Why Use the Deployment Toolkit?

With the Deployment Toolkit, an administrator can control a wide range of configuration parameters for desktop users. Mandating many or most configuration settings will bypass the need for users to ponder options, make choices and set values themselves. These automated or semi-automated installations will spare the corporate help desk many calls for guidance, support, and solutions to the inevitable problems that arise when user choices produce unexpected results. Overall, the toolkit substantially reduces the cost, time and effort required to deploy the Sun Java System Connector software.

A system administrator may create different installation packages for different groups of desktop end user—for example, to enforce different configuration schemes for users in the Sales department vs. the Engineering department and so forth, or to offer configuration options to some groups of users while setting fixed parameters (eliminating the choices) for other groups.

If your organization is migrating from Microsoft Exchange, the user's installation packages will also preserve the considerable value of their existing Outlook data stored in .pst files on user desktops, as well as their Notes, Journals and Contacts stored on the Exchange server. The bundled installation packages include a conversion utility that quickly converts all such data to pure Internet addresses, so users will be able to reply to older messages, appointment invitees will receive change notices, and address books and personal distribution lists will remain serviceable after your migration to the Sun Java System server.