IT management 
firm
Kace released this week an enhanced version of its Kbox 1000
series systems management 
appliances.
While previous versions of the Kbox supported Red Hat (NYSE: RHT) Enterprise Linux 3 and 4, a key component of the latest Kbox release is enhanced support for Red Hat
Enterprise Linux 5.0, which gives access to a line of turnkey IT automation
applications that provide lifecycle management of laptops, desktops and other
network devices.
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The product enhancements target what Kace CEO Rob Meinhardt described as "the Fortune 100,000 market." He said the largest 100,000 worldwide companies following the Fortune 1,000 firms are growing exponentially.
"We're the first in this space. We're trying to bring asset management to those mid-market companies without an IT department," Meinhardt told TechNewsWorld. "Mid-market companies can't afford what's out there. We want to bring asset management to everybody else."
Large corporations such as General Motors already have great software solutions in place, he said, adding that mid-market companies are not so well prepared for asset management.
Tracking Through the Lifecycle
Asset management provides IT departments with tools to track and manage computer
hardware and related equipment. IT departments have to manage
computer assets that include desktops, servers and software along with non-computer
assets, such as high-value mobile phones, telecom equipment and PDAs , according to Kace.
Until now, these departments in mid-market companies have not been fully equipped with the technology to track the increasing number of these assets or to efficiently manage them through their lifecycle.
The Kbox Asset Management Module unifies and automates IT assets from deployment to retirement.
This increases efficiency, visibility and control while reducing costs, according to Meinhardt.
Focus on Integration
Meinhardt said the Kbox series now is focusing attention on integrating essential asset management capabilities. The upgrade will give customers expanded license compliance capabilities to drive more efficient use of IT budget dollars.
The Kace Asset Management Module, embedded in the Kbox 1000 Series Systems Management Appliances, is part of an integrated inventory, asset and configuration management solution. It automates management of the entire asset lifecycle.
The module and configuration management database (CMDB) now integrates license compliance along with usage metering and management features. This allows customers to assess their compliance with vendor licensing policies.
"There is a lot of value in bringing all the pieces of asset management together," said Meinhardt. "For example, if a company wanted to do an audit of its hardware's physical layout, it could do this in our Kbox appliance without needing a separate product."
Linux Support
The Kbox 1000 Series appliances include support for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.0, a
leading platform for open source computing .
Customers using Kbox 1000 can now leverage the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.0 capabilities. These include new, fully integrated server and storage virtualization functionality.
In the Details
The Asset Management Module improves a company's ability to handle security audits. Its physical asset tracking and configuration management capabilities improve security at the physical layer and within the systems themselves.
Comprehensive physical asset tracking assures that valuable IT resources remain company property. This reduces the potential for property and data loss. In addition, configuration management and historical change information equips IT managers with the information to make certain that machines are secure.
According to Kace, new features in Kbox close the loop for IT management organizations by providing a complete notification and alert engine that can trigger alerts based on configuration changes, license compliance or key milestone dates in license agreements, lease agreements or other contracts.
Free Use Offer
Many companies are always looking for point solutions on the best product combinations, noted Meinhardt.
Kace is extending a prerelease promotional offer of a free Asset Management Module upgrade to existing and new Kbox 1000 Series appliances customers, as well as new customers who sign on by March 31, 2007, he said.
After the free offer ends, new customers will pay US$3,375 for the module and the first 100 nodes. Additional nodes can be purchased separately.
Volume pricing applies beyond the first 100 nodes.
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