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The benefits and ROI for these software deployment tools is truly amazing. Unfortunately many IT departments just don’t have it in their budget to get started. The up front costs of the software tools, the time and training for the IT staff and then the installation of dedicated servers throughout the organization can break the budget. You are often looking at 50 to $100,000 just to get a small company started. I would like to recommend that before you break the budget you take a look at another tool. It is called “ICentral” from Kingsseed Inc. and it is available to support Windows NT, 2000 and XP clients in a domain environment. It may be just the right fit for your company. ICentral can be set up throughout your entire organization in just a few hours with no dedicated servers. You can start deployment of your software applications, scripts and upgrades by the next day. Try it out at http://kingsseed.com/solution.html
ZENworks isn't that expensive to setup. ZENworks for Desktops runs for $59 a user, can be installed in an NT/2k or Novell environment, and doesn't require a dedicated server. In fact, you can install it on multiple servers and ZENworks will load balance across all of them. Granted, you do need eDirectory installed on NT/2k, but it's free for download off Novell's Website. Plus Novell eDirectory's true distributed directory service beats Microsoft Active Directory's Enhanced Bindery any day. Right now Novell is offering ZENworks for Desktops and ZENworks for Servers bundle licensing for $79 a user.
Novell products do some neat tricks. My favorite is the NDPS printer uninstall. One day we setup some laser printers on a Netware 5 network using NDPS, the next day not one user could print, the server had uninstalled the printers from NDPS.
Good article for LARGE installs, followed by a good post THANKS! Like the man said: "I needed that." smile
The patchWiz software installation product from Auto-trol Technology, www.auto-trol.com, is inexpensive and works in Windows environments from 95 through XP. While it doesn't look for damaged files like the top end products it can deliver full installs, archive installs, and patches. It is customizable with custom install tasks, can incorporate the use of authorization codes, and allows file association. Eval copies are downloadable from the website, http://www.patchwiz.com/.
All of the above mentioned solutions are good-to-great, but what about the management of database changes, whether changes to the database structure, or the insertion of canned data? We're looking at having to write our own just so we can deploy these changes to our clients...
If you administer a small network of upto 500 systems there is no need to opt for a third party tool but AD can handle the software deployment very well,even the third party apps.only requirement is that the network should be a pure win2k network.Weuse MSI technology capabilities to its fullest in deploying microsoft and third party application to our locked down desktops.Using a tool like WISE one can repackage any software to msi package which can be assigned to desktops using group policies.we this mechanism to deploy some 30 to 50 applications to desktops.also use RIS for win2k professional deployment.and more over the new softwares are coming in msi format and we can customize them according to our needs.
There is a very powerful and easy-of-use software deployment tool from Computer Associates named Unicenter Software Delivery and an IT resources inventory tool named Unicenter Asset Management.
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Deploy software with ease
ZENworks is not just for NetWare sites
The article mentions that “Novell ZENworks is a good choice for Novell networks”, but ZENworks (ZENworks for Desktops or ZfD) is no longer just for Novell/NetWare sites anymore. In the past, ZENworks was dependant on having the following three Novell products in your environment:
- NetWare – at least one NetWare server
- NDS (Novell Directory Services) or eDirectory
- The Novell Client (known to most as “Client32”) for your desktop operating system/s
This is no longer the case, however. Using the latest version of ZfD, it is now possible to deploy ZfD without any other Novell products in your environment, i.e. even an otherwise “pure” Microsoft environment can now benefit from this product. In fact, Novell has even published a document entitled “Learn how to deploy ZENworks in a Pure Windows Environment”:
RLC/
2003-05-13
http://www.techrepublic.com/article.jhtml?id=r00320020326zdn01.htm
ZENworks is not just for NetWare sites
The article mentions that “Novell ZENworks is a good choice for Novell networks”, but ZENworks (ZENworks for Desktops or ZfD) is no longer just for Novell/NetWare sites anymore. In the past, ZENworks was dependant on having the following three Novell products in your environment:
- NetWare – at least one NetWare server
- NDS (Novell Directory Services) or eDirectory
- The Novell Client (known to most as “Client32”) for your desktop operating system/s
This is no longer the case, however. Using the latest version of ZfD, it is now possible to deploy ZfD without any other Novell products in your environment, i.e. even an otherwise “pure” Microsoft environment can now benefit from this product. In fact, Novell has even published a document entitled “Learn how to deploy ZENworks in a Pure Windows Environment”:
RLC/
2003-05-13
http://www.techrepublic.com/article.jhtml?id=r00320020326zdn01.htm
Deploy software with ease
ZENworks is not just for NetWare sites
The article mentions that “Novell ZENworks is a good choice for Novell networks”, but ZENworks (ZENworks for Desktops or ZfD) is no longer just for Novell/NetWare sites anymore. In the past, ZENworks was dependant on having the following three Novell products in your environment:
- NetWare – at least one NetWare server
- NDS (Novell Directory Services) or eDirectory
- The Novell Client (known to most as “Client32”) for your desktop operating system/s
This is no longer the case, however. Using the latest version of ZfD, it is now possible to deploy ZfD without any other Novell products in your environment, i.e. even an otherwise “pure” Microsoft environment can now benefit from this product. In fact, Novell has even published a document entitled “Learn how to deploy ZENworks in a Pure Windows Environment”:
RLC/
2003-05-13
http://www.techrepublic.com/article.jhtml?id=r00320020326zdn01.htm
ZENworks is not just for NetWare sites
The article mentions that “Novell ZENworks is a good choice for Novell networks”, but ZENworks (ZENworks for Desktops or ZfD) is no longer just for Novell/NetWare sites anymore. In the past, ZENworks was dependant on having the following three Novell products in your environment:
- NetWare – at least one NetWare server
- NDS (Novell Directory Services) or eDirectory
- The Novell Client (known to most as “Client32”) for your desktop operating system/s
This is no longer the case, however. Using the latest version of ZfD, it is now possible to deploy ZfD without any other Novell products in your environment, i.e. even an otherwise “pure” Microsoft environment can now benefit from this product. In fact, Novell has even published a document entitled “Learn how to deploy ZENworks in a Pure Windows Environment”:
RLC/
2003-05-13
http://www.techrepublic.com/article.jhtml?id=r00320020326zdn01.htm
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