Microsoft Desktop Optimization Package (MDOP) is a suite of technologies available to Software Assurance customers that helps administrators manage, control and deploy client software. The suite employs six technologies to improve desktop management, including application virtualization, asset management and more.
The last iteration of the software was made available in November 2012. It added version 5.0 of Application Virtualization (App-V) to the suite. A feature, that enabled users and administrators run virtualized applications by streaming them to PCs without having to install them locally, thereby speeding up the streaming process. Besides, the 2012 version also added a new feature called User Experience Virtualization (UE-V) that helped users switch among devices without needing to reconfigure their application or system settings.
Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) 2013 R2
Fast-forward a year, Microsoft has rolled out MDOP 2013 R2. Interested users can grab it from the Volume Licensing Service Center. New capabilities that have been added to the latest iteration include,
- Support for Windows 8.1
- Ability to virtualize Office 2013.
Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) 2013 R2 suite of IT management tools now lets IT administrators manage BitLocker in Windows 8.1 using version 2.0 SP1 of Microsoft BitLocker Administration and Monitoring (MBAM) and manage Group Policy with version 4.0 SP2 of Advanced Group Policy Management (AGPM). Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset (DaRT) packed in the suit can be used now with Windows 8.1.
The complete set of MDOP 2013 R2 technologies in a nutshell,
- Application Virtualization (App-V) 5.0 SP2
- Application Virtualization (App-V) 4.6 SP3
- User Experience Virtualization (UE-V) 2.0
- BitLocker Administration and Monitoring (MBAM) 2.0 SP1
- Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset (DaRT) 8.1
Application Virtualization and User Experience Virtualization technologies are designed in such a way that help customers personalize, deploy and manage virtual apps across devices more easily. Details here.
