Novell, Inc. next week will detail plans for a new directory-enabled desktop management suite aimed at lowering the cost of maintaining networked Windows-based PCs.
Z.E.N.Works - an acronym for Zero Effort NetWorks - comprises workstation management, policy-based software distribution, remote control and help desk integration tools that all tap into Novell Directory Services (NDS).
The suite, which was first reported on by Network World last October, is a compilation of enhanced versions of Novell's Application Launcher and Workstation Manager products, and new remote control and help desk integration tools.
Together these technologies let companies consistently control access to desktop applications on a per-user basis and allow network administrators to handle application and PC maintenance via the directory. For end users, Z.E.N.Works provides consistent access to local and network resources from any Windows-based desktop connected to the network.
"This is one of those products that makes a directory service very valuable in a corporate environment," said Shilpa Agarwal, an analyst with Giga Information Group, in Cambridge, Mass.
She added that this product gives Novell a significant advantage over Microsoft Corp., which will not offer directory-enabled desktop management capabilities until it ships NT 5.0 sometime in the second half of this year.
Z.E.N.Works currently is in closed beta testing. Novell will begin an open beta next month and plans to ship the product in the second quarter.
