REDMOND, Wash., April 24, 2002 — Microsoft Corp. has made it easier than ever for IT professionals to evaluate and deploy the Windows® XP operating system and Office XP. This week, Microsoft launched the Desktop Deployment Resource Center, a
“one-stop shop” that provides business decision-makers and IT professionals with resources to address their needs in evaluating, deploying and maintaining Microsoft® Windows XP and Office XP. Resources are indexed by product, company size and stage in migration to ensure that the most pertinent information is made available based on the businesss needs.
Available at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/deployment/ , the Desktop Deployment Resource Center is designed to help guide IT professionals to the tools and resources appropriate for their organizations. The portal offers a comprehensive view of the deployment process by bringing together Microsoft deployment resources such as TechNet, white papers, guides, services offerings, knowledge base articles, third-party tools and best practices from early adopters.
“Our goal with the Desktop Deployment Resource Center is to provide a single portal that aggregates available information and provides direct access to Microsofts best resources for Windows XP and Office XP deployment and management,”
said Stephanie Ferguson, director of PC Experience marketing at Microsoft.
“To realize the reliability and productivity benefits available from Windows XP and Office XP, businesses should begin their evaluation and deployment today.”
IT professionals can be sure that regardless of what stage of the upgrade process they are in — evaluation, planning, building, deployment or management — the Desktop Deployment Resource Center will put the most relevant information right at their fingertips.
Business Desktop Deployment Tour and Web Seminar Series
In addition to the portal, Microsoft is offering courses around the country, as well as free online Web seminars, to provide education on steps in the process of evaluating and deploying Windows XP and Office XP on the desktop.
Through July, Microsoft representatives will be touring the United States to provide daylong deployment training sessions on Windows XP and Office XP. These events will provide project guidance, technical training, and an outline of the resources and programs available to assist with the upgrade process. Attendees will learn about the key tasks to address during evaluation and deployment, the tools and technologies that will provide the understanding on where to start, and areas for further study. Additional details about the Business Desktop Deployment Tour, including a listing of cities, is available at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/deployment/tour/ .
Those unable to attend the Business Desktop Deployment Tour, or who are seeking additional information on evaluating and deploying a Windows XP and Office XP desktop, can take advantage of the Desktop Deployment 2002 Web Seminars, a series of weekly one-hour, interactive Web events that discuss deployment strategies for Microsofts Business Desktop. Desktop deployment technologies, tools and best practices will be showcased and discussed by Microsoft product managers and deployment specialists, followed by a moderated TechNet chat session. Each session will be available on Microsoft.com for on-demand viewing following the event and will remain posted for six months. A complete list of seminars, times and registration information is available at http://microsoftseries.digisle.tv/ .
Why Windows XP and Office XP?
The Windows XP and Office XP desktop offers businesses the highest levels of reliability and productivity. Windows XP Professional provides the advanced productivity tools that organizations need, and gives IT professionals the power to manage, deploy and support the computing environment more efficiently than ever. The following features of Windows XP Professional aid the deployment process:
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System Preparation Tool helps administrators prepare a computer to be imaged, cloning computer configurations, systems and applications.
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Setup Manager is a graphical wizard that guides administrators in designing installation scripts, greatly reducing or eliminating the need for user intervention.
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Remote Installation Service (used in conjunction with Windows 2000 Server) permits an operating system installation across the network.
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User State Migration Tool helps administrators migrate user data and system settings from an old computer to a new computer running the Windows XP Professional desktop.
Office XP is an important milestone in the effort to make technology easier to deploy, use and manage. To maximize user productivity, Office XP offers a rich platform for building customized solutions targeted to an organizations needs:
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Custom Installation Wizard enables improved customization of the Outlook® messaging and collaboration client, security configuration, user settings and application disablement.
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Custom Maintenance Wizard allows for staged deployment and improved maintenance after deployment.
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Outlook Security Features Administration Package enables Outlook security features to be customized for organizations with server-side security.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software — any time, any place and on any device.
Microsoft, Windows and Outlook are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
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