U.S. Government Agencies Comply With Federal Desktop Core Configuration Mandate Using KACE Appliances

Business Wire, July 1, 2008

KACE Enables Compliance With Complex FDCC Mandate Requirements via Easy-to-Use and Affordable Systems Management Appliance

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- KACE[TM], the leading systems management appliance company, today announced the KBOX[TM] family of systems management and deployment appliances is leading the effort to ensure federal agencies comply with the new Federal Desktop Core Configuration (FDCC) mandate. The new federal mandate specifies some 200 settings for PCs running Windows XP or Vista, reducing federal deployment options to just two configuration settings. Implementing and sustaining these new settings can be a daunting task, requiring significant time and effort. Federal agencies, such as the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, have successfully met FDCC compliance requirements using KBOX by KACE to implement and sustain many of the ongoing systems management and deployment tasks federal CIOs must undertake in order to comply, with minimal effort.

Though the compliance deadline for all federal organizations was February 2008, many organizations are still not fully compliant. Part of the hesitancy is that FDCC pushes additional work to IT departments. Once FDCC compliance is implemented, end users can no longer perform many administrative tasks on their own and must rely on IT to make changes, adding an increased administrative burden to already over-taxed departments.

"While helping to better secure federal desktops, FDCC has the corollary effect of increasing the administrative burden with which federal agencies' IT departments must grapple," said Rob Meinhardt, CEO and co-founder of KACE. "These agencies are faced with managing critical day-to-day activities, such as systems deployment, device discovery and inventory, software distribution, patch management, and software license compliance with limited staff and budget. FDCC regulations place additional stress on understaffed IT departments. KACE management appliances alleviate this stress by helping to streamline and automate day-to-day activities that enable federal agencies to implement FDCC to comply with the mandate."

An affordable systems management solution is a key requirement for federal institutions concerned about the time and expertise required by IT staff to become FDCC compliant. KBOX meets these needs by offering tools and capabilities that address all phases of the FDCC compliance lifecycle.

"The first casualty of greater security offered by FDCC is convenience. Instead of changing their own settings, students and staff had to go to the IT department," said Howard Weiner, CIO of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. "Now, instead of pushing software updates to the academy all day long, the KBOX portal allows users to do the work, leaving us with time to do our jobs. Overall, KBOX offered a comprehensive single point of control for us to adhere to FDCC in a cost effective and efficient manner."

KACE helps customers save time and money. Systems managers are often forced to wear many hats throughout the day to work on a myriad of IT functions. KACE helps consolidate these functions by providing a single appliance for all projects, while delivering easy-to-use, comprehensive systems management that is affordable. The KBOX family of appliances fulfills all of the systems management needs of a medium enterprise, from initial computer deployment to ongoing management and retirement.

To learn more about how KACE is helping federal customers to meet the FDCC compliance mandate, download a new whitepaper from KACE entitled "FDCC: Locking Down the Desktop," at: http://www.kace.com/resource-center/systems-management -appliance/computer-management-software-alternative/white-papers.php (Due to its length, this URL may need to be copied/pasted into your Internet browser's address field. Remove the extra space if one exists.).

About KACE[TM]

KACE[TM] is the leading systems management appliance company. The award-winning KBOX[TM] family of appliances delivers easy-to-use, comprehensive systems management capabilities. KACE customers usually install in one day at one-third the cost of software alternatives.

KACE appliance owners enjoy the lowest total cost of ownership of any complete systems management solution available.

KACE is headquartered in Mountain View, California. To learn more about KACE and its product offerings, please visit http://www.kace.com or call 1-877-MGMT-DONE.

Helpful Links

* KBOX Systems Management Appliances (http://www.kace.com/products/kbox1000.php)

* KBOX Systems Deployment Appliances (http://www.kace.com/products/kbox2000.php)

* Virtual KBOX Appliances (http://www.kace.com/V-KBOX)