Desktop Authority 6.0 Provides IT Administrators Configuration Management Flexibility
Enhanced usability, new interface, and functionality for Windows XP Service Pack 2 installations among enhancements in new product version
Boca Raton, FL – September 1, 2004 – ScriptLogic® Corporation today announced the availability of Desktop Authority 6.0, which provides an enhanced interface for superior usability and greater flexibility in establishing rules for configuration policies. In addition, IT administrators can use version 6.0 to manage deployment and configuration challenges created by the recent introduction of the Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2.
From bolstering the bottom line for CIOs and empowering IT administrators to increasing the productivity of end-users, Desktop Authority saves time, lowers the overall total cost of ownership and centralizes the administration of Windows-based networks. Unlike other desktop management products, Desktop Authority proactively handles daily configuration challenges, combining logon scripting, group policies, user profiles, and browser-based remote management into an intuitive, point-and-click management console. With Desktop Authority, administrators can deliver the configuration each user requires as they log on to any computer, and using any web browser, they can remotely and securely manage files, shares, processes, services, registry settings and permissions.
“The challenge with Desktop Authority 6.0 was to incorporate the level of granularity and configuration hierarchy required by our enterprise customers without a negative effect to the intuitive interface enjoyed by all our customers. This release delivers by allowing IT administrators to more closely mirror the application’s settings to their organization’s own unique structure,” said Brian Styles, founder and CTO of ScriptLogic.
“Set It and Forget It” Ease of Use
Desktop Authority 6.0 offers many new features that offer new levels of administration efficiency. Extensive features and functionality have been added to 6.0 without making it more complicated to use. Among the new features of 6.0 are:
Windows XP SP 2 Installation and Management: 6.0 includes additional product features to help companies deploying Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2, a significant security upgrade released on August 6. Using a new Windows Firewall management feature within Desktop Authority, customers can open specific ports in the Windows Firewall, automatically enabled by the service pack, to allow routine functions, such as anti-virus upgrades or remote access for maintenance and troubleshooting.
Redesigned Graphical User Interface (GUI): 6.0’s new Explorer-style interface enhances usability with a hierarchical tree view. This interface offers a more comprehensive ‘at a glance’ visualization of what configuration settings will be applied to what site, department, and/or organizational unit.
Enterprise Profiles: Desktop Authority 6.0 provides significant enhancements when assigning standard configuration settings to desktops company-wide. IT administrators can use Desktop Authority to design nested, hierarchical configuration profiles, each containing 28 unique management objects including drive mappings, printer assignments, shortcut creation, desktop appearance and many more.
Multi-Dimensional Validation Logic: Now allows administrators even more precision when wrapping the configuration settings dictated by the elements of each management object within an Enterprise Profile. This release extends Validation Logic to support multiple rules per Enterprise Profile, each rule being defined as a Boolean expression combining more than 20 different validation tests.
Improved Mail Profile Management: Administrators can now configure even more settings for Microsoft Outlook users when creating new mail profiles and when updating existing ones.
"Network administration still consumes extraordinary IT resources, and therefore any IT staff would be open to solutions to help alleviate tasks," said Bill Malik, vice president at Aberdeen. "Companies should adopt well-defined processes that will drive productivity improvements. While some organizations can support only 20 to 40 users per administrator, with effective processes and appropriate automation, highly productive firms can support upwards of 100 users per administrator."
A software distribution case study shows the power of the new features. Using Desktop Authority 6.0, a company would distribute a new software upgrade to a small set of test machines, with configurations changed after the install to ensure proper operation. The IT administrator would use Desktop Authority to define the target set of computers, set the configuration changes, and schedule the install to occur when users log off on a given night. If the results are acceptable the next morning, the IT manager would expand the install to a larger test group by changing the Validation Logic for the enterprise profile governing the install.
Pricing and Availability
Desktop Authority 6.0 is available immediately. A free 30-day evaluation of this product and all software solutions from ScriptLogic are available at http://www.scriptlogic.com. The product is priced on a per-seat basis with volume discounts available through ScriptLogic's global network of reseller partners. Desktop Authority customers with current maintenance agreements will receive a complimentary upgrade.
About ScriptLogic
ScriptLogic Corporation is a leader in network administration software for Microsoft Windows-based networks. Reach ScriptLogic at (561)886-2400 or on the Web at http://www.scriptlogic.com.
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Desktop Authority, ScriptLogic, and Validation Logic are trademarks of ScriptLogic Corp.