Windows 7 Deployment Tools
Deploying a new operating system across a company is a bit like conducting an orchestra: You need the proper instruments in place, and your timing and execution must be right to evoke harmony. Get it wrong and all you get is noise. So for all those would-be maestros of Windows 7, now is the time to take a close look at OS deployment software, which we have tested in our rolling review.
Our review focuses on fat client deployment, so we tested products that provide the deployment, migration, and post-deployment management tools necessary to accomplish the task. The jump to Windows 7 from Windows XP, which is what most companies are contemplating, is a rip-and-replace upgrade, so user state migration was a key feature we examined.
We tested products from Acronis, Kace, Microsoft, and Avocent. We invited Symantec/Altiris, which was willing to participate, but its product was still in a pre-beta version for Windows 7 deployment and unable to meet our deadline for this rolling review. We also invited Novell for its ZenWorks product, but our publishing schedule didn’t allow enough time to get the software into our labs.
Table of Contents
2 Rolling Review Wrapup Windows 7 Done Right
6 Acronis Deploys Win 7 Well
7 The Kace KBOX Rocks for Windows 7 Deployment
9 Microsoft Has Inside Track for Win 7 Deployment
11 LANDesk Leads for Large Enterprises
15 Rolling Review Kickoff: Ready To Roll Out Windows 7?
About the Author
Randy George has covered a wide range of network infrastructure and information security topics in his six years as a contributor to InformationWeek and Network Computing. He has 15 years of experience in enterprise IT and has spent the past 10 years working as a senior-level systems analyst and network engineer in the professional sports industry. Randy holds various professional certifications from Microsoft, Cisco and Check Point, a BS in computer engineering from Wentworth Institute of Technology and an MBA from the University of Massachusetts Isenberg School of Management.
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