April 2003

Below is an excerpt of a research report published by Directions on Microsoft, an independent research firm focused exclusively on Microsoft strategy & technology. More samples of our content, as well as a list of upcoming articles and reports are also available.

C O N T E N T S:

• Executive Summary
• Introduction
• Active Directory Improvements Remove Many Migration Roadblocks
• Overview: Explains how Windows Server 2003 addresses many of the barriers to implementing Active Directory, a core service that lies at the heart of the server OS’s ability to manage PC clients
• Windows Server 2003 Reduces Fear of Group Policy
• Overview: Summarizes how Group Policy deployment barriers have been addresses with tools that help administrator understand to whom a specific policy will apply, and what the policy will do to those users’ PCs
• Managing PCs with IntelliMirror
• Overview: Reviews IntelliMirror technologies for managing and replicating users' data, settings, and applications, and briefly summarizes incremental improvements made to these technologies in Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP
• Windows Application Installation Improves
• Overview: Covers improvements in the way apps are installed on Windows that were necessary for Windows Server 2003’s Group Policy and IntelliMirror capabilities to more effectively manage application software on PCs
• Benefits and Prospects
• Overview: Provides an overview of the management benefits that accrue with Windows Server 2003 deployment under three of the most common scenarios
• Resources
• Overview: List of where to find additional information on the subjects discussed in this report
• Appendix: PC Management Feature Requirements
• Overview: Lists the PC management capabilities available when various versions of Windows clients are used in conjunction with either a Windows 2000 Server- or Windows Server 2003-based corp. network infrastructure