Foreword

Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager Current Branch—it’s a whole new ballgame from what you have known from previous versions of Configuration Manager. New features, like the easy method for keeping the environment up to date with new builds, to new features for managing Windows 10, to new integration features with Microsoft Azure services, make this the best version of Configuration Manager ever released. And as you know, it is also constantly evolving. New features are being added three times a year, increasing the need to be constantly learning to remain up to date with what the product has to offer. In order to do so, learning from others who know those features is a great way to help you remain “in the know.”

I would certainly expect that this book will prove to be an extremely valuable resource for you in your efforts of learning what is new in Configuration Manager Current Branch—at least at the time of writing the book. No book is going to be able to always be up to date, as by the time it is published, a new build of Configuration Manager may have already been released. However, to get you up to speed on what the product provides that can potentially benefit your organization, this book would be a great addition to your learning path.

No one is going to be able to be an expert in the entire product—it is just too huge of a product. That’s why having a book with numerous authors is a great way to get many various perspectives and experiences shared quickly and easily. And knowing the majority of the authors, I’m sure that you will find this a fantastic addition in your collection of Configuration Manager resources.

All the best to you in your learning and use of Configuration Manager—as you know, I love the product, and trust that you will too once you get it firmly entrenched in your environment.

Wally Mead
(former) Senior Program Manager, Configuration Manager Product Group
Microsoft Corporation
Now at Cireson