Selecting an alternative management solution

The following chart is intended to help guide you in choosing the appropriate Microsoft management solution. Please contact your local Microsoft representative for further details on these solutions.

	Asset Inventory Service (MDOP/SA)	System Center Configuration Manager 2007	System Center Essentials 2007
*Less than 500 PCs*			l
*Prefer online tools*	l
*Prefer on-premise tools*		l	l
*Metering*		l

More info on these products:
System Center Configuration Manager: Click here
System Center Essentials: C lick here
Asset Inventory Service: C lick here

Software Inventory and Migration Planning Assessment

A popular use of AssetMetrix includes one time software or hardware inventory assessments to support Software audits or technology migration plans. The management solutions mentioned above will also support these scenarios. In some circumstances a tool that can be used one time only is required.

Software Inventory

The Microsoft Software Inventory Assessment tool is offered free of charge to support one time software audits. More information and download instructions are found here http://www.microsoft.com/resources/sam/msia.mspx

Technology Migration Planning

The Microsoft Windows Vista Hardware Assessment tool is suitable for enterprises of all sizes and provides inventory assessment and best practice guidance in support of Vista migrations. More information and download instructions are here: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/solutionaccelerators/hardwareassessment/wv/default.mspx

Also available is the Microsoft Assessment Planning Solution from the Solutions Accelerator team. MAPS may be used for planning migrations of many Microsoft products and does provide a software inventory as well. The MAPS solution information and download instructions are found here http://www.microsoft.com/MAP