Intel completes its Microsoft Windows NT management puzzle tomorrow with the introduction of a new version of PC administration tools.
LANDesk Management Suite 6, available next month, completes the company's PC and server management evolution from its Novell-centric roots. With several market research firms pegging Intel software at or near the top in terms of market share, adding support for Windows NT is the key to maintaining the company's position vs. competitors, according to Intel officials.
But Intel executives also are promoting several functions related to remote management of PCs and help desk integration as integral to the platform, especially in light of Intel's dominant role in PC hardware. Other LANDesk components offer software distribution, hardware and software inventory, software metering, virus protection, and server management.
This core set of services for networks is augmented by add-on tools like LANDesk Client Manager, a piece of agent software that numerous PC manufacturers will include in their hardware to offer manageability.
Intel has also included data-level integration with Tivoli Systems' TME 10 enterprise systems and applications management platform.
The management software suite already manages NT desktops, as well as Windows 3.11, Windows 95, DOS, Apple Macintosh, and IBM OS/2. The latest version is priced on a per-node basis. Intel said per-node pricing can be as low as $50 per system.