Wise Package Studio 7 offers exclusive new features and improvements that make it even easier to prepare applications and patches for deployment, ensure applications run conflict-free, and manage projects and work with packaging teams. Some of our exciting new features include:
Software virtualization support. Not only do virtual applications eliminate the possibility of conflicts with other applications and the base operating system, you can also instantly activate or deactivate them. Wise Package Studio 7 now supports creating, editing, and managing packages for virtual applications. These packages enable applications to run in a virtual environment when used with Altiris Software Virtualization Solution.
- Use SetupCapture to create virtual software archives (.VSA) packages that work with Altiris Software Virtualization Solution.
- Clean-up of your development PC is easier because SetupCapture now uses virtual technology when a snapshot of an application is created. The captured application’s virtual software layer that is created by SetupCapture can be deleted or de-activated to restore the PC to its original state.
- Use the Virtual Package Editor to create and edit "smart" .VSA packages by including installation logic to ensure the target system is properly configured to the virtual application’s requirements.
- Manage virtual software archive packages using the Software Manager. Import a .VSA into the Wise Software Repository and analyze it to determine if it will be adversely affected by the future deployment of a patch or hot fix.
- Try Altiris Software Virtualization Solution in your environment. 50 free client licenses of SVS are included with each new license purchased of Wise Package Studio Professional Edition or Wise Package Studio Suite.
Support for multiple package formats. In addition to supporting the Windows Installer .MSI format and WiseScript, Wise Package Studio 7 offers you more choices in packaging formats. This means more options for creating packages that support various platforms while using one packaging tool.
- Support for packaging virtual applications. Wise Package Studio 7 utilizes Altiris Software Virtualization Solution technology to create and manage packages for virtual applications. This means you can deploy virtual applications and take advantage of their ability to be instantaneously activated and deactivated, eliminate conflicts with other applications and the base operating system.
- New Linux Package Editor provides a user-friendly interface for creating and editing RedHat Linux .RPM packages.
- Enhanced Mobile Device Package Editor lets you create and edit packages for Smartphone, PocketPC, and Windows Mobile devices.
Quality Assurance Enhancements: Wise Package Studio’s functionality for assuring quality software packages now utilizes virtualization technology and supports testing of Linux packages.
- Test Expert now uses software virtualization technology to perform application testing in a virtual software layer. When testing is complete, you can simply delete or deactivate the virtual software layer to restore the computer to its original state.
- Test Linux packages by using Preflight Deployment to determine if the package’s installation requirements will be met on all computers in the target population without actually downloading the entire package payload to each computer.
- Automatic Conflict Detection - ConflictManager can now be configured to automatically run the conflict detection process when a package is imported into the Software Manager database. This saves you time and also ensures consistency since every package will automatically be checked for conflicts when it’s imported.
WiseScript enhancements - Our popular WiseScript tool, which administrators use to create utilities, has been enhanced.
- WiseScripts are portable. Easily move a WiseScript project to another PC by packaging up the script and all its associated files.
- Use VB scripts as include scripts and to create or call COM objects
More Reliable Applications
Exclusive quality assurance technology and processes ensure your applications are reliable. Applications are properly repackaged, customized, checked for conflicts, validated and tested in the production environment prior to deployment. This means applications prepared with Wise Package Studio are less likely to fail, which translates into lower IT support costs through all phases of the application lifecycle. Ultimately, the end-user experience is better because there are fewer application problems. End users are more productive, and have greater customer satisfaction with IT.
Faster Deployments
Unsuccessful and time-consuming software deployments are very costly to an organization. With Wise Package Studio, your application packaging efforts can be reduced up to 50%. Wise Package Studio is loaded with project management and automation features that streamline your processes, improving project speed. Our comprehensive capture technology ensures you don't waste time tracking down missing files. With Wise Package Studio, the likelihood of a speedy, high-quality, successful rollout increases dramatically. End users get the applications they need faster, and IT has more time to devote to strategic projects.
Support for Corporate Standardization
Corporate standardization involves two areas: standardizing the way applications are prepared for deployment, and standardizing the application configuration itself. Wise Package Studio supports both of these activities through built-in processes, project management, user-defined validation and conflict management, and extensive editing capabilities. When you standardize the way your team deploys applications, you will have consistent, reproducible, reliable results. And when you standardize the way each application is configured, you can resolve any problems that do occur faster, reducing IT support costs and increasing productivity.
Manage Applications and Related Data
To truly manage the application deployment process, you need more than repackaging tools. Wise Package Studio includes application management tools that allow you to collect and share data about all of your applications, your standard operating environment and related components, throughout the application lifecycle, and across geographically dispersed packaging teams. Gaining control of your application data means fewer problems with deployment because you reduce the chances of errors, such as distributing packages that aren't finished or changing finished production packages.
The Value of Patch Testing
The value of Wise Package Studio also applies to preparing patches for deployment. Patches are an increasingly important part of software lifecycle management. Analyzing and testing patches is as critical as testing applications, and Wise Package Studio provides automated and efficient processes that allow you to quickly analyze and test patches before and after deployment. With proper patch preparation and testing, you avoid the critical, expensive problems untested patches can introduce in your production environment. You'll reduce downtime, adhere to quality assurance processes, speed deployment and minimize impact on end users.
Annual Upgrade Protection (AUP)
Altiris' Annual Upgrade Protection (AUP) allows registered Altiris software users to upgrade to any version of the registered product that is released during the coverage period without paying an additional upgrade charge. Maintaining current AUP coverage is the most economical way to keep up-to-date with the latest Altiris technologies. Rather than purchasing an upgraded version of a product every few years, customers can accurately budget for software upgrades though the AUP program and treat the upgrades as annual business expenses rather than periodic, large purchases.
AUP does not contain an element of technical support. This provdides distinct advantages such as:
- AUP can be less expensive than maintenance programs from other companies; which include support.
- Support needs can be gauged independently and support contracts purchased to meet exact needs. Often support needs are greater during the early phase of product use and taper off after the installation has been in place for some time.
Obtaining Upgrades with AUP
Customers with current AUP coverage are entitled to download any available version of the Altiris product for which they have licenses. Altiris will attempt to notify users when there is an upgrade available; however, Altiris advises its customers to periodically visit the download portal to determine which downloads are available.
Renewing Coverage
Most Altiris products include AUP coverage for one year in the license price, and additional years of AUP coverage can be purchased at any time during the coverage period.
Annual Support
Annual Support lets subscribing, registered customers, on an annual subscription basis, submit an unlimited number of technical support questions regarding Wise products online or by phone and receive a response within one business day. Two options are available for annual technical support:
- Online and phone support
- Online support only