Monday, August 30, 2010

Excellent Software Patch Management To Lighten The Load

The use of software patch management easily automates the distribution of problem fixing patches across an entire network. Depending on the software, these updates can be scheduled beforehand or setup to coincide with your development team or third party patch providers. Many programs also offer the ability to scan the computers on the network for any vulnerabilities that require a patch.

 

To have this as a manual procedure can be very time consuming and inefficient. It costs more hours and money to have your IT staff handle this issue one computer at a time. The automated release features of the patch management program can eliminate the waste of so much time and funds and can allow the IT staff to work on other projects.

 

It also saves money on payroll by ensuring work continues by everyone. If you have to have someone download patches on an employees computer, that person will have to stop what they are doing. This could potentially be devastating for any department from sales to accounting to customer service. Nobody wants to lose clients because of a minor detail that could have easily have been prevented.

 

Just like any other software programs, there are number of different ones for this specific need. They range from basic home editions, to ones that can manage a number of computers on various networks. Which one you choose depends on the specific needs for your company. Always research the programs before you choose one. Just because they look flashy and say they can do a lot does not necessarily mean they can do what you need them to do. Not patching up software leaves your computer and networks vulnerable to viruses. It is also a very common way that hackers are able to steal information. All this can be easily avoided by this software.

 

Companies have been disabled or completely shutdown for days because of hackers manipulating security loopholes created by not patched computers. The hackers are able to gain full control of one computer that is not entirely protected and then use it to tie up bandwidth for their own purposes. They are then also able to install viruses and worms on your network. These attacks can be prevented and stopped by continually checking the terminals on your network. If one fails to meet the patch update standards then it will be immediately patched. This means that the opening that was left for the hacker is no longer open and the system is once again protected.

 

Most of the work of a software patch management software is done behind the scenes. Most workers will not even be aware that their computer is being updated to protect the company. The only time that it would be of any concern is when the system might need to be rebooted. The worker would be warned with a prompt and asked to save their work. This can be a very slight inconvenience having to wait for the system to reboot; it is however, a lot better than having to wait for an admin to go through every prompt. Most workers will be appreciative of the quick work that the software provides. There will be less inconvenient visits from the IT staff to have to see to issues related to the workers computer.

Friday, August 27, 2010

MSP Software Can Help You Manage Multiple Networks More Efficiently

MSP software is a must for all managed service providers. Managers who have this type of software, can instantly access pertinent information about the networks they are monitoring. Whether you are monitoring a LAN network for a small business, or you are attempting to monitor the routers within a large enterprise, MSP software can make the process of monitoring networks seamless and very easy to handle overall.

 

Many managed service providers find it very difficult to provide the level of service their customers are looking for at all times. If you are managing many networks, it can sometimes be overwhelming to attempt to meet the demands of each one of your clients. By having managed service provider software though, you can make the process of managing multiple networks very simple and efficient.

 

Network managers find this type of software to be incredibly useful, because it can provide an abundance of detailed information about a network's activities. Whether network managers need to assess the efficiency of individual devices within a network, or they need to assess a network's overall efficiency, they can easily do so by reviewing the information that is provided by this type of program.

 

Network managers who do not take advantage of this type of software often miss major problems that are occurring within entire networks. When devices within a network cannot sufficiently handle the capacity and demands that are being placed on them, network managers have no idea that these difficulties are occurring if they do not have this type of software in their possession. Network managers who do have access to MSP software though, can utilize the tools and monitoring capabilities of MSP software to quickly and easily assess the congested portions of a network and fix those problems immediately.

 

This software can even automate the process of managing a network as well. This software can provide notifications when a problem is about to arise within a network too. In this way, MSP software can help managed service providers avoid problems altogether, because the problems can be fixed before they actually cause a disruption within the communications of a network.

 

Network managers rely on all of these features, but one of the most useful features provided by this type of software is the remote access capability. This remote access capability allows network managers to access devices without actually being physically present at the location the devices reside in. By being able to remotely access devices, network managers can fix problems instantly and efficiently in order to provide higher quality and more effective services to their clients.

 

This software generally helps improve the overall efficiency of an entire network, and it can even improve the efficiency of individual devices within a network as well. Network managers can use tools provided by MSP software to assess the overall efficiency of individual devices and provide recommendations to companies about how they should proceed with their software and hardware upgrades in the future.

 

So, MSP software can assist network managers in a variety of different ways. Network managers who use this type of software can improve the overall efficiency of the networks they manage by assessing the efficiency of individual devices and the communication connections between those devices. If any issues ever arise within the network, network managers will be notified immediately by their MSP software about any serious issues that may affect the efficiency of the network.

Monday, August 9, 2010

Get More Information About Cost-effective Network Management

Automation entered our lives with the entry of Information Technology. The ambit of automation was not enclosed to a single entity or realm but encompassed realms outside the immediate vicinity of the base or formulating entity. Networks came to be in this manner. With distanced and disparate networks all in the hierarchy of one single project, managing the network became essential. With cost factor being a key factor for any process worth its mention a Cost-effective Network Management System was the demand for the day. Individual objects make up the network in totality. These objects are both hardware and software components. It needs practical experience to be able to appreciate the large number of objects and their variety that form a network. Uncanny problems are faced by the Network administrator in his day to day work that makes his job extremely demanding.

When called upon with a problem being experienced by a customer at some remote location the first necessity that the network manager requires is the visual picture of the complete network.

The task of the network manager becomes even more difficult due to the fact that the network map is never the same even on successive days at some instance. This occurs as every business house has to continuously adapt to the changes in the market and thereby effect changes in the procedures that he conducts his business.

Given this scenario, there is need for such a tool that provides a continuous updated view of the complete network components to the network manager as also allow the network manager to manage the components from a remote location.

Software tools that provide this type of facility to the network administrator is called Managed Service Provider. This tool provides a complete overview of the network along with the various programs that are running at each location. It could be a fully automated software, in which case no human intervention is necessary, or it could be a fully manual system. It could also be a mix of the two that is a hybrid between automatic and semi automatic. The choice of which version is to be used would depend on the availability and ability of the network administrator on the company's payroll.

The software solution for managing networks accrues high cost saving to the business house. Instead of separate network managers managing every individual network, it could be substituted by just one network manager sitting at one location with this tool to manage the entire network. To judge the ability of an MSP solution, two major issues are taken into consideration. How deep and wide does the software present the network hierarchy to the network administrator and how strong is its reporting process. Individual companies creating the MSP however add different features in their advertisement campaigns. The ease with which the software can be deployed across the entire network, how much system resources does the software demand, these and many other similar features are used by individual MSP makers in their marketing strategy. For increased profit margins a cost-effective network management system is a deciding issue to any business house. This is especially so given the 'e' factor that has attached itself in every facet of a business in today's world. A Managed Service Provider is capable of bringing down price incurred by the business house in network management, in turn assuring increased profit margin to the business house. It could therefore be concluded that MSP is a cost-effective tool.