Configuration Manager Gets New Release, Cadence

The current version of Configuration Manager arrived in Dec. 2015 and includes new features such as the ability to do in-place upgrades to the Windows client OS and to manage the new Windows 10 update process. There is also a different and more direct process for updating the Office 365 ProPlus suite. When integrated with Intune, Microsoft’s online device management service, Configuration Manager now has more flexible management features for mobile devices. A first update to the current version came in Mar. 2016, and future updates will be more frequent as the product uses a servicing process similar to Windows 10 “branches” and Office “channels.”

What Is Configuration Manager?

Introduced as Systems Management Server (SMS) in 1994, System Center Configuration Manager is Microsoft’s most comprehensive technology for managing hardware, distributing and managing software, applying patches, tracking licenses, and remotely diagnosing problems. Configuration Manager deploys OSs, updates, patches, and applications over a corporate network (or over the Internet using a virtual private network connection) and collects inventories of Windows and other clients and servers. It can also help customers manage power settings and policies and configure and update Microsoft’s endpoint antimalware software on Windows computers.