ITWire

The new range of software, marketed under the Forefront security and System Center unified management brands, is designed to help customers simplify their security management and more efficiently manage their IT environment, according to Microsoft.

Microsoft Forefront Client Security is designed to help protect business desktops, laptops and server operating systems fromviruses, spyware, Trojans and other current and emerging threats. System Center Essentials 2007 provides a unified solution to help simplify a broad set of tasks across an organization's IT environment. The solution features a single console from which IT management can view and manage servers, clients, hardware, software and IT services.

In typical Microsoft fashion at business products announcements, representatives of some model beta clients were trotted out to relate glowing reports of their experiences with the new product range.

"We are using System Center management solutions to roll out Forefront Client Security to 6000 desktops and laptops. We also use Windows Server Update Services to push the antivirus signatures to desktop agents," said Kevin Hayden, manager of the Desktop Engineering Group at Analog Devices Inc. "The integration between Microsoft Forefront security and System Center management solutions, along with other Microsoft technologiessuch as Active Directory, makes it easier for us to deploy, secure, manage and report on our desktop environment."