Microsoft reveals bundling plans

Software giant to penetrate further into systems management with software and initiatives which could benefit resellers

Microsoft is hoping to penetrate further into systems management with a range of new software and initiatives which could benefit resellers.

At its Management Summit in Las Vegas last week, the software giant revealed plans to eventually bundle its two main systems management products together.

The soon-to-be-released Microsoft System Center will meld capabilities to be offered by the upcoming Systems Management Server (SMS) 2003 and Microsoft Operations Manager (MOM) 2004 into an enterprise-ready systems management suite.

The company is planning to ship SMS 2003 in September and MOM 2004 soon after that.

The products will be offered as a bundle initially, but in a few years Microsoft will build new versions on top of its recently disclosed Dynamic Systems Initiative (DSI), which aims to tie software, hardware and services vendors together.

Kirill Tatarinov, corporate vice-president of Microsoft's enterprise management division, said: "We have a three- to five-year road map for DSI, and we think our approach to systems management is unique. Management will be built into the operating system from the ground up."

Microsoft also announced that it has signed Unisys as a Solutions for Management partner, joining Avenade, an integrator partially owned by Microsoft and Accenture.

Sumir Karayi, managing director of UK Microsoft partner 1E, said Microsoft is looking to shake up the systems management market.

"I think a lot of ISVs will go to the wall as a result of this. The days of easy pickings are over," he said.