Intel's Wired For Management Initiative Extends Benefits For Mobile Systems And Servers

New LANDesk Client Manager Application Debuts to Ease Transition to Fully-Managed WfM Systems

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Aug. 3, 1998 -- Intel Corporation today demonstrated results of its widely-supported Wired for Management initiative, developed to reduce total cost of ownership and make networked desktop, server and mobile systems easier to deploy and manage. New efforts to advance IT's management of the industry's fastest-growing segment of business PCs, mobile systems, and new examples of managed servers interoperable with other WfM systems and software were shown here at the Wired for Management Summit.

Intel also announced Intel LANDesk Client Manager 3.3 cv, a new version of this leading systems management application that will provide limited management capabilities to existing systems and enable these systems to be managed from the same console as WfM systems.

"PC manageability is no longer an illusion," said Will Swope, vice president, Intel Architecture Business Group Director, Platform Planning. "The real-life deployment of WfM solutions and the many available products being shown here today demonstrate that we are well on our way to our goal of making desktop, server and mobile systems highly manageable and more cost-effective. Well-managed systems translate into bottom-line benefits for companies competing in a tough global economy."

WfM Mobile PCs Now a Reality
With mobile PCs comprising 19.6 percent of all business PC shipments**, the need to manage these systems has become essential to businesses. WfM-enabled mobile Pentium® II processor-based systems combined with currently available management software applications, such as LANDesk Client Manager v3.2, are capable of asset management, remote help desk support and enterprisewide software deployment via LAN or telephone line.

Today, two additional management features, remote system wake-up and mobile PXE (universal network boot), were demonstrated by Intel for the first time on WfM-enabled notebook systems. The new capabilities will enable remote, off-hour administration and one-step new system configuration, allowing mobile systems to be managed the same way as desktop and server systems. These new features will become available for mobile systems in the near future.

Leading mobile PC vendors, including Acer, AST, Compaq, Dell, Fujitsu, Gateway, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, NEC, Panasonic, Samsung and Toshiba are currently shipping WfM-enabled mobile Pentium II processor-based systems. Vendors including Compaq, Dell, Fujitsu, IBM and Toshiba demonstrated existing and new management capabilities at the WfM Summit.

Servers Becoming More Manageable
Manufacturers at the summit also showcased WfM servers using the Intel PRO/1000 Gigabit Server Adapter and the Intel PRO/100+ Server Adapter, both announced earlier this year. Both server adapters support DMI 2.0, which eases LAN administration by providing configuration information about the adapters remotely. Vendors also demonstrated WfM management software applications. For example, on stage at the WfM summit, Intel selected Computer Associates International, Inc. (CA) as the only enterprise management vendor to demonstrate a wide range of unattended management functions across WfM enabled systems. Through CA's field-tested Enterprise/CSi technology, Unicenter TNG has been extended to also deliver "lights out" remote disaster recovery of WfM-enabled systems. This capability has previously been unavailable in the industry."

New LANDesk Client Manager Software Helps Integrate Older Systems
LANDesk Client Manager 3.3 cv helps IT managers transition to fully WfM-enabled enterprises by allowing IT administrators to remotely analyze and repair common problems on older PCs and new WfM-enabled PCs from a single, easy to use management console. As with existing versions of LANDesk Client Manager, LANDesk Client Manager 3.3 cv monitors PC health to provide local and remote alerting when health parameters such as hard drive failure, low disk space and low memory resources have been reached. These alerts can be recognized by SNMP consoles, such as Intel LANDesk Management Suite. Intel LANDesk Client Manager 3.3 cv organizes important PC system and OS operating information in an easy to use format which helps IT administrators determine system makeup and capabilities, identify hardware problems or check for compliance with corporate standards.

Delivering on the Wired for Management Initiative
In 1996, Intel and the computing industry recognized the need to reduce the total cost of ownership of PCs in corporate environments. The resulting Wired for Management Initiative has led to the shipment of a total of 14 million WfM systems from 28 vendors and the availability of management software for those systems from Computer Associates, Hewlett Packard, IBM/Tivoli, Intel Corporation, ON Technology and Platinum Technology. Network interface cards for WfM systems are available from 3Com and Intel. The 139 WfM desktop and mobile systems now available are based on the Wired for Management Baseline specification, which defines four key areas of management capability: asset management, new system set-up, off-hours maintenance and reduced power consumption. These capabilities typically allow PC problems to be identified and fixed before users are aware of them, reducing system support costs and user downtime.

IT Managers Making Real Gains with WfM Deployments
During the WfM Summit, IT managers from Desjardins General Insurance, Helix Health, Prudential HealthCare, Sanofi E.L.F. and the State of Washington outlined how their organizations are benefiting from more manageable computing environments. Wired for Management Baseline specification technologies used by these organizations include remote wake-up to help distribute software applications more reliably; Desktop Management Instrumentation (DMI) to deliver system information for inventory or asset management and to improve diagnostic capabilities and reduce help desk response times; and remote system set-up for faster configuration of new systems.

Information about the Wired for Management initiative and WfM solutions is available at www.intel.com/managedpc.

* Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.

** Dataquest, first quarter 1998 report