System Center Service, Updates Announced

A planned PC management service and the next versions of Microsoft’s System Center line of systems management tools were revealed at the Microsoft Management Summit (MMS) in Apr. 2009. Improvements in System Center products and emphasis on tools for cloud computing may lead to further adoption of Microsoft’s management products, especially in companies with large Microsoft-based server infrastructures. The new System Center Online Desktop Manager service is based on the same technology as Windows Update, and it may provide small and medium businesses with features previously available only with major investment in system tools running inside their firewalls.

Online Services and Help Desk Announced

MMS 2009 announcements included the following:

Online Desktop Manager. System Center Online Desktop Manager, a set of Microsoft-hosted online services that provides integrated desktop security and management, will be available to a private group of testers by the end of June 2009 and available for public beta testing by the end of 2009. Based on technologies used for Windows Update, the services will provide antimalware, asset inventories, health monitoring, software updating, and group policy management. Some similar services were available with the consumer-oriented OneCare, which is being discontinued. Online Desktop Manager is designed for small and midsize businesses without major on-premise system management tools, such as System Center, or security products, such as Forefront. The services will be generally available in 2010.