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FullArmor to Ship Updated Group Policy Management Tool
FullArmor next week will ship version 2.0 of its GPAnywhere Active Directory Group Policy extender tool for administrators.
The latest version features integration with the Microsoft Group Policy Management Console, a new “Policy Enforcer” capability and integration of FullArmor’s IntelliPolicy for Clients product.
GPAnywhere enables enterprises that have a mix of Active Directory-aware PCs, PCs using earlier network connection technologies and occasionally connected laptops to manage them all through standardized Group Policy settings.
“If I’ve got Windows 2000 and XP clients deployed but I’m still running NT 4, I need to be able to manage those machines without Active Directory,” says Danny Kim, CTO of Boston-based FullArmor.
“[GPAnywhere] takes Group Policy out of Active Directory and puts it in an executable, with the goal to make it very portable, very simple to use, and [to create] an executable that will run on any machine,” Kim adds.
GPAnywhere 2.0 plugs natively into Microsoft’s Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) and becomes a slider in the GPMC’s interface. Additionally, Policy Enforcer, a component that is installed on the client machine, enforces GPAnywhere policy templates and prevents users and local administrators from modifying template settings. The Policy Enforcer also enables the GPAnywhere administrator to delegate administration of template management to local administrators, help desks, and other authorized staff.
Finally, GPAnywhere 2.0 adds integration with settings in FullArmor’s IntelliPolicy for Clients, enabling administrators to select the additional policy settings provided in that product when building a GPAnywhere template.
GPAnywhere costs $6 per managed machine plus $1,250 for the GPAnywhere management console.
About the Author
Stuart J. Johnston has covered technology, especially Microsoft, since February 1988 for InfoWorld, Computerworld, Information Week, and PC World, as well as for Enterprise Developer, XML & Web Services, and .NET magazines.