While NetPC died on the vine, the concept lives on. see below new release by DELL.
Dell Delivers Managed PC Phase I
Among First to Offer DMI 2.0
ROUND ROCK, Texas, Sept. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Dell Computer Corporation (Nasdaq:DELL), the world's leading direct marketer of computer systems, today announced it has completed implementation of the first phase of Managed PC technologies into its corporate desktop and notebook PCs.
Dell(R) announced earlier this year that it would integrate Managed PC technology in three phases. Phase I of the Managed PC features deployment of Desktop Management Interface (DMI) 2.0 and support of the Microsoft(R) Zero Administration Kit (ZAK) for Windows NT(R) 4.0.
Dell is among the very first manufacturers to deliver desktop, workstation and notebook PCs with DMI 2.0, the standard specification that ties together the hardware and software components required for remote manageability. DMI 2.0 combined with Dell Inspector 4.0, Dell's systems management software, provide network administrators with many capabilities, including the ability to:
Conduct automated inventory, Remotely access asset management features such as make/model/asset tag and service tag numbers of individual PCs, Receive predictive hard drive failure alerts, Remotely view individual PC files such as the event log or config sys, Distribute software through a Dell Inspector Mapping Utility to Microsoft's Systems Management Server (SMS) Mapping Utility and Use one management application to manage multiple machines in a heterogeneous environment.
``DMI 2.0 systems include a baseline set of manageability features that allow customers to track information about their PCs in a standard way. Dell's continued commitment to the DMI will help its customers reap the benefits of using standards-based, manageable products,'' said Ed Arrington, Chairman of the Desktop Management Task Force.
Dell factory installs the Dell Inspector 4.0 client version with DMI 2.0 on OptiPlex(R) desktop PC, Latitude(R) XPi notebook PC and WorkStation 400 at no charge to the customer. A Dell Inspector Administrator version, which facilitates remote management of Dell systems, is also available free of charge for these systems. Customers with existing systems using Microsoft Windows(R) 95 or Windows NT 4.0 may download Dell Inspector off the Dell Web site, dell.com, to upgrade their systems.
The Managed PC will offer customers the same manageability as a Net PC in a platform that retains the flexibility and configurability of existing PCs. Managed PCs will eventually include the latest remote management technologies to configure, manage and maintain software and hardware more efficiently with less need for on-site maintenance. In situations where customers must have flexibility in addition to power and manageability, Managed PCs are the superior choice.
Manageability features on Dell's future OptiPlex desktop PCs, Latitude XPi notebook computers and Dell WorkStation 400 systems are being introduced in three phases:
Phase I - DMI 2.0 and support for Microsoft ZAK for Windows-based operating systems. Phase II - Support for the Intel(R) Wired for Management (WFM) Baseline Specification, which includes Wake-on-LAN, Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI), remote system boot and configuration capabilities, remote FLASH and BIOS installation, in addition to administrator password capability and remote configuration of system drives, ports and buses. Phase III - Support for Microsoft's Zero Administration Windows (ZAW) and Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI), and the industry's emerging Web-Based Enterprise Management (WBEM) standards.
Dell's Managed PCs are intended to provide the industry standard, client- level foundation needed to execute systems management strategies across the enterprise, a goal the company has pursued for years by helping develop industry standards for system management. Managed PC technologies provide a solid framework for information systems professionals to save time, money and labor, thus helping reduce a company's TCO for computers. |
