AdventNet (News - Alert), a vendor of collaboration, CRM and office productivity applications, as well as network management software, has announced the release of Desktop Central, its Desktop Management software. The new release supports managing Windows Workgroup-based network in addition to Active Directory-based Domain setup and multiple Domains.


Features of Desktop Central include Windows Configuration, patch and service pack managements software deployment, inventory management, remote control and Windows tools, user logon reports and active directory reports.

"We have met patch management and secured controls required for Federal Compliance by implementing ManageEngine Desktop Central. Our workstations are now more organized, manageable, and secure than we could have ever imagined possible," says Steven Deines of Bank of Holden, a user of the product.

"Adding support for Windows workgroups is a significant enhancement as it has opened the door to many small and medium enterprises that do not have an Active Directory setup in their network," says Mathivanan, Director Product Development at AdventNet.

The latest release of Desktop Central can be downloaded directly from www.desktopcentral.com. Desktop Central offers a 30-day evaluation license of the Professional Edition. A permanent Free Edition is also available for small businesses.

The annual subscription price for the Professional Edition starts at $545 for 50 systems.

Early this year AdventNet announced the upgraded release of OpManager MSP Edition. OpManager offers a variety of managed network services such as server monitoring, firewall monitoring, exchange monitoring, router monitoring, wireless monitoring, and custom device monitoring at what company officials believe are "attractively low price points."

Its probe-server architecture uses a secure HTTPs connection and works without requiring any firewall configurations at the clients' end.

In addition to network monitoring, OpManager MSP Edition's latest release features ticketing, security and inventory modules to let MSPs provide helpdesk and security services to their customers.

Edward Martinbor of EJM Solutions, an OpManager MSP partner located in Windsor, California said the helpdesk integration "rocks. Tickets get generated on the fly and are assigned to the right technicians all by themselves. Our helpdesk staffs love it."

Last spring AdventNet Inc., the parent company of CRM vendor Zoho.com, announced support for Managed Security Service Providers with the release of version 4.0 of ManageEngine Firewall Analyzer.

--------

David Sims is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To see more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.