14 DAY TRIAL // The next versions of System Center Configuration Manager and Forefront Endpoint Protection have reached the Release Candidate stage, with Microsoft inviting early adopters to test drive the new Builds.
The Redmond company is offering a single package for both System Center 2012 Endpoint Protection (formerly Forefront Endpoint Protection 2012) RC and System Center 2012 Configuration Manager RC via the Microsoft Download Center.
System Center 2012 Configuration Manager and System Center 2012 Endpoint Protection are effectively joined at the hip, revealed Adwait Joshi, sr. technical product manager, Management and Security, since the two solutions are built on the same infrastructure.
This means that customers leveraging the new System Center 2012 technologies will be able to enjoy improved capabilities, such as fixing vulnerabilities, monitoring compliance and distributing and updating AntiMalware.
Configuration Manager has evolved considerably, and is capable of playing nice with not just physical, but also virtual and mobile environments.
IT admins will be able to manage compliance, deliver applications, etc. via the new System Center 2012 Configuration Manager unified infrastructure to all devices used by workers in their organizations, the Redmond company is promising.
In addition to enhancements related to scalability and performance, Joshi enumerated a rage of new capabilities featured by the new RC Builds:
“• Improved endpoint protection functionality, with integrated setup, management and reporting for System Center 2012 Endpoint Protection.
• Improved application catalog design that provides a better, more responsive experience when requesting and downloading applications.
• New support for Windows Embedded devices, including Windows Embedded 7 SP1, POSReady 7, Windows 7 Think PC, and Windows Embedded Compact 7.
• Improved client status checks for Configuration Manager services and features.
• Improved compliance enforcement and tracking, with the ability to create dynamic collections of baseline compliance and the generation of hourly compliance summaries.
• Platform support for deep mobile device management of Nokia Symbian Belle devices.”
System Center 2012 Endpoint Protection Release Candidate (RC) and System Center 2012 Configuration Manager Release Candidate (RC) are available for download here.