Microsoft and partners offer system efficiencies for mid size manufacturers

It's all about helping companies with limited IT resources that need to make deploying and managing server and desktop technology more efficient, and the software giant's answer is Microsoft System Centre Essentials Management Suite. Brad Anderson, corporate vice president of the Management and Services Division at Microsoft, explains that this includes Microsoft System Centre Essentials 2007 and Microsoft System Centre Virtual Machine Manager 2008. "We're partnering with Fujitsu, Lenovo and other OEMs so customers can work with familiar and proven solution providers," says Anderson. "Together we're delivering a solution that has been built and packaged to [provide] an easy-to-use, integrated solution that helps reduce IT costs, and streamline control of physical and virtual desktops and servers," he adds. The new system is aimed at companies with 50 to 249 computers and five to 30 servers, typically with no more than four IT generalists who are asked perform a broad range of tasks. Fujitsu Technology Solutions and Lenovo say they now intend to offer a technology upgrade program for midsize companies that acquire the system between today and the final release of System Centre Essentials 2010. The license also will allow customers to acquire System Centre Essentials 2010 without repurchase of the product or purchase of new hardware, they say. In addition, Microsoft is running a promotion on 1 October via its volume licensing channel, so that mid size companies get upgrade rights to Microsoft System Centre Essentials 2010. The software giant says it will include Software Assurance and discounted licenses for Microsoft System Centre Essentials 2007 and System Centre Virtual Machine Manager 2008 Workgroup Edition.