System Center Roadmap Update

A new online PC management service, a new help desk product, and updates to System Center tools were among the topics covered at the Microsoft Management Summit conference in Apr. 2010. The roadmap for System Center shows increasing emphasis on both private and cloud management services and probable merging of several products into Configuration Manager. The changes help small to midsize businesses manage PCs without on-premises management infrastructure; offer larger enterprises a more complete systems management solution; help Microsoft displace incumbent systems management providers; and allow partners to expand their system management offerings.

New Releases in the System Center Roadmap

The System Center line is Microsoft’s product set for enterprise systems management and includes products for computer configuration, monitoring, backup, software deployment and installation, and other administrative tasks.

At the Apr. 2010 Microsoft Management Summit (MMS 2010), the company announced a beta of Windows Intune, a set of online PC management, update and antimalware services; updates to System Center Essentials and Data Protection Manager; and the release of the new help desk product, Service Manager. (For a graphical overview of releases for these products, see the illustration “System Center Product Timeline“.)