Open source systems management solutions provider Puppet Labs is extending its services with the launch of Puppet Enterprise, the first commercially supported version of Puppet.  Seeing as the company addresses cloud management needs of several large enterprises, from Match.com to Zynga, and even Twitter, it’s high time for Puppet to provide a more dedicated product line to address clients’ growing needs.

Puppet Enterprise is really a process of simplification around the integration and installation of bundles within an enterprise’s cloud infrastructure.  Puppet Labs already provides an easy approach to managing large-scale cloud deployments, and the natural next step is to offer even more support around its existing products.

For Puppet Enterprise, this will include more flexible configuration management, easier compliance, increased agility and a certain hands-off approach for IT managers.  Instead of having to become an expert on Puppet Labs for the installation and maintenance of its services, you can now let one of Puppet’s employees do all the heavy lifting for you.

“Puppet Enterprise makes it easier to scale now,” Luke Kanies, CEO of Puppet Labs, tells me during a call last week.  “People want help from us, so this will help us to built better relationships.  It’s not that hard to get Puppet up and running, but what you end up having to do is become an expert at running and maintaining Puppet.  They don’t have to be experts anymore.

“Over time, this allows us to take a lot of the services we already have, and put them towards higher value consulting or other services to our clients.”

The reallocation of services is an important aspect of Puppet’s expansion plan for this year, keeping things safely in-house, without having to do any additional hires.  From the looks of it, Puppet’s set for a smooth transition for its Enterprise services, leveraging the talent it already has.

Looking forward, more applications are also part of Puppet Labs’ plans for the year, which will be built into its framework for quicker and easier adoption from clients.  The company’s product timetable has been witnessing a few developments lately, with the launch of MCollective, resulting from the acquisition of Marionette Labs last year.