14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is about to launch a program designed to make it simpler for customers to test drive the next iteration of System Center Virtual Machine Manager.
Early adopters can of course take System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 Beta out for a spin themselves, but they’re bound to run into a few problems, including failing to prioritize testing based on critical aspects of the solution’s evolution.
[ADMARK1=] According to Kenon Owens, Technical Product Manager System Center Virtual Machine Manager, Microsoft has a way for testers to get the best out of the Beta.
The Virtual Machine Manager 2012 Beta Community Evaluation Program is scheduled to start tomorrow, Thursday, May 26th, 2011.
“This program provides IT professionals a structured approach to evaluating the pre-release version of Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012,” Owens stated.
“Members of this program are able to evaluate the Beta version of Virtual Machine Manager 2012 with guidance from the product team and by sharing of experiences and best practices among a community of peers. As an internal user, you will have the same access to information as the external customer and partners.”
Owens notes that the Community Evaluation Program is the best way for early adopters to get insight into new features including Cloud Creation/Delegation, Service Templates, Fabric Management (Compute, Storage, and Networking), and Server App-V.
At the same time, participants in the System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 CEP will receive guidance when it comes down to the integration of the solution with other System Center products.
Customers interested in joining the System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 CEP can do so via Microsoft Connect. They will be required to fill out the VMM 2012 CEP survey in order to be considered as testers.
“Wouldn’t it be nice to have a place where I can get a guided evaluation of this product? Perhaps, I could join a community where I would have these new features all broken down for me in digestible chunks, taught to me by the folks that make the product, and have a forum for asking questions and sharing ideas with my peers,” Owens added.
System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 Beta is available for download here.