Microsoft’s new beta offering, Windows Intune, helps small and mid-sized businesses manage and secure PCs through Microsoft’s cloud services and Windows 7. Windows Intune delivers cloud-based management and security capabilities that can be administered through a single Web-based console, enabling your end users and your IT staff to work from virtually anywhere-all that’s required is an Internet connection.

• Check out the Windows Intune site here: http://bit.ly/asOJxz

Top 10 benefits of Windows Intune

Help manage and secure your PCs from virtually anywhere.

The Windows Intune cloud service helps keep your employees productive in the office or on the road—all that’s required is an Internet connection. Through a simple Web-based console, your IT staff can provide remote assistance, centrally manage updates, and proactively help protect PCs from malware threats, so your employees can stay focused on the business.

Get the best Windows experience.

Standardizing your PC environment provides a better experience for your workforce and an easier environment for you to manage. You can upgrade to Windows 7 Enterprise or run a prior release—it’s your choice. With its intuitive interface and advanced search capabilities, plus BitLocker® drive encryption to better protect confidential data, Windows 7 Enterprise gives your employees the best Windows experience available. As long as your subscription remains active, you’ll also get upgrade rights to the latest operating system, so you won’t need to worry about buying upgrade licenses when the time comes.

Achieve big-tech results with a small-tech investment.

Designed to fit businesses without a large IT infrastructure, Windows Intune is an all-in-one solution that includes PC management, malware protection, and Windows upgrades rolled into one easy purchase. With minimal overhead, simple billing, and no formal training required, it’s easy to get started and maintain.

Stop malware threats before they stop you.

Windows Intune gives you powerful, centralized protection to help keep your PCs safe from the latest security threats. Built on the Microsoft® Malware Protection Engine and using the same trusted technologies as Microsoft Forefront® Endpoint Protection and Microsoft Security Essentials, you get real-time protection with reporting and alerts to help safeguard PCs against dynamic forms of malicious software, including spyware, viruses, and root kits.

Keep your PCs up-to-date.

Centrally manage the deployment of Microsoft updates and service packs to all managed PCs. Through the Web-based console, you can select which updates you want to deploy across your PCs to help keep them running smoothly.

Identify issues before they impact business.

Windows Intune makes it simpler for you to proactively monitor your PCs, sending alerts to help you identify potential problems before they negatively impact your employees and your business. With Windows Intune, you can set up security and update alerts that notify you when you’ve got a threat or if a critical update was unsuccessful—so you can fix it before your PCs become vulnerable.

Easily track your assets and manage licenses.

Effective inventory management is key to optimizing existing investments. With Windows Intune, you can easily view and track your organization’s hardware and software inventory, so you can efficiently manage your assets, licenses, and compliance.

Turn to advanced tools for tougher issues.

Complementing the cloud service, Windows Intune also includes advanced on-site tools that help you troubleshoot problems, manage Group Policy, and deploy virtualized applications and operating systems—to ensure that you’re getting the most out of your PC.

Diagnose and repair even unbootable PCs.

Using the Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset (DaRT), available to download for Windows Intune customers, administrators can recover data from PCs that have become unusable. It helps you rapidly diagnose probable causes of issues and quickly repair unbootable or locked-out systems.

A cloud you can count on.

Microsoft is a leader in IT infrastructure solutions with the Microsoft System Center family of products, and we used that experience in developing Windows Intune. Windows Intune takes advantage of the Windows Update infrastructure, one of the world’s largest cloud services, which delivers updates every month to hundreds of millions of PCs. And with a financially backed 99.9 percent uptime service level agreement and support 24 hours a day, seven days a week, you can have more confidence the service will be there when you need it.