News

Diskeeper 2008 Is Full-Featured Defragger

Latest version of disk defrag utility offers customers better performance, uptime.

• By Joanne Cummings
• January 01, 2008

No matter how good a computer's processor and memory are, if the hard disk isn't in top shape, performance drags and, eventually, crashes become commonplace.

Diskeeper 2008, released in October, prevents that scenario by automatically defragmenting the hard disk of a PC or server, thereby ensuring optimal performance and reliability. The program goes way beyond the defrag utility that comes with Windows, and the latest version offers some key new features aimed at small and midsize businesses with more important things to do than monitor their hard disk fragmentation levels.

In fact, Diskeeper 2008 can rescue even the worst-managed hard disks, as it now sports the ability to defrag disks with millions of fragments and works on systems with as little as 1 percent free space. Customers can simply set it and forget it, because the new InvisiTasking background processing automatically taps idle processing power in the background to perform its defragging duties on the fly.

The tool also improves on reliability with its Frag Shield 2.0, a feature that automatically prevents crash-inducing fragmentation of critical system files. It's also the only defrag tool compatible with Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS).

The Competition
Diskeeper's main competition is the free defragmentation tool that comes with Windows. That tool, however, has much higher processing overhead and can't work in the background. It also can't rescue poorly maintained disks, because on Windows XP machines, for example, it requires at least 15 percent free space versus Diskeeper's 1 percent free space threshold.

Marketing and Sales
Diskeeper has a wealth of information about the product on its Web site, and the best place for partners to start is on the product page. There, the company steps you through the new features, as well as the various product versions-those aimed at home users, small businesses and large business and government users. There's also a 15-minute multimedia tour that highlights Diskeeper's main features and functions.

Partner Opportunities
Diskeeper runs a tiered partner program, which includes levels for Channel Partners and for OEMS who preload Diskeeper products on systems. An Affiliate Partner level offers commissions to partners who point customers to Diskeeper's online store.

While the company works with distributors, a new reseller program called the Electronic Software Download (ESD) Module allows partners without an Ingram Micro or Tech Data account to purchase products, delivered via e-mail, for clients at a discount.

The Final Word
Diskeeper 2008 offers your customers the best of both worlds-good performance and reliability without a lot of headaches in terms of management and administration time. Because it works in the background, Diskeeper allows your customers to get their work done, while ensuring better uptime and speedier performance.