New Deployment and Management Optimization Features Do the `Heavy Lifting` for
Organizations Upgrading to Latest Microsoft OS Release
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(Business Wire)--
KACE, the leading systems management appliance company, today announced a major
new version of its award-winning KBOX family of systems management and
deployment appliances. The latest KBOX appliances offer new functionality and
features that ease the migration, deployment and ongoing management of the new
Microsoft Windows 7 operating system. It has been reported that 90 percent of
all businesses today run Windows and in the coming months, many of these
businesses will face the daunting task of migrating to Windows 7. With the KBOX
technology enhancements, KACE simplifies the migration from either Windows XP or
Vista to Windows 7, saving organizations of all sizes time and money in the
process.
Because of Vista`s shortcomings, many organizations chose not to deploy Vista at
all and instead stayed with the aging XP OS. In fact, a recent Dimensional
Research* survey revealed that 83 percent of organizations are likely to skip
Vista altogether and migrate directly from Windows XP to the Windows 7. With XP
reaching its end-of-life, and enterprises choosing to skip Vista, the migration
to Windows 7 is essential. For many, migration will be an extreme challenge.
Microsoft officially launched Windows 7 on Oct. 22, 2009.
"Millions of enterprises around the globe are expected to migrate to Windows 7,
but without the right management tools, the migration could wreak havoc on both
end users and systems administrators," said Rob Meinhardt, CEO and co-founder of
KACE. "Just last week it was widely reported that organizations were having
trouble migrating from Vista-imagine how tough it will be to bypass Vista
altogether and jump from XP to the new operating system? With the new supporting
features in KBOX, KACE significantly eases the pain of Windows 7 migration-from
deployment to OS management-and with the affordability and ease-of-use KBOX is
known for."
Some of the major new deployment and management capabilities of the latest KBOX
family of appliances release include:
* KBOX User State Migration - allows for the deployment of user-specific files
and settings along with OS applications, reducing the risk that critical
information will be lost during migration;
* K-imaging - provides a flexible file-based imaging format that uses smart
synchronization to eliminate redundant transfers in the capture, storage and
deployment of Windows 7 images;
* Network OS Install - automates the build out of Gold Master reference machines
and provides a hardware independent option to deploy Windows 7 through driver
slipstreaming;
* Remote Site Provisioning - allows users to manage OS migration on remote sites
in addition to their headquarter network;
* Enhanced Asset Management capabilities - allows users to monitor Windows 7 OS
and software license compliance;
* Improved Patch Management capabilities - enables users to automatically deploy
relevant Windows 7 patches to machines on local and remote networks;
* Application Virtualization - lets users keep a Windows 7 deployment free from
any potential application conflicts.
"The prospect of migration to Windows 7 is a nightmare for many organizations -
particularly those with limited staff and budgets - but the expected broad
adoption of the new operating system makes deployment essential for most
businesses that need to maintain a competitive edge," said Steve Brasen,
principal analyst for Enterprise Management Associates. "XP and Vista will not
be supported forever and application developers will increasingly release
products that are not backwardly compatible to older version of the Windows
operating system. IT managers need to consider how they are going to tackle this
challenge now, so that their business is not left behind their competitors in
the near future. With an automated deployment solution in place, such as KBOX
from KACE, systems can be upgraded across the enterprise with minimal impact on
business productivity and profitability."
Join KACE for a free webinar titled, "7 Steps to Windows 7 Migration Success- A
Tutorial," taking place on Tuesday, Nov. 3 at 9:00 a.m. PT. To register, go to:
http://www.kace.com/resources/7-Steps-to-Windows-7-Migration-Success.
KACE saves its customers both time and money. Systems managers are increasingly
forced to wear many hats throughout the day to work on a myriad of IT functions.
KACE helps consolidate these functions by providing a single appliance for all
projects, while delivering easy-to-use, comprehensive systems management that is
affordable. The KBOX family of systems management and deployment appliances
fulfills all of the systems management needs of an enterprise, from initial
computer deployment to ongoing management and retirement.
*The Dimensional Research report, titled "Windows 7 Adoption: A Survey of
Technology Professionals," is available at:
http://www.kace.com/resources/Windows-7-Adoption-Survey.
Pricing and Availability
The KBOX Systems Management Appliance is available now and starts at $9,900. The
KBOX System Deployment Appliance is currently shipping as a release candidate
and will be generally available on December 1, 2009. The KBOX System Deployment
Appliance will start at $4,900.
About KACE
KACE is the leading systems management appliance company. The award-winning KBOX
family of appliances delivers easy-to-use, comprehensive systems management
capabilities. KACE customers usually install in one day and enjoy the lowest
total cost compared to software alternatives.
KACE is headquartered in Mountain View, California. To learn more about KACE and
its product offerings, please visit http://www.kace.com or call 1-877-MGMT-DONE.
Helpful Links
* Slideshare Presentation on New Version of KBOX Family of Systems Management
and Deployment Appliances
* KBOX Systems Management Appliances
* KBOX Systems Management AppliancesKBOX Systems Deployment Appliances
* Trial KBOX System Management Appliance
Kulesa Faul, Inc.
Cathy Wright, 650-340-1985
cathy@kulesafaul.com
Copyright Business Wire 2009
