Microsoft Vista In View At Summit

At the Microsoft Management Summit 2006, company executives will tout management improvements in the upcoming Windows Vista client and server.

The Vista client will offer a new Event Viewer, Windows Remote Management, redesigned logging architecture, Windows Installer 4.0 and Task Scheduler for managing client PCs.

As Microsoft faces alternative desktop and server technologies that could threaten its fat client, the company is refining its infrastructure model and launching new management offerings.

Microsoft is also prepping updated management products and services as part of its System Center Wave 2 between 2006 and 2008. These include Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) 3.0, a comprehensive operating system patch management solution. WSUS 3.0 will represent the new software distribution engine for Windows Vista as well as System Center Essentials for SMB and upcoming Systems Management Server 3.0, according to Microsoft’s Web site.

The company is getting set to launch its next-generation System Center Wave 2 lineup as well, including SMS v4 and Microsoft Operations Manager v3. Also on tap is a Virtual Server Manager and new ISV partnerships.

At the show, Boston-based Softricity will announce SoftGrid 4.0, which integrates directly into Microsoft’s SMS and allows users to virtualize applications and stream them from within SMS. “The convenience of having a common platform to handle the capabilities of SMS and virtual applications distribution streaming is a major benefit,” said Mike Miller, a vice president at Consultrix, a Ridgeland, Miss.-based solution provider.

Microsoft will also detail its first multimanagement license bundle, or System Center Standard Server Management License (SML), which debuted April 1. It includes SMS 2003 Configuration Management License, System Center Data Protection Management 2006 License and MOM 2005 Standard Operations License at a discounted price of $245 per device. Currently, those products are sold separately.