Microsoft Solution Accelerators - MDT 2012

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Today's Solution Accelerator post focuses on the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2012. Otherwise known as MDT 2012…

The latest version of the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit—version 2012— is now available for download here.

Deploy Windows 7, Office 2010, Windows 8 Consumer Preview, Windows Server 2012 Beta and Windows Server 2008 R2 with the newly released MDT 2012. MDT is the recommended process and toolset for automating Windows 7 and Office 365 deployments.

The Solution Accelerators Team have added new features to MDT 2012 that include the ability for users to initiate and customize their own deployments using System Center Configuration Manager 2012 (ConfigMgr), key enhancements in Windows 7 driver support, and much more.

MDT 2012 will provide new benefits such as:

  • Comprehensive tools and guidance to efficiently manage large-scale deployments of Microsoft Office 2010.
  • An enhanced User-Driven Installation (UDI) deployment method that utilizes ConfigMgr 2012. UDI lets end users initiate and customize an OS deployment on their PCs—via an easy-to-use wizard.
  • Ease Lite Touch installation with new capabilities to check on the status of currently running deployments.
  • This release provides support for deploying Windows 8 Consumer Preview in a lab environment.

These features, combined with many bug fixes and other improvements, make MDT 2012 more reliable and flexible than ever.

Support for Configuration Manager 2012: MDT 2012 provides support for Configuration Manager 2012 releases. MDT 2012 fully leverages the capabilities provided by Configuration Manager 2012 for OS deployment. Users now also have the ability to migrate MDT 2012 task sequences from Configuration Manager 2007 to Configuration Manager 2012.

Customize deployment questions:  For System Center Configuration Manager customers, MDT 2012 provides an improved, extensible wizard and designer for customizing deployment questions.

Ease Lite Touch installation:  The Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolkit (DaRT) is now integrated with Lite Touch Installation, providing remote control and diagnostics. New monitoring capabilities are available to check on the status of currently running deployments. LTI now has an improved deployment wizard user experience. Enhanced partitioning support ensures that deployments work regardless of the current structure.

Secure Deployments: MDT 2012 offers integration with the Microsoft Security Compliance Manager (SCM) tool to ensure a secure Windows deployment from the start.

Reliability and flexibility: Existing MDT users will find more reliability and flexibility with the many small enhancements and bug fixes and a smooth and simple upgrade process.

Support for Windows 8:  MDT 2012 provides support for deploying Windows 8 Consumer Preview and Windows Server 2012 Beta in a lab environment.

What are the next steps from here? Using the URLs below start understanding more about how MDT 2012 can assist your move to the latest versions of Office and Operating System's:

In our next Solution Acelerator post we will highlight the Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) . Until then…

Cheers, Morgan…
@morganwza