Microsoft Ships SMS 2003 RC1, Final Version Due In September

Microsoft last September shipped the beta-test version of SMS 2003, developed under the code name Topaz, to about 10,000 customers.

The release candidiate announced this week offers improved mobile support for laptops and roaming users, tighter integration with Windows 2000/2003 Active Directory and new metering and Web-based reporting tools, Microsoft said.

Microsoft has been discussing its Topaz project for more than three years and originally planned to ship it in the spring of 2002.

Following the release of SMS 2003, the software giant plans to unify several of its management products--including SMS 2003 and Microsoft Operations Manager--into a single Systems Management Center.