PatchLink Updates Patch Management System's Enterprise Support
Security-centric, cross-platform patch and vulnerability management software gets additional international support, automated deployment of update agent, new deployment manager
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.— June 29, 2004—Continuing to meet the demands of the industry’s largest base of patch management software subscribers, PatchLink Corporation (http://www.patchlink.com) today announced the immediate availability of PATCHLINK UPDATE 6. This new version of the company’s award winning, computer network security patch and vulnerability management software gives IT security professionals worldwide an advanced, automated system for all common operating system environments and common applications such as anti-virus, firewalls, and database servers from a variety of vendors. In addition to enhancing the software’s architecture for broad-based international support, PATCHLINK UPDATE 6 provides IT professionals with the most mature patch and vulnerability management solution to utilize a unique combination of technology, partnerships, and professional services.
With Version 6 of PATCHLINK UPDATE, the patch management market-leading company continues to include customer and market input along with technological advances to develop functionality that serves the enterprise and smaller business types alike. Among the product’s significant new features:
Agent Management Center—gives the ability to discover and organize unprotected systems and helps automate the deployment of the PATCHLINK UPDATE agent.
PatchLink Desktop Deployment Manager—provides control of patch deployment based on a policy of interactive user-installation options on a per patch basis and through improved scheduling abilities.
Automatic Inventory with Configuration Management—incorporates built-in inventory and configuration management that will alert administrator of configuration changes.
Mobile Security Manager—offers the ability to automatically detect and discern mobile users from those that are stationary and to have the agent respond accordingly. This ability also allows the PatchLink agent to perform certain tasks while disconnected from the network.
Conflict Resolution & Integrity Checking— provides the ability to automatically resolve patch conflict and checks the integrity of each patch.
Broader Cross-platform Security Coverage—for AIX, HP-UX, and Macintosh.
Enhanced Filtering and Searching—for managing PatchLink’s extensive patch repository.
International Patch Support—through improved architectural support and localized patches in multiple languages.
PatchLink Distribution Point™—a scalable, multi-tier patch distribution option enabling IT professionals to leverage the benefits of WAN patch distribution over networks with low bandwidth or highly utilized connections between remote offices. Also included is Fast Patch™, a technology that intelligently finds the closest distribution point to download patches.
Open API Interface—the ability for third-party companies such as those that offer vulnerability scanners, network-attached devices, switches, routers, cell phones and wireless devices to interface with PATCHLINK UPDATE.
PatchLink Secure™—offered as an incremental vulnerability remediation subscription service that will detect and remediate security vulnerabilities that are not patch related, such as spyware, keyloggers, password loggers, and other vulnerabilities as identified by SANS and other security organizations.
Commenting on the product’s enhanced filtering and searching capabilities, Martin Albanese, a network analyst with Alachua County Information and Telecommunication Services who implements PATCHLINK UPDATE in a mixed Windows, Linux and Novell environment, said, “The product’s new search functionality is particularly helpful in that it reduces the time it takes to identify necessary packages/reports.”
Additionally, PATCHLINK UPDATE 6 crosses the boundary of the patch management point solution by integrating assessment, vulnerability detection and remediation, and customized end-point security management as building blocks to support a central and efficient network security management offering. By coupling PATCHLINK UPDATE’s technology with PatchLink’s Professional Services, customers can define and establish solutions that perform a variety of corrective security functions. Immediate offerings include:
End Point Security Management (EPSM) Solution—a customized solution available through PatchLink Professional Services that will quarantine all new computers connecting to an enterprise network until they are installed and configured with the PATCHLINK UPDATE Agent and all mandatory baseline patches such as the latest service pack, most recent critical patches and anti-virus definition files, personal firewall, etc. The EPSM solution can be used on all computers within a network, regardless of whether they are in a domain, Active Directory—or just unmanaged nodes.
Enterprise Reporting Solution—a customized solution also available through PatchLink Professional Services offers customers a mechanism for consolidating report data across multiple PATCHLINK UPDATE Servers within a large organization. This ability bolsters enterprise-wide auditing, while retaining local administrative management of patches from the local PATCHLINK UPDATE Server.
"Increasing business disruptions from worms, viruses, and related Internet-security events are resulting in revenue losses and costs to recover business operations,” said Jim Hurley, vice president of Risk, Security, and Compliance research with Aberdeen Group in Boston. “Our market research findings clearly indicate that manually attempting to patch systems is difficult and untenable, and that automating patch deployment and management is a low risk strategy with high returns.”
Availability and Pricing
PATCHLINK UPDATE 6 software is now shipping in North America, the United Kingdom, Asia, and Europe and is available through PatchLink Corporation’s channel partners, including OEM partners such as Novell and its distribution channels. A free fully functional evaluation version is available at http://www.patchlink.com/tenfree and includes 10 licenses for a 10-day trial period. Thereafter, those interested in purchasing and reactivating PATCHLINK UPDATE should call 1-888-970-1025, Opt 1.
Pricing begins at $1,498.80 for the PATCHLINK UPDATE server (PLUS) software, plus $18 per node per year for Windows agents; $75 per node per year for non-Windows agents (i.e., Linux, UNIX, NetWare, Mac OS X, etc.). The annual subscription includes access to the world’s largest, tested patch and vulnerability repository, as well as technical support services. Customized solutions provided through PatchLink’s Professional Services are offered separately.
About PatchLink Corporation
PATCHLINK UPDATE is the company’s security-centric, cross-platform patch and vulnerability management software product. Through automatic and accurate detection of patch-related vulnerabilities, PATCHLINK UPDATE provides efficient and flexible remediation according to company policies and baselines across all enterprise platforms and boundaries.
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©2004 PatchLink Corporation. All rights reserved. PatchLink, the PatchLink logo, and the PatchLink product names and logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of PatchLink Corporation. In addition, other companies' names and products mentioned in this document, if any, may be either registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective owners.