Microsoft has reversed plans to deliver a bundle of systems management products under the System Center name and instead will use that name as an overarching brand for its systems management products, the software maker plans to announce this week.
System Center, announced a year ago, was originally introduced as a bundle of Microsoft Operations Manager (MOM) 2005 and SMS (Systems Management Server) 2003 with a common interface and added reporting services. Microsoft has now dropped those plans, opting instead to deliver reporting capability in a tool called System Center Reporting Manager, which is currently in beta testing. MOM and SMS will remain standalone products.
The System Center name, meanwhile, will now be used as an overarching brand name.
"They have taken the System Center name and hijacked it for use as a brand for all their management products," said Peter Pawlak, an analyst at Directions on Microsoft. "They are trying to promote it a la Unicenter or Tivoli," Pawlak said, referring to rival brands from Computer Associates International and IBM, respectively.
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