The former GPOVault Enterprise offering from DesktopStandard has been replaced by the new, Windows Vista compatible, Microsoft Advanced Group Policy Management (AGPM). AGPM is included as part of the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack for Software Assurance.

Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack for Software Assurance is a dynamic desktop solution available to Software Assurance customers, which reduces application deployment costs, enables delivery of applications as services and allows for better management and control of enterprise desktop environments. It helps reduce the TCO of the entire Windows desktop lifecycle by accelerating OS and application management, and enhancing IT responsiveness and end-user uptime. The Pack is comprised of Microsoft Application Virtualization, which minimizes application compatibility issues and enables software on-demand; Microsoft Asset Inventory Service, translating software inventory into business intelligence; Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset, powerful tools to accelerate desktop repair; Desktop Error Management, allowing pro-active desktop management and deeper insight of application errors; and Microsoft Advanced Group Policy Management, which adds control over change management to group policy.

For more information visit http://www.windowsvista.com/optimizeddesktop.

Group Policy preferences (formerly PolicyMaker™) will be part of the GPMC shipping in Windows Server 2008 and the Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) for Windows Vista SP1. Group Policy preferences enable IT professionals to configure, deploy, and manage a richer set of configuration settings and target specific settings to systems or users based a rich set of criterion such as whether the computer is a mobile PC, whether the computer meets specific performance metrics, or whether a specific application is installed first. Group Policy preferences can manage the following versions of Windows:

• Windows XP with Service Pack 2
• Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1
• Windows Vista
• Windows Server 2008

Group Policy preferences can be deployed in either Windows Server 2003 or Windows Server 2008 environments to further reduce management costs while improving managed configurations across your enterprise. PolicyMaker is no longer available for sale to new customers. Existing customers will be supported through normal Microsoft support processes. For more information on Group Policy preferences, please go to this whitepaper on the Microsoft Group Policy website.

Microsoft Acquires DesktopStandard

DesktopStandard Corporation, a leading developer of Group Policy-based enterprise desktop management products, announced on October 2, 2006, that it has been acquired by Microsoft. The addition of DesktopStandard demonstrates Microsoft’s commitment to help customers leverage the value of policy-based management and maximize the value of their investments in Active Directory. For more information, please visit the FAQs.

Customer Support

For DesktopStandard product support, please visit: http://support.microsoft.com.

Additional Licenses

Existing customers wishing to acquire additional licenses, please click here.

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