Patch Management Tool - 14 Sep 2004

Easily retaining its crown as Best Patch Management Tool, Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) proves itself dominant in the Systems Management category. In a crowded field of competitors, SMS more than doubled the vote percentages of its second-place rival.

SMS 2003 gives you improved security through the rapid and reliable delivery of patches that target specific vulnerabilities among your software assets. Helping you maintain the integrity of your IT environment, SMS prevents failure of crucial systems and delivers the necessary tools to help you remain aware of the latest updates (through integration with Microsoft Software Update Services--SUS--and Windows Update technology), identify software vulnerabilities, and quickly and easily deploy updates in an accurate, verifiable, and controlled manner. The software also contains a set of tools and processes for quickly and easily determining which of your Windows-based systems require critical updates, and for testing these updates throughout your environment. SMS 2003 uses standard Microsoft security tools, such as the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) and Microsoft Office Inventory Tool for Updates, to determine applicable updates.