Microsoft Ships Patch Management Services

Microsoft officially announced the release of Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) and Microsoft Update service at Tech Ed 2005 in Orlando, Fla., on Monday, although the most important deliverables of 2005 -- SQL Server 2005 and Visual Studio 2005 -- are still missing in action.

The long-awaited WSUS patch management server and Microsoft update service, which will allow corporations and SMB customers to download security fixes and patches, has finally shipped. WSUS, formerly known as Software Update Services 2.0, was first announced in the fall of 2003 and was originally expected to ship in early 2004.

The addition of support for applications other than Windows, including Office, SQL and Exchange, was a key reason for its delay, executives acknowledged. WSUS offers support for Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003; Office XP and Office 2003; Exchange 2000+; and SQL Server 2000 SP4. Microsoft plans to offer support late for SQL Server 2000+, Windows Small Business Server and Visual Studio, executives said.

The overarching Microsoft Update site, formerly known as Windows Update, is a comprehensive Web site that will post fixes and patches for all Microsoft Windows, Office and other applications. The company also made available Monday Windows Update 6 for customers who wnat to download Windows fixes only.

"Updating is the biggest pain point we hear from customers. It was something we knew we had to get right before we shipped," said Gordon Mangione, corporate vice president of Microsoft's Security Business and Technology unit, during a press conference at the Orlando Convention Center on Monday. "Today, these products are available. You can use WSUS to control how updates get deployed in those environments."

The server update services are integrated with Microsoft's Systems Management Server 2003 to assist in deployment and the forthcoming Microsoft Security Baseline Advisor (MSBA) 2.0 to assist in scanning, Mangione said. MSBS 2.0 is a scanning tool aimed at SMB customers and corporate accounts that is currently in beta testing and is expected to ship in July, executives said.

Microsoft also plans to offer its enterprise customers more advanced scanning tool called SMS Inventory Tools, an add-on for SMS 2003 which is also due to ship mid July. All the patch management updates are available at no fee.

The security chief also pointed to major security enhancements in Microsoft's forthcoming Rights Management Server SP1, Internet Explorer 7 browser update and next version of Windows, code-named Longhorn.

Microsoft also gave a brief preview of security features in the Longhorn beta due this summer, notably user account protection services. During a brief demonstration of the current Longhorn beta UI, Microsoft demonstrated the basic user access capabilities that will be features on the desktop, while reserving more advanced administrative capabilities for relevant personnel. Currently Window users have access to many administrative capabilities. The next version of Windows client will also offer secure startup and volume encryption for protecting data on lost or stolen PCs.

In beta 2 of Longhorn, Microsoft will incorporate "virtualizing" user rights, or assigning per user rights, so that a user denied access to data is redirected to another location dubbed a "virtual store." Meanwhile, Microsoft said it will make available very soon Rights Management Services SP1, which will offer support for disconnect scenarios, integration of smartcards and FIPS compliancy.

Mangione said Internet Explorer 7 will offer enterprise-level protection and tabbed browsing and built-in RSS feeds. Additionally, the company will release a Sybari anti-virus scanning engine for Exchange and its server line once its acquisition of Sybari is approved.

On the server side, Microsoft expects to add VPN Quarantine features to its next Windows update, dubbed Windows Server 2003 R2. Yet, it is unclear if that will ship in 2005. During his keynote, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said to expect R2 to ship "within the next 12 months."

R2 was promised for delivery during the second half of 2005. SQL Server 2005 and Visual Studio 2005 were expected to ship in 2004 and were last promised for delivery by midyear.