The role of IT operations continues to move from backstage to center stage as companies work to align their IT resources with business goals, putting more pressure on IT departments to drive higher levels of efficiency and productivity.

The recent launch of 2007 Microsoft Office, Exchange Server 2007 and Windows Vista for business presents enterprises with a wealth of new opportunities to achieve these goals. However, for IT professionals seeking to take full advantage of these opportunities, it also presents other questions: How can they best roll out the new technologies, cost effectively run them in existing environments and use them to reach new levels of productivity?

Microsoft’s answer to these questions: Microsoft System Center — a family of leading systems management solutions that focuses on providing IT professionals with built-in tools and knowledge to help IT professionals proactively manage their IT infrastructure. With Microsoft’s flagship management products Systems Management Server 2003 and System Center Operations Manager 2007, the growing System Center family of management solutions enables enterprises to more easily and efficiently migrate and manage the new Microsoft technologies launched in November. For more insight into the System Center enterprise management solutions, PressPass spoke with Larry Orecklin, general manager of marketing for the Windows Enterprise & Management Division.