Windows Intune Available on March 23, 2011

In less than a month, customers in 35 countries around the world will be able to start leveraging a new Cloud-based PC management solution from Microsoft dubbed Windows Intune, which is right on track for commercial availability on March 23rd, 2011.

According to Gavriella Schuster, General Manager for Windows product management, March 23 will also bring with it the introduction of a free 30–day trial of Windows Intune.

For customers not familiar with Windows Intune, this is a Cloud-based offering designed to take care of the security, management, and remote assistance needs of organizations of all types and sizes.

Microsoft has underlined on several occasions, that it expects customers from small and mid-sized businesses to large enterprises to access the same corporate-grade services labeled as Windows Intune.

“Windows Intune builds on our history of delivering cloud services at scale, including Hotmail and Windows Update, and leverages Microsoft’s cloud experience with Azure, Dynamics CRM Online and Office 365 to give our customers the best Windows experience possible by providing the tools IT professionals need to ensure their employees can be productive and secure from virtually anywhere,” Schuster said.

There are a number of benefits to taking advantage of Windows Intune, and the fact that customers will not need to worry themselves with the infrastructure is just one of them.

As a part of the Windows Intune package of offerings, Microsoft is also providing Forefront antimalware and antispyware, a single-console to centralize all the management tasks, and even a solution for hardware and software inventory.

Last but not least, the software giant has also made an interesting move set up to streamline standardization by making upgrade rights to Windows 7 Enterprise a part of the deal customers get by default.

When I talked with Alex Heaton, Group Product Manager for Windows Intune at Microsoft in July 2010, he told me that Microsoft intended to offer Windows Intune at just $11 per PC, per month, and that a hybrid solution also involving Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) would be made available for $12 per PC per month.

The final version of Windows Intune will be available in: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad & Tobago, United Kingdom and United States.