Thank you for participating in the preview of Server management tools (SMT) in Azure. Your feedback is pivotal to how we are modernizing the server management experience.
Today, we are announcing our plan to discontinue the SMT preview service in Azure on June 30, 2017. Customers have provided us consistent feedback that while they very much like the ease of use of the Azure-hosted server management experience, they would rather we prioritize on-premises customer-deployed scenarios that don’t require an Internet connection. Customers have described scenarios where they need full control over all aspects of the deployment for compliance reasons, as well as scenarios where private networks are disconnected from the Internet.
Based on this top customer request and other market dynamics, we have adjusted our strategy to focus on an on-premises, disconnected solution. This work is well under way, and we will share details and availability later this year.
We are following up directly with our most active SMT customers to ensure options are understood and they have the support they need through this transition. We invite impacted customers to reach out to us if assistance is needed.
In the meantime, customers are encouraged to continue using traditional methods of Windows Server management such as Remote Desktop, Server Manager, Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT), and other MMC-based management tools.
Although our new investments are focused around a locally-deployed solution, we may reintegrate with Azure again in the future. We’ll be listening closely to your feedback.
Thank you again for using the SMT preview service in Azure, and we apologize for any inconvenience its discontinuation may cause. We are excited for what’s coming, and we will post an update in the Fall. Stay tuned!
Sincerely,
Server Management Experience team