Whatever happened to that Vista Desktop Optimization Pack?

Last fall, Microsoft announced it planned to release an all-in-one collection of Vista management and reliability tools in the form of a Microsoft "Desktop Optimization Pack."

One of my readers recently asked me for a status update on the MDOP. Given that Vista has been available to business users since the end of November 2006, it seems like the pack should be out by now, doesn't it?

The Optimization Pack, if you need a refresher, is a collection of a number of standalone Microsoft-branded management and virtualization tools. The pack -- just like the new Vista diskless and server-virtualization licensing options announced on April 2 -- is available to volume licensees with Microsoft Software Assurance plans only. Microsoft said it will charge $10 per PC for the pack.

When Microsoft originally announced its plans for the pack, company officials said to expect the SoftGrid component to ship in January and the rest of the pack to be ready in the first half of 2007. 

Here's what's due when (as of April 2):

* Microsoft SoftGrid Application Virtualization for Windows Desktops version 4.1 is currently shipping within MDOP at Microsoft Volume Licensing Service (MVLS)

* Microsoft SoftGrid Application Virtualization for Windows Desktops version 4.2 which includes Vista compatibility will be available July 2007

* Desktop Standard GPOVault is available for download today to MDOP customers

* Microsoft Advanced Group Policy Management will ship within MDOP Summer 2007 * Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset will ship within MDOP May 2007

* Microsoft Asset Inventory Services will release to the web with links via the MDOP download and CD media kit in late summer 2007

Bottom line: Some pieces of the Vista Optimization Pack are running slightly behind schedule. Not too surprising, I guess, given Vista's own history ....