Overview
In addition to providing the latest fixes for Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) 2003, Service Pack 3 (SP3) adds capabilities to enhance the software and hardware inventory functionalities provided in SMS 2003. Enabled through a new library of over 400,000 software titles, SMS SP3 provides rich reporting about installed applications and hardware to help organizations make better business decisions about their IT assets. New capabilities enable:

• License Reporting: New reports enable comparison of Microsoft applications installed with licenses purchased as well as how those titles were obtained (for example: volume licensing, retail, or OEM) for better optimization of software use across the organization and fewer unutilized applications.

• Software Consolidation: View applications by category to better see how many different applications with similar functions and versions are deployed in the organization and make consolidations. The result is accelerated application standardization, a more streamlined support structure, and the ability to maximize volume discounts from software vendors.

• Upgrade Planning: Identify core and non-core applications in order to understand what applications require migration to the new environment. Software consolidation aids upgrade planning by reducing the number of applications that need compatibility testing. Identify hardware assets that need upgrading based on comparisons to published operating system hardware requirements. The result is more efficient planning and streamlined execution for upgrading users to Microsoft Windows XP and Windows Vista.

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Full Windows Vista Support
Deploy Windows Vista with the SMS 2003 Operating System Deployment Feature Pack update. Manage it post-deployment with SMS 2003 via SMS SP3 as you would Windows XP or another operating system. With SMS SP3, administrators can:

• Deploy Windows Vista updates

• Deploy applications to Windows Vista client computers

• Perform software and hardware inventory for Windows Vista client computers

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System Requirements
• Supported Operating Systems: Windows 2000 Service Pack 4; Windows Server 2003; Windows XP; Windows Vista.

Please see the SMS 2003 System Requirements page for detailed requirements.

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Download the SMS 2003 SP3 Open Beta Software
To download the Beta software:

1. Go to [url]http://connect.microsoft.com[/url] (Note: a Windows Live ID is required)

2. Select Available Connections from the links on the left side of the page.

3. From the list of Available Connections, choose the SMS 2003 SP3 Open Beta.

4. Follow the instructions provided. If you have not used Microsoft Connect before, you will be required to register.

5. Once you’ve completed the registration process, you will be granted access to the program’s web site.