Flexera Software Announces InstallAnywhere 2010; Brings Multiplatform Installation Management to Developers

With flexibility that Linux, UNIX and other multiplatform developers haven't seen before, InstallAnywhere 2010 allows developers to comprehensively manage all phases of the installation lifecycle including installation, rollback, maintenance, repair, and uninstall., UNIX developers have traditionally created homegrown installations or native packages like RPM, PKG, etc. to deploy their applications, which did not provide the required level of flexibility to manage applications.

InstallAnywhere is the leading multiplatform development solution for software producers who need to deliver a professional and consistent installation experience for cross-platform desktop and server applications. From a single project file and build environment, InstallAnywhere enables developers to create reliable installations for the broadest range of current platforms including Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, Solaris, AIX , HP-UX, and IBM iSeries.

Beta tester feedback on the new release was positive. "Flexibility in managing installations is key, especially as users have higher expectations and the cost of support incidents increases," said Christopher King, a Release Engineer experienced in creating multiplatform installations for several large software developers. "InstallAnywhere 2010 is great, it manages multiplatform installation creation in a style that works for me, and it gets better with every release."

InstallAnywhere 2010 introduces the following new capabilities:

• Expanded platform support—InstallAnywhere 2010 supports new platforms like Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, SUSE Linux 11.2, Ubuntu 9.10, Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard).
• Maintenance mode—Add or remove features to previously installed products and repair broken installations in both graphical and console mode installers.
  • Add Feature-Install additional features that were bundled with the product, but were not selected during the initial installation
  • Remove Feature-Remove a feature that has already been installed without uninstalling the entire application
  • Repair Installation-Reinstall a broken or corrupted feature
• Install rollback—Rollback installs interrupted by error or user cancellation, returning the system to its original state to avoid incomplete and/or corrupt product installation.
  • Enable rollback by a simple setting in Advanced Designer
  • Trigger rollback automatically upon user cancellation or a fatal error
• Uninstall phase exposure—Easily customize the application uninstaller using the new uninstall view in the Advanced Designer.
  • Add, remove, change and sequence uninstall actions
  • Choose from an extensive list of standard actions
• Build configuration—Manage multiple configurations for different product editions and internal releases with a single installation project.
  • Use an updated view to add, modify or delete a configuration
  • Configure platform support, Java virtual machine, locales, media settings for each configuration
  • Include tags to allow associating a different set of actions, panels, features, and components with build configurations
• Instance management—Manage and restrict end users from installing multiple copies of your application on the same machine.
  • Restrict to single or specific number of instances
  • Add new instances or modify an existing instance of the application

"InstallAnywhere 2010 really is a breakthrough in multiplatform software installer development," said Maureen Polte, Director of Product Management at Flexera Software. "For the first time, multiplatform applications can be managed through their product lifecycle, from install to uninstall, just like Windows applications have done for years."

Flexera Software, which set the standard for software installations with InstallShield, now brings unmatched experience and knowledge to multiplatform developers with, enabling them to create high-quality installers that reduce technical support costs and increase customer satisfaction. InstallAnywhere 2010 takes the next step forward by enabling multiplatform developers and software producers to comprehensively manage all phases of the installation lifecycle including installation, rollback, maintenance, repair, and uninstall across a wide variety of computing platforms.

InstallAnywhere 2010 is generally available globally on February 17, 2010.