Symantec SA has launched a Corporate Evaluation Programme for the latest version of its Mobile Essentials software, during which large corporate customers with more than 50 laptops will be offered a free 90-day evaluation copy of the product and one month`s Gold Support.
Mobile Essentials 2.0 is a tool used by IT departments to allow laptop users to easily and quickly connect to the network, from changing work locations, such as home offices, remote offices, customers sites etc., without requiring manual re-configuration.
Jako Voges, Symantec marketing manager for South Africa and the Middle East, says that the evaluation campaign is designed to introduce companies to the new corporate edition of the product, and enable them to see the benefits of it first-hand.
Traditionally a time-consuming and costly effort, supporting a mobile workforce becomes efficient and cost-effective with Mobile Essentials 2.0, according to Voges.
"By enabling administrators to configure laptop settings one time per location and then distributing these settings to any and all mobile professionals, productivity increases dramatically among laptop users," he adds.
"As mobile workers place fewer calls to the helpdesk for support, the IS/IT department spends less time addressing mobile support issues and more time addressing other corporate issues. And, because mobile professionals no longer require telephone support with every location change, they experience a significant increase in productivity.
"Consequently, Mobile Essentials significantly reduces the burden of supporting a mobile workforce while ensuring that mobile professionals remain productive," Voges says.
How it works
Mobile professionals typically spend 20 minutes adjusting their PC settings every time they arrive in a new location, such as remote offices, international sites, hotels, or even client sites. These mobile workers also spend a significant amount of time resolving problems caused by incorrect settings, such as IP addresses and other configurations. Mobile Essentials drastically reduces this downtime.
Instead of manually re-configuring their laptops every time, Mobile Essentials users simply choose the appropriate Location Profile for the place they`re working at, from an enhanced Windows login screen and log on. All appropriate settings for that location, from IP address to default network printer, are adjusted quickly and automatically, so users can start productive work from the new location right away.
To manage Mobile Essentials clients, IS/IT departments use the Location Administrator to create and update Location Profiles and deploy them to their remote mobile workforce. These location profiles include TCP/IP settings for Internet and network access, as well as other aspects of network configuration, such as switching between NetWare Bindery and NDS, changing NDS trees and context, specifying a Windows NT domain, turning login scripts on and off, and identifying which drives are mapped and which are shared. Location profiles also include default printer settings, dialing settings -- including area code, calling card, prefixes, and dial-tone detection, and settings for popular applications such as cc:Mail, Lotus Notes, WinFax, Internet Explorer, and Netscape. Mobile Essentials even includes a tool to create, update and distribute corporate Dial-up Networking, commonly know as RAS, connections.
IS/IT can deploy Location Profiles through e-mail, software distribution and updating tools or by placing location files on a web site or network servers. If deploying settings via e-mail, IS/IT can install an optional e-mail agent on the client machine to intercept the e-mail automatically, add the Location Profile, and delete the e-mail afterwards, without end-user intervention.
Once the location profiles are installed, the laptop user starts Windows and selects a location profile. All of the settings change automatically and instantly, resulting in a dramatic decrease in downtime and a significant increase in productivity. When a location profile requires updating, IS/IT can deploy the update via e-mail (or any other distribution system). The update installs automatically, without user intervention, thereby further preventing the possibility of downtime and lost productivity. In addition, if allowed by the IS/IT department, laptop users can add or modify locations when necessary.
How to participate
To participate in the programme, corporate customers with more than 50 laptops can call Desiree White on (011) 804-4670 or send an email with full contact details to teamsa@symantec.com
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Symantec
Symantec is a world leader in Internet security technology and technology solutions that help companies manage and support workforces that use laptop computers and other mobile devices.
The company is a leading provider of software products for the consumer market and is rapidly growing its presence as a provider of solutions to enterprise organizations.