GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan (March 11, 2009) Businesses can reap the benefits and cost savings of Intel's chip-based management capabilities even if only parts of their PC fleet are VPro-enabled. Solution providers say having that capability could make a significant difference if resources become scarce.
"They need to take the first step and ask what they can do once VPro is activated and what can you do cheaper," said Ben Dixon, the southeast practice principal for ITS, a Michigan-based solution provider specializing in systems management. "You can show a savings even if only 30 percent of the machines have VPro. It's only part of the equation, but it's better than nothing and you can show a greater savings when you have 100 percent with VPro."
At the Managed Fusion event in Las Vegas, Symantec launched Altiris Client Management System 7, which complements VPro with management and reporting mechanisms for software deployment and system configuration management. CMS 7.0 includes several previously separate applications, including Real-Time Systems Management, which provides the suite with the ability to push changes to a single client. VPro and CMS together, solution providers say, makes a powerful combination for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of client management.