White Papers

Time is running out for deploying Windows 7, but the migration path isn’t an easy one and there are many obstacles that can drive this project into overtime. Learn how to avoid the seven common mistakes that may trip you up on your way to Windows 7 so you can stay on time with your deployment plan.

As organizations become more distributed, IT administrators increasingly face the challenge of managing multiple remote locations while remaining cost-conscious. The Dell KACE Appliances offer remote control capabilities that allow IT administrators the ability to manage clients with KACE agents. With the latest versions of Intel® vPro™ technology, KACE Appliances now offer better than ever remote management capabilities for systems, even when the KACE agents are not running, the system is blue-screened or has hardware or startup issues. This paper details how Dell KACE Appliances can be integrated with the Intel vPro technology to offer effective remote systems management and recovery.

With data theft losses reaching alarming proportions, the payment card industry created the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) to protect cardholder information. Any organization that stores, processes or transmits payment card information is required to be PCI Compliant. Systems Management is front-and-center when it comes to implementing PCI Compliance. In this paper, ENTERPRISE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATES® (EMA™) analysts examine the systems management requirements of the PCI DSS, identifying how and where it plays both leading and key supporting roles.

Managing software licenses has long been an important, if sometimes overlooked, task for IT staffs in small organizations. Traditionally, software compliance conjures up fears that numerous purchases of new licenses will be required, which is especially impactful for small organizations with limited budgets. It's important to realize that software license compliance can save organizations money, not only avoiding damages for noncompliance, but also by eliminating or reallocating underused licenses. This white paper discusses the 5 best practices to simplify software license compliance for small organizations.

Though most organizations have invested considerable time and effort in improving their endpoint risk management processes, many of them are ill-equipped to handle the myriad of third-party applications that are increasingly introducing the most risk into today’s IT environment. That’s because as the typical IT organization has worked on reducing the risk profile of PC and server operating systems, cyber criminals have started to look for greener pastures — namely among third-party applications. This white paper discusses three strategies to protect endpoint security from risky applications.

Facing software licensing challenges, IT departments seek proactively to help their organizations stay in compliance as well as save money and resources, especially time. These 10 best practices outline a program for IT to tame software license compliance through automation and explain how the Dell KACE K1000 Management Appliance can help.

Managing software licenses has long been an important, if sometimes overlooked, task for IT, whether the department consists of one part-time administrator or a globally dispersed IT team reporting to a C-level executive. Broad changes in enterprise software practices have created a situation in which IT can reframe software licensing into a process driven by best practices, giving IT the chance to bolster the business, not be perceived as a cost center.

Organizations of all sizes continue to struggle in their efforts to find and deploy an effective systems management solution scaled to their needs. KACE has developed this guide to help articulate buyer's criteria via a comprehensive feature/function checklist, and to pose additional considerations that should be made when making a decision regarding a systems management solution.

This white paper will examine the current PC provisioning challenges facing organizations, and how traditional approaches using disk imaging and scripts are not able to significantly reduce deployment costs and complexity. Next, current PC provisioning best practices and their benefits will be discussed. Finally, this paper will illustrate how Dell KACE appliances can be used to implement these best practices and fully automate systems deployment.

The FDCC specifies some 200 settings for PCs running Windows 7, XP or Vista, reducing federal deployment options to just two configurations. The goals: Greater security and cheaper management, deployment and acquisition costs. This white paper outlines best practices for complying with FDCC and then maintaining compliance.

With XP approaching its end of life, and many organizations choosing to skip Vista as an interim step, the new Windows 7 release holds the promise of new user features and benefits. Regardless of the starting point, a migration to Windows 7 is a path that holds as many questions and challenges as it does potential rewards. Planning now can ensure a smooth transition in 2011.

Microsoft Office 2010, the latest edition of the popular software suite, is anticipated to achieve broad adoption by the business community. Many IT managers, however, foresee a variety of complications with the migration to the new platform due to the vast number of workstations in their support stacks that will need to be addressed. This EMA white paper discusses best practices for migrating to Office 2010, including processes for the preparation and execution of the software package rollout, as well as the identification of automated management resources that will simplify the implementation process and help ensure migration success.

The boundless flexibility of the browser has made it more than the preferred endpoint platform for today's applications, but its ubiquitous availability, flexibility and extensibility have also made it an increasingly popular target of attack. With the introduction of the Dell KACE Secure Browser as a freely available resource, Dell KACE introduces security specifically for the browser utilizing virtualization technology. This EMA white paper covers both the threats and effective defense that the Secure Browser can offer, adding a potent weapon in the arsenal of defense against today's browser-focused attacks.

