Intel LANDesk Configuration Manager cuts cost of operating system upgrades; LANDesk Service Agent enhances remote PC management

Business Wire, March 31, 1997

HILLSBORO, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 31, 1997--Intel Corporation today launched LANDesk(R) Configuration Manager, an integrated hardware-software product that enables companies to remotely install operating systems, workgroup-specific productivity suites and applications on PCs over corporate LANs.

For companies facing the task of migrating PCs to Microsoft Windows(a) 95 and Windows NT(a), LANDesk Configuration Manager provides a unique ability to define and manage a set of standard PC configurations, and to deploy them using technology innovations that vastly reduce the cost for each desktop.

"Intel LANDesk Configuration Manager gives organizations an essential tool for deploying and migrating operating systems as well as all other software on a business PC," said Ed Ekstrom, vice president of Intel's Internet and Communications Group and general manager of the System Management Division.

"Managing the configuration process represents one of the most time-consuming and expensive tasks on any computer network. Intel LANDesk Configuration Manager is the first viable solution to effectively manage this process. The product represents another large step in making business PCs universally manageable."

Intel LANDesk Configuration Manager is a key element of Intel's Wired for Management initiative to further reduce the total cost of ownership of high-performance business PCs.

LANDesk Configuration Manager Maximizes IT Staff Resources

Information Technology staff can use Intel LANDesk Configuration Manager to configure new PCs or update existing ones. Intel LANDesk Configuration Manager provides tools that walk the IT administrator step-by-step though the process of defining and creating a set of master configurations.

Once the IT administrator creates a master set of configurations, desktops can be upgraded or installed quickly and efficiently with a simple reboot at the desktop. This eliminates the need to install software manually at each workstation, thereby nearly eliminating direct technical labor costs for each desktop.

LANDesk Service Agent Provides Boot Intervention

Intel also announced a new technology called LANDesk Service Agent that significantly enhances the installation and deployment process. LANDesk Service Agent allows a PC to be booted remotely over the network for installation, repairs and updates. This capability is crucial for effective central management and reduced ownership costs of business PCs.

The LANDesk Service Agent software code -- which is designed for use with all business PCs, including NetPCs -- is Intel's implementation of the pre-boot technology detailed in the industry NetPC specification and in Intel's Wired for Management Baseline Specification.

LANDesk Service Agent intervenes in the boot process so the PC can boot directly from management servers such as the Intel LANDesk Configuration Manager. The PC can then be configured with the appropriate operating system, network files and desktop applications. The pre-boot capability of the LANDesk Service Agent is a cornerstone of next-generation PC management, such as the services for managing and deploying standard PC configurations that will be provided by products like Intel LANDesk Configuration Manager.

IBM Shipping LANDesk Service Agent

IBM recently began shipping LANDesk Service Agent with select systems. Combining the capabilities of LANDesk Service Agent with IBM's Wake on LAN(a) technology enables IBM PC's to be remotely booted and configured, even in off-hours when the PC is turned off. This standards-based solution is a result of continued collaboration by Intel and IBM under the Advanced Manageability Alliance.

"Reducing the complexity of deploying and managing PCs is a key reason why IBM and Intel formed the Advanced Manageability Alliance," said Rich Cheston, program director for IBM Commercial Desktop Marketing.

"Intel's announcement today is an important step in meeting customer needs in this area, and that is why IBM will release a complementary product in April called LANClient Control Manager that addresses a similar need. Our two companies will standardize these products over time."

"The presence of the Intel LANDesk Service Agent makes a PC instantly manageable," Ekstrom noted. "By making this capability widely and readily available to the industry and end users, we will increase the number of managed PCs that can take advantage of such high-value services as LANDesk Configuration Manager."

Intel, the world's largest chip maker, is also a leading manufacturer of personal computer, networking and communications products. Additional information is available at www.intel.com/pressroom . -0-

(a) Note to Editors: Other brands or products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

CONTACT: Intel Corporation

Tom Potts, 503/264-6277

tom_potts@ccm.jf.intel.com