New baramundi Management Suite with automated vulnerability management

With the release of Version 2014, baramundi software AG is significantly expanding the usage options of its client management software. The new baramundi Management Suite, which follows on from Version 8.9, offers automated vulnerability management for PC clients and servers. It scans devices for security gaps, which the IT administrator can then quickly close directly from the client management solution. A modern, redesigned user interface offers optimised ergonomics and improved performance for extremely large environments. The patch management and integrated mobile device management have been expanded, and the range of interfaces now includes a connection to the OTRS Help Desk system.

Integrated vulnerability management

The vulnerability management that is newly integrated into the client management solution offers a clear security advantage. While IT administrators cannot possibly regularly check every single PC client and server for vulnerabilities manually, the new module is able to complete the task automatically. A clearly arranged dashboard gives the IT administrator a comprehensive overview of any security gaps and allows them to rectify them quickly and specifically – directly from baramundi Management Suite. According to a survey by analysts at techconsult, 78 % of users of client management solutions would like this type of integration.

"We have listened to the wishes of numerous users and are offering an efficient solution that can defend against risks from exploits. What is unique is that we have combined the new vulnerability management with our Patch Management and baramundi Managed Software, which enables automatic updates for numerous applications," explains Marcus Eiglsperger, member of baramundi's Management Board. "We are convinced that this integrated approach gives IT administrators the best possible support in their efforts to provide an up-to-date and secure IT environment."

Modern, ergonomic, and effective: the new user interface

The baramundi Management Suite user interface still retains the tried-and-tested functionalities, but has been given a fresh new look and optimised ergonomics, as well as some detailed improvements designed to make certain tasks easier. The focus here was on user-oriented design: tabs make navigating between the different clients easier and allow parallel work on different tasks, while new dashboards give IT administrators a clear overview of their environment, Windows clients, and mobile devices. Performance has also been significantly boosted for larger environments.

Enhanced patching with additional patch sources

From Version 2014, baramundi Patch Management offers a considerably larger range of Microsoft updates. This means that, as well as security patches, functional updates, such as for Office products, can also be deployed by the Suite, doubling the number of available patches to around 13,000. New patches are provided by baramundi Management Suite as soon as possible on Microsoft patch day.

Cross-platform configuration of various mobile platforms

baramundi is also developing the mobile device management integrated in the Suite in a targeted way. Standardized input fields make deploying configuration settings on mobile devices easier – regardless of whether they run on iOS, Android, or Windows Phone. This means that the administrator can configure different aspects of the mobile devices using the familiar baramundi user interface without having to grapple with the details of the individual platforms. Support of Samsung KNOX expands the configuration options for the most common Samsung smartphones using the Android standard and allows IT administrators to reliably manage these devices.

OTRS interface

In addition to the known integration options with third-party systems, Release bMS 2014 offers a new interface called bConnect, which is based on HTTPS. The advantages of the new interface are the secure connection by Secure Socket Layer (SSL) and the associated server-side authentication, as well as the authentication of the client using access data. This interface allows baramundi Management Suite to be integrated with the OTRS helpdesk software and supplements the existing range of interfaces that can be used to connect the client management software to helpdesk and license management solutions from manufacturers such as USU, Omninet, mIT solutions, and Aspera.