and applications under our standard environment.
We are currentlt using BigFix with a much less intrusive client (less CPU overhead) with success and it does the mix of OS's where SMS is Microsoft only other than you can support non-microsoft apps as long as they are on a Windows platform.
For those Microsoft only houses this may be a good product IF they have reduced the resources required by the client and made the Administrator interface more intuitive. They also need "turnkey" patches and software delivery. I love scripting and WMI but good God SMS almost requires scripting at every turn.
Your turn Rod.

Fred Dunn