TechWatch: Remote Management; VoIP; DVD Printer

Want to be on the bleeding edge of systems management, VoIP and printing? Check out our picks from LANDesk, ShoreTel and Microboards Technology.

Secure, Remote Management Minus the VPN

Managing remote devices over the Internet is among IT administrators' biggest challenges, and is top-of-mind among CIOs and CXOs as well. The new LANDesk Management Suite 8.6 attacks that problem in several ways. For example, the LANDesk Management Gateway lets administrators securely manage systems once unreachable over the Internet without a VPN connection or dedicated link. With support for Intel's new Active Management Technology, the software supports role-based administration, reporting, and software distribution and support for Windows, Macintosh and Linux clients. In addition to routine patch management, the server-management tool lets administrators perform out-of-band device discovery and remotely repair systems regardless of where the system is located, allowing administrators to repair and configure remote notes.

LANDesk Management Suite 8.6, www.landesk.com Price: Starting at $89 per node and $299 per server

V o IP Anywhere

The most compelling feature of IP telephony is not the cost, but the flexibility it offers. ShoreTel, a rapidly growing provider of IP-telephony systems, is interested in taking that concept to new extremes. The company's new ShoreTel 6 system has a software feature, called Office Anywhere, that allows individuals to route IP calls from their office lines to a device of their choice, including mobile phones and home lines. And even if the customer is calling from a mobile phone, the recipient will be able to view the office number on his caller ID. The system can also be used for more sophisticated functions, such as setting up distributed call-center groups. ShoreTel 6 also supports the Session Internet Protocol, which makes it easier to mix and match multimedia communications sessions. The system is complemented by new phone sets that support the new (and earlier) platform as well.

ShoreTel 6, www.shoretel.com Price: Starting at $650 per user

CD/DVD Printer That Mass Produces

One doesn't need to be a music or movie distributor to have a need to mass-produce CDs or DVDs. Microboards Technology has a new disk-creation system that lets organizations burn and label up to 100 disks at a time. The turnkey solution, called DX-1, is ideal for organizations that want to distribute disks with presentations, but don't want to farm the job out. Microboards has partnered with Hewlett-Packard to use HP's inkjet printing technology to emboss labels on the disks at resolutions of up to 4,800 dpi. Microboards sells the DX-1 through authorized channel partners.

Microboards DX-1, www.microboards.com Price: $2,995