Updated: December 14, 2024 (December 3, 2024)

System Center 2025: Few Improvements, Mostly in VMs and Cloud

Wes Miller analyzes and writes about Microsoft’s security, identity management, and systems management technologies. Before joining Directions on Microsoft, Wes... more

System Center 2025 is now generally available, but Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) is the only product in the suite with any worthwhile improvements.
Most other products in this release only deliver support for use with the latest Microsoft software, and a renewed support life cycle.
An expanding focus on Azure integration is the primary theme for the new suite, which costs 10% more than its predecessor while delivering little value.

System Center 2025, the latest version of the server and client management suite, reached general availability on Nov. 1, 2024. The suite delivers support for Microsoft’s latest server hosting platforms (Windows Server 2025 and Azure Stack HCI 23H2) and management support for Windows Server 2025 and recent versions of Linux. It includes a handful of security enhancements, but also provides five years of Mainstream support and five years of Extended support. A 10% price hike for a suite with such little value should lead customers to limit their investment going forward, as Microsoft is clearly limiting its investment in System Center.

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