Windows Vista Desktop Optimization Pack for Software Assurance

Extending the Value of Windows Vista Enterprise: Optimizing the Windows Desktop

https://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getready/optimizeddesktop.mspx

Windows Vista Enterprise was designed to help global organizations and enterprises with complex IT infrastructures lower IT costs, reduce risk and stay connected. The Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack for Software Assurance extends this value even further by reducing application deployment costs, enabling delivery of applications as services and allowing for better management and control of enterprise desktop environments. Together these technologies deliver the most cost-effective and flexible Windows desktop management solution.

The Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack for Software Assurance (1.32 MB .pdf file) is a dynamic desktop solution available to Software Assurance customers, that employs innovative technologies to help reduce the TCO of the Windows desktop by accelerating OS and application management, and enhancing IT responsiveness and end-user uptime.

Using the solution's virtualization, dynamic streaming and desktop manageability technologies, customers will:

  • Improve PC manageability
    • Streamline and accelerate the entire application management lifecycle from planning and predictable deployment, to using, maintaining and migrating software
    • Further reduce total cost of ownership of the Windows desktop
    • Enhance management of software assets
  • Accelerate and simplify desktop deployments and migrations
    • Reduce end-user downtime
    • Increase IT and business agility
  • Enhance change management process and roll backs
    • Enhance group policy management
    • Reduce downtime
    • Provide end users with on-demand access to applications for which they are assigned

The Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack for Software Assurance is an add-on subscription license available only to customers who have SA coverage on their Windows Desktops that can transform the way you manage your desktops. It will enable you to better control the desktop, accelerate and simplify desktop deployments and management, and create a dynamic infrastructure by turning software into centrally managed services.

Change the way you manage enterprise-wide desktop environments

Take Control of the Desktop
Ease change management and roll backs, enhance group policy management, reduce downtime and provide end users with on-demand access to applications for which they are assigned:

  • Lock down desktop permissions and Group Policy Objects (GPOs) while the virtual applications still execute with centralized control of application permissions.
  • Applications are delivered on-demand to clients, improving the time it takes to recover users from desktop failures.
  • Centralized, policy-based management—including deployment, patching, updating and termination of virtualized applications—is intelligently managed for all types of users via policies and administered through a single console.
  • Real-time application usage tracking makes it easy to determine how applications are or are not being used so customers can better manage license compliance.
  • Software inventory management enables IT to better manage and control the software environment and reduce TCO.
  • OS images are consolidated and stabilized because applications are decoupled from the OS and delivered on-demand.

Accelerate Desktop Deployment, Management and Responsiveness
Simplify desktop deployments and migrations with application virtualization and streaming, reducing end-user downtime, decreasing IT management costs and increasing IT agility:

  • Virtualization enables applications to run as network services—without ever being installed—on-demand. Applications run reliably without conflicts, increasing user uptime and accelerating deployments and OS migrations.
  • Application compatibility conflicts and regression testing are eliminated by isolating all key components of the application from the desktop.
  • IT help desk call volume is dramatically reduced by eliminating application conflicts. Users have a more reliable desktop experience.
  • Troubleshooting tools pinpoint problems, recover and repair PCs, and post-crash analysis provides intelligence that helps prevent future PC failures.
  • Applications are universally available to users in multiple client environments including desktops, laptops and terminal servers, with a centrally managed infrastructure.
  • Application management lifecycle is simplified and accelerated; IT responsiveness and end-user uptime are significantly improved.

Transform Software into Centrally Managed Services; A Dynamic Infrastructure
Build the foundation for a dynamic infrastructure:

  • Dynamic enterprise is created through a virtual IT environment where applications can be delivered and managed as on-demand virtual services.
  • End-users can get their applications from any Windows desktop (enabling free-seating, hoteling), just like a web page.
  • IT can easily assign new computers since they can offer a generic image to all users.
  • IT can easily replace hardware since applications and users are not bound to specific computers.
  • Facilitates business continuity planning by allowing users go to any computer on the network and instantly get to their own applications.1

Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack for Software Assurance facilitates accelerated deployment and manageability of Windows through these innovative technologies-available only to Windows Software Assurance customers:

Microsoft SoftGrid Microsoft Asset Inventory Service Microsoft Advanced Group Policy Management Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset
Enables you to deploy software applications that are never installed to minimize regression testing, yet follow users anywhere, on demand. It turns Windows applications into centrally managed virtual services that are delivered to any desktop or laptop client worldwide. It can also be integrated and managed within Microsoft SMS.Download the data sheet (1.32 MB). Requires Adobe Reader. Reduces application management lifecycle TCO through advanced software inventory scanning and by translating inventory data for more than 430,000 titles into useful, admin-friendly information. The tool is an easily administered, hosted service with no client installation.Download the data sheet (1.39 MB). Requires Adobe Reader. Helps IT take control of the desktop through effective change management and roll-backs via GPOs and a robust role-based administration and delegation model.Download the data sheet (1.39 MB). Requires Adobe Reader. Allows you to quickly repair unbootable or locked-out systems, restore lost data, remove malware from infected systems while the system is safely offline using existing antivirus software, and diagnose system and network issues.Download the data sheet (1.31 MB). Requires Adobe Reader.

To learn more, contact your Reseller or local Microsoft Account Manager.

Click here to download the overview datasheet for the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack for Software Assurance (1.32 MB) and here for a full list of FAQs (138 KB). Requires Adobe Reader.