Every night, each desktop's disk image is saved to the local IBM server, said Moegling, and customers can also use the imaging service to consolidate and enforce company-wide disk image policies -- so that, for instance, all systems are running the same edition of Windows 2000 -- as well as to quickly redeploy systems within the organization.
A computer shifted from one employee to another, for instance, only needs to be plugged into the network for the server to rebuild its disk image with the new user's settings and applications.
Desktop Management also automatically pushes the latest operating system and application patches to all appropriate client machines, then installs them in the background, eliminating the need for IT to handle the chore.
On the security front, Desktop Management relies on virus signature files from multiple anti-virus vendors, including Symantec and anti-spam protection from three unnamed vendors. The defenses are installed on the local IBM hosting server.
According to Moegling, IBM will push updated anti-virus definition files to the serviced desktops even before the virus updates are released to the general public.
