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ManageSoftÂ’s Smart Agent Architecture Streamlines Deployment Process, Reduces Risk and Minimizes IT Management Challenges

Boston, Mass. -- ManageSoft, The Software Management Company, today announced that its ManageSoft Software Management Suite solution is helping its customers quickly and easily deploy and configure Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2). In the wake of push back by IT managers on the release of the massive SP2 patch within a four month grace period set by Microsoft, ManageSoft is working closely with its customers to roll out SP2 in a seamless fashion with as little disruption as possible to daily business operations.

As Forrester Research recently advised, enterprises should treat Windows XP SP2 as a full-scale operating system upgrade--not just a service pack update. In particular, new features and the "on by default" approach to security in SP2 will require policy updates and firewall configuration changes to enable many off the shelf and in-house developed applications to function correctly. Despite these new SP2 features, customers can leverage ManageSoftÂ’s unique smart-agent architecture to automate any configuration changes necessary to both the OS and applications, thereby ensuring users remain productive.

"We understand the pressure IT managers are under to roll out SP2 within the timeframe provided by Microsoft," said Walter Elliot, CEO at ManageSoft. "With our unique, smart-agent architecture, ManageSoft automates the deployment of Windows XP SP2 for new and existing computers. Unlike other products on the market, our client-based smart-agent is not affected by the SP2 configuration changes, therefore we can minimize any downtime and reduce both the risk and cost of this major OS upgrade."

Analyzing the environment and understanding the impact of Windows XP SP2 prior to the rollout is a critical component in ensuring success for any organization. ManageSoft provides automated analysis to assist administrators in identifying systems that do not meet the minimum requirements and/or have software packages installed that have been identified as requiring special care either by Microsoft or another third-party.

The SP2 installation process puts a number of demands on the network and client environment as well. ManageSoft provides an intelligent rollout capability that minimizes network utilization by scheduling the distribution of SP2 and dynamically optimizing the bandwidth used during scheduled transfer times.

For those users who are highly mobile, intermittently connected and are potentially using unreliable network connections, the ManageSoft smart-agent automatically identifies the closest and fastest location where it can download files. ManageSoftÂ’s solution employs technologies such as byte-level differencing, checkpoint restart and dynamic bandwidth throttling to ensure maximum efficiency. Minimal user disruption is ensured as deployments can be marked as mandatory or optional, with allowance for users to defer updates for a fixed number of days.

In addition, ManageSoftÂ’s real-time reporting capabilities and executive dashboard view of managed devices provide IT professionals with up-to-the minute status on the rollout progress of SP2. Even as new XP systems become available within an organization, ManageSoft will automatically identify if the system needs SP2 and will provide real-time reporting on the status of the system and will automatically ensure the system meets policy and install SP2 if necessary.

About ManageSoft Corporation

ManageSoft, The Software Management Company, reduces IT support costs for desktops, laptops, handhelds and servers located anywhere in the world by enabling large organizations to automatically deploy, update and manage software and security patches for Windows, Linux and UNIX devices. Unlike competing products, ManageSoft solutions combine policy-based management with a scalable and cost-effective client-centric architecture to streamline IT service support, improve IT service delivery, and dramatically reduce IT costs. ManageSoft provides category-leading automated software management solutions for security patch management, server management, software deployment, license management, mobile management, IT asset tracking, software license management and IT business intelligence.

ManageSoft Corporation is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, an IBM Business Partner, and a global partner of Siemens Business Services. Founded in 1990, ManageSoft has offices in North and South America, Australia, and Europe, with corporate customers including Diageo Guinness, ANZ Bank, Siemens, Abbey National, Thomson Prometric and T-Mobile. For more information on ManageSoft see http://www.managesoft.com.