Product Spotlight
Specops Deploy
http://www.specopssoft.com,
303-524-1010
Special Operations Software's Specops Deploy takes Group Policy–based software deployment to a new level by adding new functionality to Group Policy including feedback to report the success or failure of a deployment, Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS), background processing, scheduling, and support for legacy setups. According to Robert Lundh, Special Operations Software CEO, "The software deployment features built into Group Policy by Microsoft lack a lot of functionality. By creating a true Group Policy extension, Specops Deploy has made Group Policy a natural software deployment alternative by supporting the entire software deployment life cycle process. We believe that the simplicity of both implementing and using Specops Deploy will appeal to everyone looking to simplify the software deployment process."
Specops Deploy helps make it easier for you to deploy software, patches, updates, hotfixes, and service packs and to receive valuable feedback about what actually happened on the targeted computers. The software supports software installations in the background, during runtime or during logon. Specops Deploy's underlying GPX engine is based on Group Policy and leverages the already existing infrastructure. The product supports Windows Installer packages or legacy setups such as setup.exe. Contact Special Operations Software for pricing.
HARDWARE
Store Your Data on the Go
http://www.kanguru.com,
508-376-4245, 888-526-4878
Kanguru Solutions released the KanguruMini Drive, a USB 2.0 flash drive that is less than 3" long and weighs only 21g. The KanguruMini Drive can store as much as 1GB of data, requires no external power, and is driverless with most OSs. The drive features exterior aluminum housing and can resist as much as 1000Gs of shock. Because you simply plug the drive into your USB port, you can use the drive to save all of your MP3s, pictures, and email messages to take on the go. The KanguruMini Drive works with Windows, Macintosh, and Linux OSs. The KanguruMini Drive costs $27.95 for 128MB of storage, $34.95 for 256MB of storage, $59.95 for 512MB of storage, and $99.95 for 1GB of storage.
MESSAGING
Integrate Email and Fax Capability
http://www.gfi.com,
919-379-3397, 888-243-4329
GFI Software released a new version of its enterprise fax server, GFI FAXmaker 12.0. The new version merges GFI FAXmaker for Exchange and GFI FAXmaker for Networks/SMTP into one product, GFI FAXmaker for Exchange/SMTP. The SMTP-based product provides better email integration and improved scalability. The product integrates with Microsoft Exchange Server through a specially configured standard Exchange SMTP connector. Schema updates to Active Directory (AD) and software installation with Exchange aren't required. GFI FAXmaker for Exchange/SMTP supports Exchange Server 5.5 by configuring a separate routing rule on the Exchange 5.5 SMTP connector. You can install GFI FAXmaker directly on Exchange Server 2003 and Exchange 2000 Server or on a separate machine. The product also supports Lotus Notes and popular SMTP/POP3 servers. Pricing is $695 for a 25-user license and $1999 for a 100-user license.
SECURITY
Recover Passwords
http://www.elcomsoft.com,
866-448-2703,
info@elcomsoft.com
ElcomSoft released Advanced Office Password Recovery (AOPR), an application that lets you gain access to Microsoft Office password-protected documents that have been accidentally or purposefully password-protected. The product uses advanced cryptanalysis algorithms and is capable of instantly recovering passwords for a wide range of Microsoft's business and office applications, from the very first DOS versions to Office 2003 programs. The software supports more than 30 different types of password-encryption methods. The program scans the password cache and uses a preliminary attack method, which results in recovering passwords for 60 percent of all protected documents while the documents are loading. Pricing is $49 for the home edition, $99 for the standard edition, and $199 for the professional edition.
SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT
Automate Patch Deployment
http://www.executivesoftware.com,
818-771-1600, 800-829-6468
Executive Software released Patchkeeper, a patch-management module that lets you automate the detection and deployment of Microsoft patches across your entire network. You can configure Patchkeeper based on the degree of patch criticality, type of patch, patch certification, and OS or application. The software provides reporting functionality including email notifications whenever it detects missing patches. You can purchase Patchkeeper as a standalone solution or as part of the Sitekeeper 3.5 systems management software suite. Patchkeeper uses technology developed by Shavlik Technologies. A Patchkeeper license costs from $15 to $18 depending on the number of licenses you buy.
SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT
Troubleshoot AD Problems
http://www.javelinasoftware.com,
302-422-0230, 800-397-5484
Javelina Software released ADxray, troubleshooting and analysis software that helps identify the source of network problems by scrutinizing Active Directory (AD) object attributes. The software provides search and editing capabilities, provides attribute value details and descriptions, and presents a key interpretation feature that discloses AD attribute values in comprehensible formats. ADxray lets you search for attributes and their values. The low-level editing capability lets you add, remove, and modify attribute values. You can display detailed attribute information such as descriptions and uncover hidden objects such as deleted tombstone objects. ADxray shows mandatory, optional, constructed, and unset attribute views; translates raw attribute values into comprehensible formats; and displays the entire directory tree. Pricing is based on a per-domain licensing model and is $250 for one domain and $400 for two domains. A site license costs $500.
SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT
Improve AD Problem Resolution
http://www.netpro.com,
800-998-5090,
sales@netpro.com
NetPro Computing released DirectoryTroubleshooter 4.0, software that provides automated Active Directory (AD) health and security reporting, real-time domain controller (DC) diagnostics and tests, and jobs to help you improve uptime and security. Key features include custom report capabilities for creation of tasks and reports specific to each client's environment, real-time DC diagnostics and repair through a graphical interface, performance health metrics for short- and long-term benchmarking, and AD environment analysis for on-the-spot health checks. The software includes more than 100 different tests and utilities. You can launch DirectoryTroubleshooter directly from NetPro's DirectoryAnalyzer and HP OpenView Operations for Windows. DirectoryTroubleshooter's UI uses the Microsoft .NET platform and features a replication management console to let you choose the source and destination for a DC's directory replication, calculate the replication path, and perform the end-to-end data replication. For pricing, contact NetPro Computing.
SYSTEMS UTILITY
Repair Unbootable Systems
http://www.winternals.com,
512-330-9130, 800-408-8415
Winternals Software announced Administrator's Pak 5.0, a collection of system repair and data recovery tools including ERD Commander 2003, NTFSDOS Professional, Remote Recover, Disk Commander, Monitoring Tools (Filemon and Regmon), and TCPView Pro. The collection of tools features a crash analyzer to analyze Windows crash dump files; a hotfix uninstall utility to remove detected hotfixes or the most recent service pack from an offline Windows system; an integrated Web browser to let you securely download patches, service packs, or drivers to an unbootable system; a disk wipe that securely erases a hard disk or volume through a GUI within ERD Commander; autorun capability to detect which programs are running in the background; and the ability to burn CDs within ERD Commander. An Administrator's Pak 5.0 license costs $1199. An annual maintenance contract costs $240.