Microsoft Offers Beta Of Windows 7 Planning Tool

The recently unveiled beta of the Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit 4.0 automatically identifies up to 100,000 computers within a company's network and delivers recommendations for workstation, server, and virtualization project needs. In addition to assessing hardware and device compatibility for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008, the toolkit also provides insight into organizations' readiness for Hyper-V R2, Microsoft's latest virtualization hypervisor.

Microsoft believes that Windows Server 2008 R2 puts it on equal footing with the rest of the virtualization market, and version 4.0 of the toolkit adds the ability for administrators to inventory VMware server hosts and guests. This fits with Microsoft's larger strategy of building VMware management capability into its System Center management platform.

Microsoft is also giving channel partners the option of customizing the toolkit's user interface and proposal functions, which VARs can use to differentiate themselves as they chase the mountain of services money that's likely to materialize along with Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2.