News

IT Weekly Roundup, Aug. 26

From the business wires this week: management systems for Group Policy-based patching and user access control, a backup and recovery program for Novell NetWare servers, and more.

DesktopStandard Corp. announced the beta release of PolicyMaker Software Update 2.0, the next edition of its Group Policy-based patch management system that integrates Microsoft's update services with enterprise-class Windows management technologies including Group Policy and SQL Reporting Services. The new version allows users to access consolidated data using a Web portal and to determine metrics such as which desktops are in compliance with patch policy and how quickly the patching occurred. Supports Windows 2000/XP/Server 2003 and is available on a limited basis. http://www.desktopstandard.com

Namescape Corporation announced the availability of rDirectory 1.3, an identity management software that integrates with Windows, Active Directory and SharePoint. rDirectory can reset passwords, delegate access levels according to the user's role, and elevate user permissions through proxy accounts without customizing Active Directory security. An Enterprise edition is $1,395 for the first 200 users. http://www.namescape.com

EMC released an update to its Dantz Retrospect for Windows software with extended backup and recovery support for servers running Novell NetWare 5.1/6.0/6.5. The update is free for current Retrospect 7 for Windows customers. http://www.emc.com

SMC Networks released the latest of its SMB/e solutions with the EliteConnect 2.4GHz dual-radio 802.11g Wireless Bridge (SMC2585W-G). The EliteConnect bridge can connect two LANs and provide wireless client access simultaneously with full 54Mbps bandwidth for all links. It also features enterprise-level authentication and encryption security features as well as multiple levels of protocol filtering (Ethernet, IP, TCP/UDP). Priced at an MSRP of $799.99.

SMCGS24-Smart
[Click on image for larger view.]
It ain't nothin' but a corporate LAN party with SMC's Gigabit SMCGS24-Smart switch.

The company also added two Gigabit switches to its EZ Switch 10/100/1000 product line with 16- and 24-port configurations. The 1U-form factor 16-port SMCGS16-Smart and the 24-port SMCGS24-Smart are priced at $329.99 and $399.99, respectively, and feature a Web-based console. http://www.smc.com

Spectaris LLC announced the launch of its anti-spam software solution, SendPlus, which blocks spam by determining if the sender is a real person by checking the e-mail address against the user's whitelist and blacklist. If the sender isn't on either list, an e-mail is sent to the sender to verify themselves. SendPlus integrates with Web-based e-mail services as well as Eudora and Microsoft Outlook, and is offered in two versions: SendPlus Free, which is ad-supported, and SendPlus Premium, which is ad-free. http://www.sendplus.com

Interwoven Inc. released its Worksite for SharePoint collaborative document management solution for Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server 2003, which provides enhancements to Microsoft's product by leveraging its document and e-mail management functionalities. http://www.interwoven.com

About the Author

Dan Hong is the associate Web editor of MCPmag.com, CertCities.com, TCPmag.com, Redmondmag.com and RCPmag.com.

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