Client Management Products

An update to the Desktop Optimization Pack was released in Nov. 2012. It includes DART 8.0, App-V 5.0, and a new tool, User Experience Virtualization (UE-V), as well as other updates to support Windows 8. A new version of AIS 2.0, an update to DART 7.0, and a new feature, called BitLocker Administration and Monitoring (BAM), are included in the Desktop Optimization Pack 2011 R2 released in Aug. 2011. Previous updates to the PC management suite added support for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 (both 32-bit and 64-bit versions) and additional languages.

Microsoft has announced that AIS will be discontinued in Apr. 2013, although customers with active Software Assurance (SA) can obtain rights to use Windows Intune, which has a similar inventorying feature. DEM and MED-V will not be updated in the future (specifically not updated for Windows 8), but customers can continue to use them with Windows 7.

Windows Intune (previously referred to as System Center Online Desktop Manager) is a set of Microsoft-hosted online services that provides integrated desktop security and management. General availability of the first version was Mar. 23, 2011. An update released in Oct. 2011 includes additional features such as the ability to deploy applications and third-party updates. Further updates in June 2012 added the capability to manage devices such as tablets and smartphones in conjunction with Exchange ActiveSync. A further update, expected in late 2012 or early 2013, will be able to manage Windows 8, Windows RT, and Windows Phone 8.