Now I know many of you are either in the middle of deploying Windows 7 or are about to start.  Well this week we have released two updates to what I believe are key tools in helping you deploy Windows 7 efficiently.  These are the MAP Toolkit 5.0 and the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2010 Update 1.  Both of these are critical tools to help you on the path towards Windows 7.  More details of what these have to offer are below

Map Toolkit 5.0

• Heterogeneous server environment inventory – We all need to know what’s in our IT environment.  With MAP you can perform a scan on your network for not only Windows Server and clients, but also other systems such as Linux.  We know a lot of customers have a both in the environment.  This update supports this now.
• Software Usage tracking for Windows Server, SharePoint Server, System Centre Configuration Manager, Exchange Server and SQL Server
• Microsoft Office 2010 Readiness Assessment
• SQL Server discovery and assessment for consolidation
• Windows 2000 Server Migration Assessment

Now you might be saying to yourself, “What the heck does this have to do with Windows 7 Deployment?” Even though this release mainly focuses on server updates it’s still a vital tool for Windows 7 Deployment.  Plus we have added Office 2010 Readiness Assessment which is really important in a desktop rollout because a lot of customers will also update Office as part of their rollout of Windows 7.  So it’s important to know how many of your existing PC fleet will not only be able to run Windows 7 but will also be able to run Office 2010. 

Next Steps

• Download Map 5.0 by going to http://www.microsoft.com/map
• Learn more at the MAP TechNet site
• Get the latest updates from the MAP Team Blog
• Follow the MAP team on twitter

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010 Update 1

At TechEd Australia last year we used MDT 2010 to create the Windows 7 image that went on the 2500 Netbooks that we gave away.  It was the key tool for us to get the image created.  In helping you accelerate your Windows 7 deployments we have released MDT 2010 Update 1 and added some key features.  These include:

For SCCM 2007 Customers

• New User Driven Installation Deployment method – This update now has and easy to use UDI wizard that allows users to initiate and customize OS and application deployments to their PC’s that are tailored to suit their needs.
• Support for Configuration Manager R3 “Pre-Staged Media” – If you are deploying Windows 7 and Office 2010 as an image for your PC’s, this image can be pre-loaded and then customized once it’s deployed.

For Lite Touch Installations

• Support for Office 2010 – This is really cool in that you can easily configure an Office 2010 installation and deployment settings through the Deployment Workbench and then integrate this directly into the Office Customization Tool.
• Improved Driver Import Process – Now all drivers are inspected during the import process to accurately determine what platforms they actually support avoiding any driver inaccuracies which can then lead to deployment issues.

For all existing customers

• A simple upgrade process – The great thing is the upgrade process to Update 1 will preserve your existing MDT configuration.
• Many small enhancements and bug fixes – We are always trying to improve our products and this release is no different.  We have responded to customer feedback from customers about issues they have reported to us and made sure we included fixes in this release.
• Continued Support for Older Products – We know customers are still running older products so MDT 2010 Update 1 continues to support them.  This includes Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008 and Office 2007.

Next Steps

• Download MDT 2010 by clicking here
• Visit the MDT site on TechNet to learn more.  www.microsoft.com/mdt
• And don’t forget to visit the MDT Team Blog to get the latest up to date information