Software distribution tool on tap from Tally
Tally Systems, which offers corporate executives tools for asset management, now is adding software for helping customers deploy software and remotely manage desktops.
The company last week announced its Cenergy client management suite. The suite features TS.Deploy which automates software distribution to desktop PCs and mobile devices. The suite also includes TS. Remote for remote desktop management and Cenergy Discovery Module for collecting an inventory of desktop software and the hardware on which it runs.
“It is getting harder for asset management tools to be stand- alone products,” says David Friedlander, an analyst with Forrester Research. “It is difficult to compete with companies that offer additional functionality We are seeing more product suites that combine asset and inventory management and deployment capabilities.”
Cenergy will compete with similar tools from Altiris, LanDesk and Novadigm.
Integrated packages are being built because corporate executives want one tool that lets them see what is installed on a client machine or device, and distribute software to or troubleshoot that client.
The foundation of TS.Deploy is its Command Server, which runs on any Open Database Connectivity-complaint database. With the Command Server console, which runs on Windows 2000, users can group target systems by several variables, including size of hard drive, amount of RAM and installed software. User also can administer directory information to group users who need the same software distributions. TS.Deploy also lets administrators create “packages” of software for distribution including hot fixes, virus updates and configuration changes. The software includes restart controls if a transmission is interrupted, bandwidth throttling, status logging, task scheduling and self-healing applications capabilities.
“This is a significant change for us from being known as an asset management company to moving forward into configuration management,” says Sarah Davies, product manager for TS. Deploy.
The TS.Remote portion of the Cenergy suite allows for remote management of PCs and devices. The software lets users request help through a chat capability or for administrators to perform support without the user being present. The Discovery Module is a lightweight inventory collection system that records hardware, software, and registry and desktop settings. It does not provide history and usage data, which is part of Tally’s full asset management product,TS.Census.
Cenergy, however, integrates with TS.Census, letting users access the Cenergy tools from the TS.Census interface.
Pricing for the Cenergy suite starts at $87 per user for 1,000 users.
Management nightmare
With each patch application taking about three to four hours, Meta Group estimates system administrators spend up to 1,920 hours per month manually applying three or four patches to 120 servers.
Copyright Network World Inc. Sep 8, 2003