Desktop and Mobile Device Management Using Desktop Central

Desktop Central is a web-based server, desktop and mobile device management software that helps in managing thousands of servers/desktops/mobile devices from a central location. It automates the complete desktop management and mobile device management life cycle ranging from a simple system configuration to complex software deployment. With its network-neutral architecture, the administrator can easily manage desktops/servers in any windows networks like Active Directory, Workgroup, or other directory services.

Supported Operating Systems
You can install a Desktop Central server, distribution servers and Desktop Central agents on computers which have any of the following supported operating systems installed on them:

1. Desktop-related Operating Systems
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
- Microsoft Windows XP Professional
- Microsoft Windows Vista
- Microsoft Windows 7
- Microsoft Windows 8
- Mac 10.6
- Mac 10.7

2. Server-related Operating Systems
- Microsoft Windows 2000
- Microsoft Windows 2003
- Microsoft Windows 2008
- Microsoft Windows 2008 R2
- Microsoft Windows 2012

Note: Desktop Central can also be installed on virtual computers, running any of the supported operating systems specified above, and terminal clients.

Desktop Management Features

1. Software Installation

The Software Deployment feature in Desktop Central enables you to complete the following tasks:

- Create a repository of packages. Enables administrators to re-use packages any number of times to install or uninstall the software applications
- Install both MSI and EXE-based software applications
- Install software applications as a specific user using the Run As option
- Copy the installables to computers before installing software applications
- Execute pre-installation scripts or commands before installation
- Schedule deployment of software applications
- Uninstall MSI and EXE-based software applications
- Deploy software applications using predefined templates



2. Patch Management

- Uses a hosted Patch Database at ManageEngine site to assess the vulnerability status of the network
- Completely automated Patch Management Solution for both physical and virtual assets.
- Solution from detecting the missing patches/hotfix to deploying the patches
- Patch based deployment - Deploy a patch to all the systems applicable
- System based patch deployment - Deploy all the missing patches and hotfixes for a system
- Provision to test and approve patches prior to bulk deployment
- Automatic handling of patch interdependencies and patch sequencing
- Reports on System vulnerabilities, Patches, OS, etc.
- Provides an update of the patch deployment status.
- Supports both Microsoft and Non-Microsoft Patches.
- Supports Anti-Virus Definition Updates for Microsoft Forefront Client Security Software.



3. Remote Desktop Sharing

- Access computers in LAN and WAN.
- Web-based tool enables access from anywhere in the LAN.
- Automatically installs the desktop-sharing agent in each desktop.
- No individual authentication is required to gain access to a remote desktop.
- Supports viewing/accessing remote desktops using Active X and Java Plug-ins.
- Prompts user confirmation before providing the access to a remote desktop.
- Supports locking the users keyboard and mouse when accessing from remote. Users screen can also be blacked out so that they are not aware of the changes you make.
- Ability to send "Cnt+Alt+Del" command to access a locked computer.
- Ability to switch between users' applications using "Alt+Tab" command.
- Ability to remotely transfer files across machines.
- Usage of 128-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) encryption protocols during Remote Control operations.
- Multi-Monitor Support with easy switching options.
- Configurable screen resolution to fit the screen size.



4. Asset Management

- Complete Hardware and Software Inventory
- Scan the systems periodically to collect the hardware and software details
- Manage Software Licenses
- Detect Prohibited Software in the network
- Provides software usage statistics
- Alert on specific events
- Comprehensive reports on hardware, software inventory and license compliance



5. Windows Configurations

- Desktop Configurations
- Includes desktop configuration like setting path, Environment variables, display properties, drive mapping, managing shortcuts, configuring IP/shared printers, displaying message box, and launching applications.
- Computer Configurations
- Includes computer configuration like managing local users, groups, Windows services, scheduling applications, manipulating registry entries, installing software, configuring power schemes, and executing custom scripts.
- Application Configurations
- Includes configuring Windows applications, such as MS Outlook, MS Office, Internet Explorer, etc.
- Security Configurations
- Includes configuring firewall settings, security policies, displaying legal messages and alerts.

6. Windows System Tools

- Scheduled Defragmentation, Disk Cleanup & Check Disk
- Scheduled Wake up
- Scheduled & On Demand Shutdown, Logoff, Standby, Hibernate



7. Service Pack Installation

- Service Packs can be installed to multiple systems simultaneously
- Use an already downloaded service pack for installation
- Option to suspend and resume Service Pack installation
- View the status of the Service Pack installation



8. Active Directory Reports

i. User Reports

Provides the list of available users in that domain with its creation time, contact information, last login time, etc. Desktop Central provides the following out-of-the-box user reports:

- All User Accounts
- Recently Created User Accounts
- Recently Modified User Accounts
- User Accounts without Logon Scripts
- User Accounts in Multiple Groups
- User Accounts that Never Expires
- Active User Accounts
- Inactive User Accounts
- Disabled User Accounts
- Expired User Accounts
- Soon-to-Expire User Passwords
- Password Expired User Accounts
- Password Never Expiring Users
- User Accounts Password that cannot be Changed
- Domain Admin User Accounts
- User Accounts with Dial-in Permissions
- Unused User Accounts
- Recently Logged On User Accounts
- Last Logon Failed User Accounts

ii. Computer Reports

Provides the list of computers with its OS details, hardware details, DNS details, etc., available in the domain. The following Computer Reports are available:

- All Computers
- Windows Workstation
- Recently Added Computers
- Recently Logged On Computers
- Recently Modified Computer Accounts
- Disabled Computer Accounts
- Computer Accounts by OU
- Windows Servers
- Member Servers
- Domain Controllers
- Computers by OS Service Pack

iii. Group Reports

Provides the details of the available groups with their member users, member computers, and member groups. Desktop Central provides the following out-of-the-box group reports:

