NEWTON, MASS. - A start-up this week will release upgraded systems management software that includes asset-tracking capabilities an early adopter says is as functional and costs less than rival products.
HandsFree Networks' Automated Support Infrastructure (ASI), which debuted in June, now can gather hardware statistics, BIOS information, software licensing and version data from desktop PCs across a network. The upgraded software, Version 1.3, also boasts a Web-based graphical user interface that can access canned reports or generate customized ones.
ASI users also can configure the software to track, for example, the activity of a specific application or user on a network, says Alessandro Donnini, HandsFree's president. "We've upgraded the software to manage application usage, which will help network managers better plan for licensing and upgrades," he says.
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Phil Kubat, CEO of CBE Technologies, an IT professional services company in Boston, uses ASI in his company's internal network and in its managed services offerings. CBE performs server, desktop and firewall management services, and Kubat says ASI's open platform lets the company extend its services in many user environments.
"HandsFree is an open platform with a lot of flexibility, and it performs right up there with high-end tools," says Kubat, who also evaluated products from Tivoli Systems.
While Donnini says HandsFree's software might perform similar functions to those in Tivoli software, he sees the company's software competing more with Altiris' Asset Mgmt Suite, Intel's LANDesk and Novell's ZENworks. And while Altiris costs $58 per node, HandsFree's ASI costs $2 per managed device per month when between 10 and 99 nodes are purchased. Donnini says the payment model lets customers try the software before committing a lot of cash.
ASI includes server and client software. The server component can run within an intranet or at a remote location, connecting via the Internet. The server includes an event log database from which network managers generate reports and are notified of events. ASI client software agents are installed on each managed device. Each agent includes a database in which all the availability, performance and event data is stored. ASI supports devices running Microsoft Windows 95 through XP operating systems.
The software comes with scripts, which automate management and support tasks. The software reacts to known events in the Windows environment and uses predefined resolutions to take corrective action. Network managers also can configure ASI to perform automated actions based on their own knowledge of dealing with their networks.
The software is currently available through resellers and channel partners, but HandsFree plans to sell direct in coming months.
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Contact Staff Writer Denise Dubie
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