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New SMS-Alliance Formed to Enhance Customer Investments in Microsoft's Systems Management Server

Posted on: Tuesday, 16 March 2004, 06:00 CST

LAS VEGAS, March 16 /PRNewswire/ -- The SMS-Alliance launched today with seven leading technology companies joining forces to help enterprise customers extend Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) investments into comprehensive lifecycle solutions for reducing systems management costs. SMS-Alliance members provide SMS customers with a range of consulting services, multi-platform, mobile device, application and asset management solutions, as well as automated user setting and data migration, based on their respective complementary technologies. As a result, enterprise customers can maximize the benefits of SMS capabilities across their organizations to simplify system management and significantly reduce operating costs.

"Microsoft believes the SMS-Alliance will play a key role in helping customers quickly deploy SMS-based lifecycle management solutions," said David Hamilton, director of the Enterprise Management Division at Microsoft Corp. "With the ability to tailor and extend SMS functionality, including the management of mixed platform environments, the SMS-Alliance members offer leading-edge complementary solutions enabling customers to take advantage of the manageability inherent in the Windows platform to quickly achieve a return on their SMS investment and greatly improve the cost-effectiveness of their lifecycle management programs."

Access to Technology and Best Practices

Alliance founding members include 1E, Intrinsic Technologies, InstallShield Software Corp., Desktop DNA, PS'SOFT, Vintela and XcelleNet. Each member company has extensive experience integrating Microsoft SMS with customers' IT environments. By leveraging their joint knowledge and experience, the SMS-Alliance can provide customers with a single point of access to an advanced user community, leading software and solution partners, and lifecycle management best practices.

Lifecycle management solutions must increasingly provide an enterprise with more than just basic desktop PC configuration and management. According to Gartner, the key elements of success for lifecycle management solutions are an ability to interoperate with deployment and configuration management tools, support a broad range of applications, and customize for customer's unique environments.

With a diverse and proven background of lifecycle management expertise, SMS-Alliance members can offer a complete range of consulting services, UNIX, Linux and Mac platform management, security and management for customer-facing and mobile platforms, asset management and usage monitoring, automated user settings and data migration, and application packaging during deployments. Services are determined by customers' specific goals and existing IT environments.

"Effective enterprise management solutions are critical to today's IT organizations as infrastructures become more complex and change initiatives more frequent," stated Ronni Colville, research director for Gartner Inc. "The ability to extend SMS to address full life cycle capability will offer enterprises a more comprehensive approach to managing their infrastructure."

SMS-Alliance Membership and Information

The SMS-Alliance debuts at the SMS Alliance Pavilion during the Microsoft Management Summit, held March 15-19 in Las Vegas. More information about the Alliance can be found at http://www.sms-alliance.com/.

About SMS Alliance Members

Members of the SMS Alliance provide a range of lifecycle management solutions. They include:

1E -- a global SMS 2003 partner, providing patch management, automated

migration and software distribution solutions that extend SMS

functionality worldwide.

Desktop DNA -- the leading solution for user setting and data migration

management during PC upgrades, deployments, OS migrations, and desktop

system recovery.

InstallShield Software -- the leading packaging and application

management solution provider, relied upon by systems administrators to

guarantee the reliable install, standardized configuration, and stable

interoperability of SMS-deployed applications and patches.

Intrinsic Technologies -- the national delivery partner for SMS 2003,

providing best practice consulting to integrate SMS 2003 and extending

tools into customer environments for a complete change and configuration

management strategy.

PS'SOFT -- extends SMS into a comprehensive IT asset management system.

Vintela -- provides platform integration software solutions that extend

Windows capabilities to integrate with UNIX and Linux and Mac

environments.

XcelleNet -- extends SMS functionality to the front lines of business,

assuring the continuous flow of critical business processes.

Other product and service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.

Executive quotes from SMS Alliance members for 3/16/2004 press release:

1E

"The tailored technology solutions within the SMS Alliance are best of

breed, formulating an opportunity for companies to gain true lifecycle

management around Systems Management Server. The joint resources

provide a complete offering for organizations to leverage the most from

their existing investment in Microsoft Technology. 1E is very excited to

be able to extend this value to our customers."

Sumir Karayi, CEO, 1E Limited

InstallShield

"InstallShield is excited to be a founding member of the SMS-Alliance,"

said Lynn Sweetwood, Vice President and General Manager for Enterprise

Solutions at InstallShield. "Adding InstallShield's best-of-breed

application packaging and preparation offerings to the SMS-Alliance's

impressive roster of leading solution providers enables customers to

fully maximize the return on their SMS investment."

XcelleNet

"As companies accelerate deployments of technology out to the front lines

of their business, integrating and managing solutions used by mobile and

remote workers is becoming increasingly complex," said Joan Herbig,

XcelleNet CEO. "At XcelleNet, we are committed to helping customers

simplify the process of securing and managing the systems that support

frontline activities. We are excited to be part of the SMS-Alliance as

it broadens the control and capabilities that enterprises can access

through a single, integrated SMS solution."

Intrinsic

"Focusing the SMS expertise, leadership and experience of six leading

technology companies into the new SMS Alliance has created a new

paradigm of service for SMS enterprise customers. Never before have

customers had access to this amazing arsenal of coordinated services and

solutions when seeking the best way to reduce their operating costs and

improve their return on investment."

Jason Liu, CEO, Intrinsic Technologies

Media Contact

Gerold Franke

InstallShield Software Corp.

847.466.4300

geroldf@installshield.com

CO: InstallShield Software Corp.; Microsoft Corp.; 1E; Desktop DNA; Intrinsic Technologies; PS'SOFT; Vintela; XcelleNetST: NevadaIN: CPR STW ITE HTSSU: PDT TDS

InstallShield Software Corp.

CONTACT: Gerold Franke of InstallShield Software Corp., +1-847-466-4300,geroldf@installshield.com

Web site: http://www.installshield.com/http://www.sms-alliance.com/

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