Solutions make it easy for application producers to bring their Windows 8 software to market profitably; and for enterprises to maximise their Windows 8 software investments

Maidenhead, UK – October 29, 2012 - Flexera Software, the leading provider of Application Usage Management solutions for application producers and enterprises, today announced broad support for Windows 8, enabling application producers and enterprises to leverage Microsoft’s newest operating system throughout all stages of the software lifecycle.

Flexera Software supports the entire software lifecycle with solutions for application licensing, entitlement management, delivery and installation for application producers.  To help enterprises, governments and educational institutions maximise and protect their investments in applications, Flexera Software offers Application Readiness and Software License Optimisation solutions that prepare applications for enterprise-wide deployment, manage licence compliance and optimise software spend.

“A new operating system like Windows 8 could not gain traction if application producers were unable to monetise and protect their software licences on it, and if enterprises could not efficiently and cost effectively migrate to the new operating system and optimise their Windows 8 software assets,” said Randy Littleson, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Flexera Software. “Through our support for Windows 8, we are providing a fast and efficient migration path for application producers and enterprises that are seeking to leverage Microsoft’s latest operating system.”

The following Flexera Software solutions support application producers’ Windows 8 migration efforts:

- FlexNet Producer Suite: Application producers seeking to port their existing applications to Windows 8 can now leverage FlexNet Producer Suite to monetise and protect their intellectual property. With unified entitlement lifecycle management and electronic software, producers now can offer a wide variety of licensing models and rapid package configuration to match specific market needs for their Windows 8 applications. It also enables them to maximise the value of every feature delivered on the new operating system, to gain insight into customer usage for targeted up-sell opportunities, and to streamline operations through a single view across all licensing software in use.

- InstallShield and InstallAnywhere: The global de facto standard on more than 500 million PCs, InstallShield and InstallAnywhere are strategic installation development solutions supporting traditional and agile development teams that need to deliver a professional and consistent installation experience for physical, virtual and cloud environments. Both InstallShield and InstallAnywhere enable development teams to quickly develop installation programs for applications that support Windows 8. InstallShield also enables application producers to create installs that can sideload Windows Store app packages (.appx) for their enterprise customers. InstallShield can also bundle sideloaded Windows Store apps and desktop apps into a suite installation. Sideloading is the process of installing a Windows Store app onto Enterprise editions of Windows 8 without obtaining it through the Windows Store.

The following Flexera Software solutions help enterprise IT organisations maximise their investments in Windows 8 software:

- AdminStudio Suite: AdminStudio Suite powers an enterprise’s Application Readiness process for migrations to new Windows operating systems, application and desktop virtualisation, and day to day application packaging operations. AdminStudio Suite Application Compatibility Pack 11.5 has added new Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 rules to the existing Windows 7 rule set. The solution now checks all operating systems and validates that there are no issues, and that apps will work in Windows 8 and in Windows Server 2012. If compatibility issues are found AdminStudio streamlines the remediation process through automated fixes. Moreover, AdminStudio Suite Application Compatibility Pack includes updated Internet Explorer rules for Internet Explorer 10. AdminStudio Suite also supports sideloading of Windows 8 apps.

- FlexNet Manager Suite for Enterprises: FlexNet Manager Suite is the industry’s leading Software Licence Optimisation solution enabling enterprises to maximise their return on high-value software investments while maintaining continuous compliance. It provides unprecedented insight into software usage trends that align with unique contract terms and can accurately assess current and future needs across the widest range of applications. FlexNet Manager Suite for Enterprises is now capable of inventorying Windows 8 applications, tracking Windows 8 application usage, reconciling installations against purchases, and optimising software licence allocations to ensure organisations buy only what they need and remain in compliance with vendor’s licensing terms.

“Constant change in the software market – such as the release of new operating systems like Windows 8, provides tremendous value, but also tremendous cost, disruption and risk,” said Littleson. “Our Application Usage Management solutions provide a safe harbor. We make it easy for application producers to bring their products to market profitably; and for enterprises to profit from the use of those products – and for both to future-proof their investment in software by reducing risk and cost associated with change.”