Whether the motivation is a reduced a carbon footprint, or to save money by powering off idle computers (or both), organizations everywhere are looking to power management capabilities to help curtail wasted energy and control energy costs. This EMA white paper addresses the real potential for power management savings, and discusses some of the other tangible business benefits it can provide.

For midsize organizations working with a diverse range of hardware and limited resources, making the move to the Microsoft® Windows® 7 OS can seem like a daunting challenge. This paper explains how the innovative Dell KACE family of appliances can provide a simplified, automated, cost-effective way to design and carry out an end-to-end migration.

In this document, IT newcomers as well their more experienced counterparts will find a comprehensive guide for understanding the best ways to align the people, processes, policies and tools necessary to obtain a cohesive, streamlined and supportable IT infrastructure.

Increasingly, employees are demanding the flexibility to use Macs in the enterprise and many organizations are responding by supporting Macs for the first time. In fact a recent ITIC survey showed that 68% of respondents will allow their end users to deploy Macs as their corporate enterprise desktops in the next 12 months. This paper covers best practices and important considerations for supporting Mac as an enterprise platform alongside Windows.

The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is the most popularly adopted best practice implementation available today and includes an IT management framework emphasizing management from the perspectives of both the business and IT service consumers. By utilizing a pragmatic approach to implementing ITIL, significant improvements to an IT infrastructure can be achieved with a quick return on investment, motivated staff involvement, and minimal operational disruption during deployment.

This white paper outlines best practices for systems administration and IT professionals in healthcare environments. Based on real-life experiences of IT professionals in the medical field, it outlines best practices for IT professionals fighting to keep IT systems healthy—just as they want their patients to be.

As organizations look to keep operating expenses down, “free” technology solutions start to look more attractive. However, when choosing a solution for patching your systems and servers, it is important to consider the total cost of ownership (TCO) and the difference in key capabilities between point patching products and comprehensive patch management solutions. This white paper uncovers those differences.

Tough economic times are upon us, and no one knows how long they may last. Today, IT managers are looking for alternative strategies to increase their IT ROI. The first principle is: Simplify operations. This white paper outlines 10 specific strategies for increasing IT ROI.

This white paper outlines best practices for IT professionals in K-12 schools and higher education environments. Based on real-life experiences at school districts and colleges, it outlines a series of best practices for IT professionals from IT professionals who have not only overcome these varied obstacles but have thrived, using IT as an enabler of their personal and their students’ success.

Virtual machine technology is taking the IT industry by storm. Since VMs are self-contained and transportable, they can be delivered in a pre-configured state as virtual appliances (VAP). This whitepaper explores what essential considerations you need to make when selecting a commercial VAP, including the Virtual KBOX Systems Management Appliance.

This whitepaper examines the value of virtualization, the challenges of managing mixed environments, and a case study of a company moving to integrated management of virtualized and physical machines.

While everyone is talking about the need for CMDBs, one solution does not fit all. This paper examines the why, what and who of CMDB solutions, looks at some evaluation criteria, and discusses options available to Fortune 100,000 organizations as they seek to implement an effective CMDB.

The unique features of the 2007 Microsoft Office System make it an extremely challenging migration. However, best practices and automation can significantly improve process efficiency and reliability.

Dell KACE Appliances can help you fulfill your HIPAA Security Rule requirements and improve overall control and performance of your IT infrastructure.

Information security is not a standalone process. Security is not a separate entity, but should be considered as a critical element of your business operations.

Savvy IT professionals appreciate that adding technologies for Sarbanes-Oxley is an opportunity to make improvements in IT that increase the company's bottom line. That's where KBOX comes in.

For many IT professionals, figuring out how to deploy a wide range of applications in silent or unattended mode can be frustrating and complicated.

KACE K1000 Series Management Appliances bring comprehensive, easy-to-use systems management to organizations of all sizes by utilizing an appliance-based architecture. This paper describes how the K1000 appliance-based architecture provides an IT management solution that is both robust and affordable.

KACE K2000 Series Deployment Appliances bring comprehensive, easy-to-use systems deployment and provisioning to organizations of all sizes by utilizing an appliance-based architecture. This paper describes how the K2000 appliance-based architecture provides a centralized, network-centric deployment solution that is both robust and affordable.