Dell KACE: Windows 7 Migration Tools for MSPs

Earlier this week MSPmentor noted that Dell has been very quiet on the managed services and systems management fronts. Now it's time for us to eat a little bit of crow. Specifically, the Dell KACE team is making some systems management moves that may interest MSPs. Here's the update.

Earlier this week MSPmentor noted that Dell has been very quiet on the managed services and systems management fronts. Now it’s time for us to eat a little bit of crow. Specifically, the Dell KACE team is making some systems management moves that may interest MSPs. Here’s the update.

First, two facts: Microsoft is cutting off Windows XP support sooner rather than later and many MSPs have customers that have yet to embrace Windows 7. That’s why Dell KACE, which provides system management packaged into rackable hardware, has added Microsoft Windows 7 migration tools to its K2000 Deployment Appliance offering. Here’s the scoop:

Migrating from Windows XP to Windows 7 can be a time-consuming and error prone process, according to Dell KACE. But Senior Product Manager John Karabaic said the new update to its K2000 appliance is designed to alleviate the pain.

When migrating client machines to Windows 7, Karabaic said, the Dell KACE K2000 will perform numerous tasks including scraping the machine for drivers (while checking for new ones after the fact), keeping the user state persistent thanks to online storage, deploying applications, and following prescripted tasks. The K2000 can even be set not to migrate certain file types — the MSP might not be interested in preserving the user’s iTunes library, after all.

The K2000 costs $4,500 per 100 seats or $39,000 per rackable OS deployment appliance, and Dell KACE said it’s fully compatible with its K1000 management appliance.

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