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XcelleNet Extends Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003 to Provide Comprehensive Frontline Management Solution

Posted on: Tuesday, 11 November 2003, 06:00 CST

ATLANTA, Nov. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- XcelleNet, Inc. and Microsoft Corp. are working together to expand the range of devices that can be managed through the Systems Management Server (SMS) 2003 console and extend the capabilities provided to SMS administrators for managing systems across the enterprise. XcelleNet, the leader in management solutions for the front lines of business, has worked in conjunction with Microsoft to integrate Afaria, XcelleNet's Microsoft .NET-based product line, with SMS 2003. With a seamless solution in place, enterprises can for the first time manage all their frontline devices -- PCs, laptops, tablets, handhelds, and smartphones -- from a central SMS console. Spanning both Windows and non-Windows platforms, these hard-to- manage devices are used by key employees serving customers in the field and in retail sites and branch offices.

XcelleNet's Afaria SMS Integration Suite extends SMS configuration management capabilities to the following devices:

- Windows Mobile-based SmartPhones

- Non-Windows platforms including Palm, RIM, and Symbian, and

- Legacy Windows platforms including Windows 98, Windows CE 3.0, and

Pocket PC 2000 and 2002.

SMS software packages can be deployed to any of theses devices from the SMS console. In addition, a detailed inventory of all hardware and software asset information is maintained in the SMS repository.

Additionally, XcelleNet will provide SMS 2003 customers with Frontline Management capabilities on both Windows and non-Windows platforms. Frontline Management extends traditional configuration management to address the unique challenges of the frontline environment, where users are typically out of reach and management has limited ability to see and influence activity. Value is created in the following four areas:

- Security Management ensures that sensitive data is fully protected at

all times, reducing the risk associated with extending corporate

information to the field. Power-on passwords and other device

authentication methods are continuously enforced. Data is encrypted

during transport and on the device, and can be locked down or even

wiped should the device be lost or stolen. Centrally managed data

backup and restore capabilities ensure that corporate information can

be recovered.

- Connection Management reduces the complexity of connecting to corporate

systems from a variety of locations and over diverse networks. Multi-

step processes to connect to the network, authenticate, synchronize

applications, and tear down calls are fully automated and made

transparent to the end user. All activity is logged, providing full

visibility to end user experience and use of the network.

- Application Enablement recognizes the need for end user access to

applications and data where network connections are unreliable or even

unavailable. Application data is synchronized with corporate at the

file or relational database level, providing local data for use in off-

line mode. A client agent continually monitors for opportunities to

connect and synchronize transparently in the background, ensuring that

end users always have the most current information possible.

- Task Automation enables the execution of tasks and enforcement of

policies across widely dispersed frontline organizations. Process

steps can be specified -- including the application of conditional

logic -- and assigned to enterprise users, providing central control

over tasks such as: distribution of business content, enforcement of

security configurations for personal firewalls and antivirus software,

and direction of end user activities.

Underlying these capabilities are frontline optimizations that enable workers to operate effectively over low-bandwidth or intermittent network connections. Network presence, throughput, and usage are monitored continuously to maximize available bandwidth while ensuring that user tasks take precedence and that sessions can be restarted right from the checkpoint where a network disconnect occurred.

"Organizations today recognize that technology deployed to mobile users has the potential to create tremendous improvements in revenue and productivity," said Ronni J. Colville, Research Director, Gartner, Inc. "To reap the anticipated return on these investments, companies must support these deployments with a comprehensive management solution that solves the unique challenges in the field where users are widely distributed, difficult to reach, and reliant on diverse devices and networks."

"The combination of accelerating mobile deployments and long-lived Windows installations have driven SMS customers to demand more expansive management," explained Joan Herbig, CEO, XcelleNet. "Working together, XcelleNet and Microsoft have developed an integrated solution that provides organizations with the broadest set of choices, giving them the freedom to fit the technology to the task with the confidence that everything can be centrally managed and end users can be shielded from complexity."

"Systems Management Server (SMS) 2003 provides a comprehensive solution for change and configuration management for the Microsoft platform, enabling organizations to provide relevant software and updates to users quickly and cost effectively," said David Hamilton, director of the Enterprise Management Division at Microsoft Corp. "Microsoft is pleased to be working with XcelleNet to leverage their longtime knowledge of device management and extend SMS capabilities to manage non-Windows devices, in addition to Windows devices, desktops and servers."

Availability

XcelleNet's Afaria SMS Integration Suite will be available in conjunction with the SMS Device Management Feature Pack. For more information or to order, please call XcelleNet account services at (800) 322-3366 or visit http://www.xcellenet.com/ .

About XcelleNet

XcelleNet delivers success at the Point of Action. More than 2,500 companies worldwide use XcelleNet's frontline management solution to keep information and applications current wherever business takes place-in retail stores and branch offices, at customer sites, and in the field. With XcelleNet software solutions, business can see and direct its frontline activities, IT can manage any platform in the field from a browser, and end users can enjoy unparalleled reliability of the solutions on which they depend. To deliver the total solution, XcelleNet partners with global leaders such as Microsoft, HP, and Accenture. XcelleNet's Afaria and RemoteWare products, along with its consulting and education services, enable companies to manage the data, applications and hardware that keep the front lines working. For more information, including case studies on successful customers like Novartis and Blockbuster, visit http://www.xcellenet.com/ .

XcelleNet and Afaria are trademarks of XcelleNet, Inc. XcelleNet makes no claims of ownership to all other products and company names mentioned herein which may be the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

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