Intel announces management solution for IT administrators

In an effort to provide customers with a total management Solution, Intel Corporation has announced the launch of a new version of its management software, Intel LANDesk Management Suite 6.5, that allows IT professionals to control desktop and network environments remotely over the Web.

Intel LANDesk Management Suite 6.5 includes several new features to help customers reduce network-operating costs and maximise network performance, including directory integration, new mobile management capabilities and ease of use features. In addition to the new version of the management software, the solution also includes an OS migration and deployment solution, the bundling of the Intel LANDesk Targeted Multicasting Software, and a new simplified pricing structure.

"Customers today are asking for a management solution that provides increased reliability without sacrificing performance. They need the ability to leverage existing data within directories to manage their networks, and increasingly need to manage mobile devices in an easy to use and cost effective manner," said Calum Chisholm, Channel Business Manager for Intel South Africa. "Intel LANDesk Management Suite 6.5 addresses these needs with mobile management, directory integration, and ease of use features designed to simplify IT processes."

The Intel LANDesk Management Suite 6.5 integrates with Microsoft Active Directory and Novell NDS/Novell eDirectory, giving IT administrators the power to manage networks by device and user characteristics as defined by directories. For example, a new operating system can be deployed to thousands of devices at once by selecting specific machines, directories or user attributes such as specific department, job function or location. The new version also includes features to improve the ability to manage occasionally connected computers such as laptops. Customers can now set minimum bandwidth restrictions for deploying software to prevent large files from being distributed over a slow or dialup connection.

Customers also benefit from offline inventory scanning and the fire-and-forget feature, which allows IT managers to target systems regardless of whether they are on, off or not connected to the network. This provides increased success when distributing software across a network. Customers can maximise their ROI with new ease-of-use features, such as a reduction in initial set-up time, a new wizard to help create custom reports, and simplified client deployment. The Intel LANDesk Management Suite 6.5 is also now available in two new languages, Brazilian-Portuguese and Chinese, in addition to English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Japanese.

Total management solution

In addition to Intel LANDesk Management Suite 6.5, the total management solution for customers will include the bundling of Intel LANDesk Targeted Multicasting Software with version 6.5 at no additional cost, providing customers with a 23% overall discount versus buying the products separately. Targeted multicasting software allows for the distribution of software to thousands of PCs simultaneously without the need to reconfigure routers. The simplified approach to multicasting enables rapid distribution of software, which is increasingly important as IT administrators must quickly deploy virus protection software updates in minutes.

OS deployment and management capabilities are also enhanced as part of the total management solution through Intel`s work with PowerQuest to team Intel LANDesk Management Suite with the PowerQuest PowerDeploy Suite. Together, the products enable customers to migrate, upgrade and install operating systems, including Windows 2000 and Windows XP, remotely across networks.