Dell updates PowerEdge line

Dell has refreshed its PowerEdge server line, and enhanced its system management solutions, to improve efficiency and manageability, reports ITP.

The vendor will release nine PowerEdge blade, rack-mount and tower servers, and three Precision tower workstations, all running Intel Xeon 5600 Westmere-EP processors, which it says will provide mission critical computing and virtualisation solutions for enterprise and SME customers.

According to testing by Dell Labs, the PowerEdge servers running on Intel Xeon 5600 processors can realise better overall system performance increases of up to 69% and energy efficiency improvements of up to 47% compared to Dell PowerEdge servers using Xeon 5500 processors.

Google is continuing its quiet war on Microsoft Office by making it easier for users to switch from Exchange to Google Apps for e-mail, writes Ars Technica.

The company has unveiled a server-side tool called Google Apps Migration for Microsoft Exchange, which not only migrates company e-mail, but also moves calendar and contact info into the cloud.

The company says the migration is only four steps long and works quickly to bring in the information users choose. The tool works with both hosted and on-premise Microsoft Exchange 2003 or 2007 and is free to those who already subscribe to Google Apps Premier and Education editions.

Managing an organisation's desktop and laptop computers individually is a time-consuming proposition, but for most small to medium enterprises (SMEs) it doesn't make financial sense to invest in in-house computer management software, states Small Business Computing.

So to help small businesses troubleshoot computer problems remotely, handle routine updates and software maintenance, and ensure their employees adhere to security and other policies, Viewfinity has rolled out three services to handle these chores easily and affordably.

With its three online suites, Systems Management, Privilege Management and User Migration, Viewfinity aims to alleviate the top PC management problems small business owners experience, such as managing mobile users, dealing with application conflicts, keeping up with constant stream of operating system and application updates, and resolving technical issues for employees more quickly.