Group Policy Preferences
Group Policy Preferences extend the reach of what Group Policy can manage and how settings are applied. With Group Policy Preferences, system administrators can manage Windows components that are not Group
Unlike traditional Group Policy settings, Group Policy Preferences are not enforced. Rather, they are treated as defaults that users can change. Preferences can be configured to reapply preferred settings every time that standard Group Policies are applied (if the user has made a change), or to use the preferred setting as a baseline configuration that the user can permanently change. This gives you the flexibility to strike an optimal balance between control and user productivity. Group Policy Preferences provides additional flexibility by enabling system administrators to configure unique settings for different groups of users or PCs within a single GPO, without requiring WMI filters.
Internet Explorer 8 Group Policy
Internet Explorer 8 supports more than 1,300 group policies so that organizations can easily create Internet Explorer configurations. It includes more than 100 new Group Policy settings designed to ease browser deployment, configuration, and customization and supports many features, such as Compatibil- ity View, Accelerators, and InPrivate Browsing Mode. For example, you can turn off InPrivate Browsing by enabling the Turn Off InPrivate Group Policy. Group Policy also supports many Internet Explorer security features such as SmartScreen filter, Data URI, and Encryption support to help ensure that people will be safe in the corporate environment.
System administrators can easily change settings for Internet Explorer 8 after it has been deployed. They can use the Internet Explorer Administrator Kit to create a
Starter Group Policy Objects
Starter GPOs in Windows 7 are collections of preconfigured administrative templates that you can use as standard baseline configurations to create a live GPO. These templates encapsulate Microsoft best practices, containing recommended policy settings and values for key enterprise scenarios. You can also create and share you own Starter GPOs based on internal or industry regulatory requirements.
URL-based Quality of Service
System administrators today prioritize network traffic based on application, port number, and IP address. New initiatives such as