Microsoft acquired the Canadian based Opalis Software in December 2009, a market leader that provides software for IT process automation. Opalis integrates with Microsoft's System Center and enables administrators access to a single end to end solution to perform a wide range of management tasks across physical and virtual data-centers. It aims to reduce overall operational costs, improve interoperability and improve efficiency in the IT realm by replacing boring and stagnant manual and human resource intensive (usually error prone as well!) tasks with standardized automated processes.

I've not personally used the product yet but I'm excited by its potential. On a broader scale, Microsoft's range of products for the System Center suite will gradually include more and more improved new products, especially as we see cloud and virtualization technologies take the limelight. The datacenter as we know it...will soon be redefined. You can read more about Opalis at the following links:

Datasheet

Opalis on Technet