Microsoft has released a new version of a tool designed to let enterprise IT staffers automate and manage large-scale deployments of Microsoft OSes, desktop applications and server software.

Organizations running a lot of Oracle gear and software could now get some management assistance from a software program that Oracle has made free for customers.

Dell said Tuesday it has purchased application modernization vendor Clerity Solutions, in its second enterprise software-related acquisition news this week.

In a move to expand its IT automation software to take on development management as well, UC4 Software has purchased Austrian software company Ventum and integrated the company's technologies into its own software package, UC4 announced Tuesday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Reflecting the growing need for automation tools in the enterprise, Quest Software has released a software package that could help Unix administrators better manage policy files that determine which users can access privileged material and programs on Unix and Linux systems.

Rimini Street fired the latest salvo in the ongoing war over software maintenance this week, announcing that it has expanded the number of SAP applications it supports.