Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) 2009 Available

The latest version of the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack is now available for the Redmond company's Software Assurance customers. MDOP 2009 is designed to work in concordance with the Enterprise version of the Windows operating system (Vista) in order to provide an enhanced level of productivity, manageability while also reducing the Total Cost of Ownership for desktops in enterprise IT infrastructures. MDOP continues even after the 2009 refresh to be focused on Windows Vista. Microsoft indicated that a variant for Windows 7 would be made available to customers but failed to offer any timetable in this regard.

“MDOP 2009 includes the first release of Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V 1.0), a Cumulative Update to Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V 4.5 CU1) and an update to the Asset Inventory Service (AIS). Alongside these updated releases, MDOP 2009 also includes the other standard MDOP tools: Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset, Microsoft Advanced Group Policy Management, and Microsoft System Center Desktop Error Monitoring. The updates are available to 14.4 million MDOP customers,” explained Ran Oelgiesser, senior product manager for MED-V.

Still, Microsoft is indeed already tailoring MDOP to Windows 7. This with the availability of App-V 4.5 Cummulative Update 1, a refresh that is designed to introduce support for the Beta of Windows 7 Build 7000. The move is meant to deliver a helping hand to customers already testing the Windows 7 waters and planning for deployments. At the same time, Oelgiesser promised that, following the release to manufacturing of Windows 7, support would be offered for the gold version of the operating system in no later than 90 days of general availability.

“MED-V provides deployment and management of virtual Windows desktops to enable key enterprise scenarios. MED-V 1.0 helps enterprises upgrade to the latest version of Windows even when some applications are not yet compatible. MED-V builds on top of Microsoft Virtual PC to run two operating systems on one device, adding virtual image delivery, policy-based provisioning and centralized management,” Oelgiesser added.