: LANDesk 6.62">
Executive Summary: LANDesk 6.62
| Usability |
Fair |
| Capability |
Excellent |
| Performance |
Good |
| Interoperability |
Excellent |
| Manageability |
Good |
| Scalability |
Excellent |
| Security |
Good |
LANDesks namesake desktop management suite neatly handles operating system deployments by creating its own images or by using competitors. LANDesk, newly spun off from Intel, is loaded with components that ease desktop management tasks such as inventory collection, remote control and software distribution.
COST ANALYSIS
At $79 per managed desktop, LANDesk is marginally more expensive than competitors, many of which hover at a mark about $10 cheaper. However, the real costs for any desktop management product that includes operating system deployment are the planning and testing commitments that IT managers must make for these products to pay off. When IT managers make these commitments, they pay back handsomely.
(+) Can recycle images made with other operating system deployment tools; packs top-of-the-line remote control with good software distribution and inventory tracking.
(-) Cant create images with multiple partitions; extensive scripting required to create working distribution jobs.
EVALUATION SHORT LISTNovells ZENworks for DesktopsMicrosofts Systems Management ServerSymantecs Ghost Corporate Editionwww.landesk.com 
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At $79 per managed desktop, LANDesk is marginally more expensive than competitors, many of which hover at a mark about $10 cheaper. However, the real costs for any desktop management product that includes operating system deployment are the planning and testing commitments that IT managers must make for these products to pay off. When IT managers make these commitments, they pay back handsomely.
(+) Can recycle images made with other operating system deployment tools; packs top-of-the-line remote control with good software distribution and inventory tracking.
(-) Cant create images with multiple partitions; extensive scripting required to create working distribution jobs.
EVALUATION SHORT LIST
Cameron Sturdevant has been with the Labs since 1997, and before that paid his IT management dues at a software publishing firm working with several Fortune 100 companies. Cameron also spent two years with a database development firm, integrating applications with mainframe legacy programs. Cameron's areas of expertise include virtual and physical IT infrastructure, cloud computing, enterprise networking and mobility, with a focus on Android in the enterprise. In addition to reviews, Cameron has covered monolithic enterprise management systems throughout their lifecycles, providing the eWEEK reader with all-important history and context. Cameron takes special care in cultivating his IT manager contacts, to ensure that his reviews and analysis are grounded in real-world concern. Cameron is a regular speaker at Ziff-Davis Enterprise online and face-to-face events. Follow Cameron on Twitter at csturdevant, or reach him by email at csturdevant@eweek.com.
