diff --git a/admin/renderer.php b/admin/renderer.php
index fa3b23717b336..8477bd060e41b 100644
--- a/admin/renderer.php
+++ b/admin/renderer.php
@@ -236,6 +236,7 @@ public function plugin_management_page(plugin_manager $pluginman) {
 
         $output .= $this->header();
         $output .= $this->heading(get_string('pluginsoverview', 'core_admin'));
+        $output .= $this->plugins_overview_panel($pluginman);
         $output .= $this->box_start('generalbox');
         $output .= $this->plugins_control_panel($pluginman);
         $output .= $this->box_end();
@@ -646,6 +647,46 @@ protected function required_column(plugininfo_base $plugin, plugin_manager $plug
         return html_writer::tag('ul', implode("\n", $requires));
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Prints an overview about the plugins - number of installed, number of extensions etc.
+     *
+     * @param plugin_manager $pluginman provides information about the plugins
+     * @return string as usually
+     */
+    public function plugins_overview_panel(plugin_manager $pluginman) {
+        $plugininfo = $pluginman->get_plugins();
+
+        $numtotal = $numdisabled = $numextension = $numupdatable = 0;
+
+        foreach ($plugininfo as $type => $plugins) {
+            foreach ($plugins as $name => $plugin) {
+                if ($plugin->get_status() === plugin_manager::PLUGIN_STATUS_MISSING) {
+                    continue;
+                }
+                $numtotal++;
+                if ($plugin->is_enabled() === false) {
+                    $numdisabled++;
+                }
+                if (!$plugin->is_standard()) {
+                    $numextension++;
+                }
+                if ($plugin->available_update()) {
+                    $numupdatable++;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        $info = array();
+        $info[] = html_writer::tag('span', get_string('numtotal', 'core_plugin', $numtotal), array('class' => 'info total'));
+        $info[] = html_writer::tag('span', get_string('numdisabled', 'core_plugin', $numdisabled), array('class' => 'info disabled'));
+        $info[] = html_writer::tag('span', get_string('numextension', 'core_plugin', $numextension), array('class' => 'info extension'));
+        if ($numupdatable > 0) {
+            $info[] = html_writer::tag('span', get_string('numupdatable', 'core_plugin', $numupdatable), array('class' => 'info updatable'));
+        }
+
+        return $this->output->box(implode(html_writer::tag('span', ' ', array('class' => 'separator')), $info), '', 'plugins-overview-panel');
+    }
+
     /**
      * Displays all known plugins and links to manage them
      *
diff --git a/lang/en/plugin.php b/lang/en/plugin.php
index 6b062117a61c7..fbb72a1c13ea6 100644
--- a/lang/en/plugin.php
+++ b/lang/en/plugin.php
@@ -31,6 +31,10 @@
 $string['nonehighlighted'] = 'No plugins require your attention during this upgrade';
 $string['nonehighlightedinfo'] = 'Display the list of all installed plugins anyway';
 $string['noneinstalled'] = 'No plugins of this type are installed';
+$string['numtotal'] = '{$a} installed';
+$string['numdisabled'] = '{$a} disabled';
+$string['numextension'] = '{$a} extensions';
+$string['numupdatable'] = '{$a} updates available';
 $string['otherplugin'] = '{$a->component}';
 $string['otherpluginversion'] = '{$a->component} ({$a->version})';
 $string['showall'] = 'Reload and show all plugins';
diff --git a/lib/pluginlib.php b/lib/pluginlib.php
index f52842bb2e79f..f69c881e8c129 100644
--- a/lib/pluginlib.php
+++ b/lib/pluginlib.php
@@ -786,6 +786,19 @@ public function is_enabled() {
         return null;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * If there is an update of this plugin available, returns the data about it.
+     *
+     * Returns object with various properties about the available update, if such
+     * an update is available. Returns false if there is no update available for
+     * this plugin. Returns null if the update availabitlity is unknown.
+     *
+     * @return stdClass|false|null
+     */
+    public function available_update() {
+        return null;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Returns the URL of the plugin settings screen
      *
diff --git a/theme/base/style/admin.css b/theme/base/style/admin.css
index 64017d4360e43..4e0336a6eef43 100644
--- a/theme/base/style/admin.css
+++ b/theme/base/style/admin.css
@@ -206,6 +206,10 @@
 #page-admin-plugins #plugins-control-panel .extension .source {background-color:#f3f2aa;}
 #page-admin-plugins #plugins-control-panel .msg td {text-align:center;}
 #page-admin-plugins #plugins-control-panel .requiredby {font-size:0.7em;color:#999;}
+#page-admin-plugins #plugins-overview-panel {margin:1em auto;text-align:center;}
+#page-admin-plugins #plugins-overview-panel .info {padding:5px 10px;}
+#page-admin-plugins #plugins-overview-panel .separator {border-left:1px dotted #999;}
+#page-admin-plugins #plugins-overview-panel .info.updatable {margin-left:10px;background-color:#d2ebff;font-weight:bold;-moz-border-radius: 10px;-webkit-border-radius: 10px;border-radius: 10px;}
 
 /** MNet networking */
 #page-admin-mnet-peers .box.deletedhosts {margin-bottom:1em;font-size:80%;}