- All Groups
- Recently Created Group
- Recently Modified Group
- Groups by OU
- Security Groups
- Distribution Groups
- Nested Groups
- Groups with Member Details
- Groups with Maximum Members
- Groups without Members
- User-only Groups
- Computer-only Groups

iv. Organizational Unit Reports

Provides the list of available organizational units with their member users, computers, groups, and other organizational units of the domain. Desktop Central provides the following out-of-the-box OU reports:

- All OUs
- Recently Created OUs
- Recently Modified OUs
- OUs with Child Details
- OUs without Children
- User-only OUs
- Computer-only OUs
- Nested OUs

v. Domain Reports

Provides detailed information about the domain along with available domain controllers, details of the directory information tree, and domain members. Desktop Central provides the following out-of-the-box domain reports:

- Active Directory Sites
- Active Directory Domain
- Active Directory Printers
- Group Policy Creator Owners
- Users In "Users" Container
- Groups In "Users" Container
- Computers In "Computer" Container
- Groups In "Builtin" Container

vi. GPO Reports

Provides detailed information about the GPOs that are created, modified, linked to OUs, linked to domains, enforced, etc. Desktop Central provides the following out-of-the-box GPO reports:

- All GPOs
- Recently Created GPOs
- Recently Modified GPOs
- GPOs by OUs
- GPOs Linked To OUs
- GPOs Linked To Domains
- GPOs Linked To Sites
- Block Inheritance enabled OUs
- Block Inheritance enabled Domains
- Enforced GPOs
- User Settings Enabled GPOs
- Computer Settings Enabled GPOs
- User and Computer Settings Enabled GPOs
- Disabled GPOs
- Unused GPOs
- GPOs with Most Modified User Settings
- GPOs with Most Modified Computer Settings
- GPOs with Most Modified User & Computer Settings

vii. Configuration Reports

Desktop Central maintains the history of the applied configurations and provides reports of the configurations that are applied on users, computers, and based on the configuration type. These reports can be used for auditing purpose.

9. User Logon Reports

i. Currently Logged On Users: Provides the list of users who are currently logged on to the domain with their login count, the computer from which they have logged on, the logon server they reported, and their last login time.

ii. Frequently Logged On Users: Provides the list of users who logs on to the domain frequently. It is arrived when the average user logon to the domain is more than 1.

iii. Computers with No User Logon: Provides the list of computers where no user have logged on.

iv. User Logon History: Provides the list of history of users who have logged on to the domain in the specified number of days. It also provides an option to customize the period to maintain the history, the default being 90 days.

v. User Logon History by Computers: Provides the list of computers and their corresponding user logon history in the specified number of days.

vi. Domain Controllers with Reported Users: Provides the list of users and their corresponding domain contollers (logon servers) in the specified number of days.

vii. User Logon History by Domain Controllers: Provides the list of domain controllers and their corresponding user logon history in the specified number of days.



10. User Administration

- Role Based Administration
- Active Directory Authentication
- Audit User Access




Mobile Device Management Features

Supported OS
- iOS 4.0 and above.
- Android 2.2 and above.

1. Profile Management

i. Configure Policies/Profiles - Configure policy settings to access enterprise resources.

ii. Restrict - Restrict the use of camera, youtube, safari browser, etc.

iii. Corporate access - Provide access to corporate accounts like Email, Wi-Fi, VPN.

iv. Device Group - Create a logical group of devices based on department, location, or to distinguish corporate and BYOD and apply policies, restrictions and distribute Apps to all devices in the group.

2. Security Management

i. Passcode: Enforce strict passcode to prevent unauthorized access

ii. Remote Lock: To prevent misuse of misplaced/lost devices

iii. Complete Wipe: To prevent data loss/theft by erasing all the device data making it as good as new.

iv. Corporate Wipe: To remove only the corporate data leaving the personal data like contacts, photos, etc. Useful for BYOD when the employee leaves the company.

3. Asset Management

i. Get complete information about the device like device details, certificates, installed Apps, etc.

ii. Get complete visibility about the devices with out-of-the-box reports.

4. Mobile Application Manaement (MAM)

i. App management:
- Manage the Apps over the Air (OTA) to groups/devices.
- Automatically get App information from App Store
- Maintain a repository of all Apps used in the network
- View the list of Apps and their installation count on mobile devices.

ii. App distribution:
- Seamless distribution of both in-house and App Store Apps to devices and group of devices
- Advertise Apps on App Catalog and make user choose to install themselves
- Get the status of the deployed Apps on the users' devices
- Remove Apps when not required anymore

iii. Integrate with Volume Purchase Program (VPP):
- Integrates with Apple Volume Purchase Program to install commercial apps.
- Automatically assign redemption codes to users upon installation or revoke when not installed
- Get notified on insufficient redemption codes

iv. Reports:
- Comprehensive reports helps to monitor apps installed in device.
- Specific reports can be extracted like:
- Apps by Devices - Generates the report based on apps available in the device.
- Devices with/without specific app - Generates report based on specific app.

5. Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)

i. Benefits of Allowing BYOD for Organizations

- Reduce the overhead cost of procuring mobile devices for employees
- Increase Collaboration between employees
- Increase productivity by allowing employees to access corporate resources from anywhere

ii. Managing BYOD Using Desktop Central

- Enroll devices based on ownership
- Create separate groups for BYOD and corporate devices
- Define separate policies for BYOD and corporate devices and apply
- Wipe corporate data, leaving user data untouched, when employees leave the organization




This video demonstrates the benefits of using Mobile Device Management with Desktop Central

Status: Contact Us for Special Price
Manufacturer: ZOHO Corp (ManageEngine)
Reference URL http://manageengine.adventnet.com/products/desktop-central/index.html