New Boundary Technologies released Prism Suite 9 this month, the latest in the company’s line of configuration management packages. The suite is described as an automated Windows desktop management tool and is aimed mainly at small-to-midsized businesses.
The new version adds support for 64-bit Windows, Internet-based administration, and a new technique for conserving bandwidth in software deployments. This new technique, called Distribution Locations, allows administrators to send software over the Internet to one computer and have it distributed over a LAN to other computers in the same place. For instance, an administrator could send an application to one of 60 workstations at a satellite office, and the other 59 would receive the application over the LAN, saving the company 59 installs worth of bandwidth. Distribution Locations uses existing hardware—the data can go to a standard workstation for redistribution.
The Internet-based administration, according to New Boundary Communications Manager Terry Boevers, provides “management for any location, from any location.” Prism Suite can allow small or medium businesses with small (or no) IT departments to outsource management of their networks. Prism Suite allows workstations in one city to be administered by an IT pro in a second city, with the Prism server in a third city.
New Boundary Product Manager Eric Peterson said one advantage for smaller businesses using the Prism Suite is that the suite is easy to use. Without any formal training, most users can install and configure. Despite the ease of use, the suite is still broadly customizable and can install using Windows Installer files, standard installers, and scripts. The suite includes a packaging tool for customized installations and these packages are compressed, to conserve bandwidth. “Essentially anything that you can locally, we can run it remotely,” Peterson said.
More information about Prism Suite 9 and a demo version of the software are available at the New Boundary website.