LANDesk Suit Standard Guard

Many businesses are finding that while the mobility offered by notebook computers can have a positive impact on productivity, the work-from-anywhere approach can have a negative impact on administrative control. This is even more important as many organizations must now adhere to recently enacted legislative requirements such as Sarbanes-Oxley and HIPAA, which dictate data control.

Solution providers should be aware of the increasing difficulty of managing the untethered workers who connect to the corporate network from almost anywhere, as well as the increased potential for serious security breaches. The possibility that viruses and spyware will be introduced into the network is also a major concern.

Furthermore, due to public hot spots and increased public wireless access, mobile workers are subject to having their data intercepted.

A good desktop management practice can solve these problems and ease companies’ fears. In the past, desktop management technology was not feasible for mobile workers, since many of the packages on the market required a persistent network connection to ensure that management and access control policies were enforced.

LANDesk Software specializes in network management solutions, and its LANDesk Management Suite 8 version 8.5 is a comprehensive platform that controls all end points of the network, which includes the occasionally connected mobile worker.

The product is rich in features for securing and deploying desktop systems both mobile and fixed. LANDesk Management Suite 8 includes the ability to maintain patches, deploy software, manage licensing and track assets. These elements are key to maximizing the control and security of remote and mobile systems.

The suite is deployed as a client/server-type solution, with the main portion of the software running on a server and agents deployed to the managed devices. Special consideration was taken to assist in the management of mobile workers. For instance, administrators can define policies and software requirements that are always validated when a remote worker connects. If the product finds anything that does not conform to corporate policy, it can remotely fix problems by using push technology to deliver patches, update settings or even install complete software packages.

The software’s capabilities result in several opportunities for solution providers. First off, solution providers can create policies that automatically set up remote workers with any company-dictated software or settings. Simply put, the first time the remote user logs in, all patches, required software, user settings and any other company-defined elements are pushed out to the remote system. Using these features, a company can easily and wirelessly deploy systems in the field.

Mobile workers are often a burden on IT help desks, since a technician cannot be dispatched to assist mobile workers in person. LANDesk helps to reduce that burden by bundling remote-control software, which allows a technician to work on a connected machine, regardless of location.

Many enterprises also want to know how a shift to mobile-based technology will impact their bottom line. In the past, solution providers found it difficult to calculate ROI since mobile solutions have many intangible drawbacks and benefits. What’s more, service and deployment of mobile systems was usually accomplished in a reactive manner. LANDesk’s management and reporting tools help ensure accurate ROI calculations and allow IT departments to function proactively. The software can track usage, define problems and manage workers in an auditable way. For example, technicians can use the software’s extensive reporting tools to identify performance problems on a remote system and then act to solve those problems before the system becomes unusable. This proactive approach is key to successfully combating threats such as spyware, adware and viruses. Furthermore, the granular level of control can prevent many of those problems from occurring in the first place. The software accomplishes this by granting or denying access to the capabilities the end user has and enforcing security and patching policy.

LANDesk Management Suite 8 starts at $29 per node and varies depending on the options added. LANDesk offers pre- and post-sales support, extensive certification and training programs and technical support via a self-service Web portal. The company did not disclose average reseller margins.