Newly released InstallAware 8 automatically creates and builds setup projects for solutions inside the Microsoft Visual Studio IDE, adds support for de-elevating applications on Windows Vista, offers dual-mode web updates, and allows granular installation of Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 components.
San Francisco, CA, August 8, 2008 – InstallAware Software Corporation has released InstallAware 8, a setup authoring tool for ISVs and enterprises deploying products, patches, and web updates. InstallAware 8 creates Windows Installer setup packages with support for the latest technologies, including Windows Installer 4.5, Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5, Microsoft SQL Server Express 2005 Service Pack 2, Windows Server 2008, and 64 bit operating systems.
InstallAware 8 is the first InstallAware version to feature Visual Studio integration. Users of Visual Studio versions 2003, 2005, and 2008 may now access InstallAware functionality within their native environment; automatically creating and building setup projects without ever leaving the Visual Studio IDE. Setup projects created by InstallAware 8’s new Visual Studio Add-In may of course be further edited inside the main InstallAware IDE, while continuing to be seamlessly refreshed by the Add-In as projects are inserted to or removed from the Visual Studio solution.
The InstallAware IDE itself has been fortified with major enhancements. “We’ve exposed even more of InstallAware’s core functionality, already available in the MSIcode script, on our IDE’s visual design surfaces,” says Agustin K-ballo Berge, Vice President of Research and Development at InstallAware. “Of course, the underlying MSIcode script which the visual designers emit remains fully accessible – making InstallAware a true visual setup development tool.” For instance, the IDE’s “Assemblies” design view now sports four new options for one-click .NET assembly registration, native image generation, installer class execution, and forced removal of assemblies from the GAC.
InstallAware 8 keeps developers up to date with Microsoft’s constantly evolving technologies. Native IIS 7 support makes it a snap to create websites, virtual folders, and application pools on Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista without IIS 6 metabase compatibility. A single check-box in the Run Programs window is all it takes to “de-elevate” applications when User Account Control is enabled, letting freshly installed software start in a user context instead of an administrator context. The monolithic Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 runtime has been granularized into stand-alone runtimes for .NET 2 SP1, .NET 3 SP1, and .NET 3.5 – offering the ultimate flexibility for developers in choosing exactly the technologies they require when publishing their applications – and saving them valuable space in their product install. Best of all, existing InstallAware projects can automatically take advantage of all these new features with just a recompile.
Also new in InstallAware 8 is dual-mode web updates. Developers may now toggle between scheduled updates, mimicking the way Windows Update works; or manual updates, which are installed on-demand. Again, a single check-box in the InstallAware IDE is sufficient to toggle the web update mode, and to publish royalty free updates for an unlimited number of software products. At no time does InstallAware ever install a service, even when scheduled updates are being used – helping conserve system resources, while also reducing the attack surface on the target machine.
Among other time and money saving InstallAware benefits are, up to 67% smaller setup packages, building setups with partially web deployed segments (such as for application runtimes), a one-click patch authoring process which builds binary patches simply by referencing old installer versions, full support for all Windows versions from the original release of Windows 95 Gold to the latest 64 bit version of Windows Server 2008, fully customizable dialogs, interactive HTML or Flash content as progress billboards, custom Vista Aero Glass regions, and unattended deployment via Active Directory Group Policy or other network deployment technologies.
InstallAware is available in four editions, with prices starting at US$399. A time limited trial and more information is available at http://www.installaware.com/.
About InstallAware Software Corporation
InstallAware Software Corporation, founded in 2003, is a software development company focused solely on state of the art software installation tools which offer the highest compression ratios and bullet-proof installations. The company produces software installation and compression technologies for the Windows Installer (MSI) platform on the Microsoft Windows Operating System. InstallAware is supported by thousands of users worldwide, and is a CodeGear Integrated Partner. For more information, visit www.installaware.com.
Candice Jones
InstallAware Software Corporation
Web: www.installaware.com
Phone: 415 839 5017
Fax: 415 358 4094