Quest Software Unveils New Product for Group Policy Management.

IRVINE, Calif. -- Quest Group Policy Manager Helps Active Directory Administrators Take Charge of Group Policy for Improved Security and Control

Quest Software Inc. (Nasdaq:QSFT), a leading provider of application, database and Windows management solutions, today announced the general availability of Quest Group Policy Manager 1.0. This new product offers comprehensive Group Policy Object (GPO) management capabilities that help Windows Server 2003 Active Directory administrators efficiently deploy and manage GPOs for better security and control of their Microsoft Windows infrastructure.

"Group Policy is a powerful feature that provides many benefits to customers," commented Darren Mar-Elia, chief technology officer for the Windows Management group at Quest Software, and a Microsoft Windows Server Group Policy MVP. "Quest Group Policy Manager provides a great way for security officers and Active Directory administrators to ensure that changes to Group Policy are made in a controlled way, insulating the production environment from potential problems."

Key features of Quest Group Policy Manager include:

--Safe Update -- allows GPO editors to modify and test GPOs offline, and submit them for review and approval before changes are put into production.

--Rapid Rollback -- immediately reverts back to a working GPO in the event that a GPO change has undesired or unexpected results.

--Historical Reporting -- tracks and reports on GPO changes over time, providing a complete record of who changed what and when.

"Quest Group Policy Manager uses the Microsoft Group Policy Management Console as its foundation, allowing customers to leverage and extend the capabilities they already have," said Jackson Shaw, product manager at Microsoft Corp. "Effectively managed, group policy can be a powerful way to perform administrative functions such as software distribution, application configuration and desktop lockdowns. Quest's product augments and complements Microsoft Group Policy Management Console."

Quest's Mar-Elia is scheduled to provide a presentation titled "Understanding and Troubleshooting Group Policy" at Microsoft IT Forum, Nov. 16-19 in Copenhagen, Denmark. For more information on IT Forum, please visit: http://www.microsoft.com/europe/msitforum/.

Pricing and Availability

North American pricing for Quest Group Policy Manager begins at $8 per user account. To download the software, and for more information about Quest's solutions for Windows Server 2003 Active Directory management, visit http://wm.quest.com/products/managementsuiteAD.

About Quest Windows Management

Quest Software, now including the people and products of Aelita Software, provides solutions that simplify, automate and secure Active Directory, Exchange and Windows environments. The Quest Windows Management group delivers comprehensive capabilities for secure Windows management and migration. Quest has been honored as Microsoft's FY04 Global Independent Software Vendor Partner of the Year. For more information on Quest Software's Windows Management group, please visit http://www.quest.com/microsoft.

About Quest Software Inc.

Quest Software Inc. provides software to simplify IT management for 18,000 customers worldwide, including 75 percent of the Fortune 500. Quest products for application, database and Windows management help customers develop, deploy, manage and maintain the IT enterprise without expensive downtime or business interruption. With headquarters in Irvine, Quest Software can be found in offices around the globe and at www.quest.com.

Note to Editors: Quest and Quest Software are registered trademarks and Quest Group Policy Manager is a trademark of Quest Software Inc. The Quest Software logo and all other Quest Software product or service names and slogans are registered trademarks or trademarks of Quest Software Inc. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Forward-Looking Statements 

This release may include predictions, estimates and other information that might be considered forward-looking statements, including statements concerning the availability and market acceptance of Quest Group Policy Manager. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ from those anticipated as a result of various factors, including the impact of economic conditions on our customers, variations in the size and timing of customer orders; competitive products and pricing; rapid technological change; risks associated with the development and market acceptance of new products; disruptions caused by acquisitions of companies and/or technologies including risks relating to integration of the combined companies; risks associated with international operations; and the need to attract and retain qualified personnel. For a discussion of these and other related risks, please refer to our recent SEC filings, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2003, and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2004. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date thereof. We undertake no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date thereof.