KACE Networks

Dell KACE

Type	Private (subsidiary of Dell)
Industry	Software, Systems management, Configuration management, Change management, Security management, Process management, Software distribution, System administration, Service desk, IT service management, enterprise management software, IT asset management, lifecycle management, systems configuration management
Founded	February 2003
Headquarters	Mountain View, CA, United States
Key people	Rob Meinhardt, Chairman and CEO Marty Kacin, President and CTO
Products	KBOX Systems Management Appliance, KBOX Systems Deployment Appliance
Revenue	Subsidiary of Dell[1]
Website	www.kace.com

Dell KACE specializes in delivering appliance-based computer systems management solutions which allow organizations to manage IT assets. They also provide software for security, application virtualization, and systems management products. Established in 2003, KACE is headquartered in Mountain View, California with offices in Europe and Asia.

Corporate history

KACE was started in 2003 when Rob Meinhardt and Marty Kacin founded and self-funded the company for over two years. KACE subsequently received venture capital funding from Sigma Partners, Norwest Venture Partners, and Focus Ventures. KACE develops appliances designed to help IT departments manage their networks and desktop and server computers more efficiently. On Feb. 11, 2010, KACE announced their acquisition by Dell, Inc.^[2]

Main products and services

All KACE products are sold as "black box" appliances. These systems are delivered as 19" rack servers and, except for initial IP network settings via a console login, all communication with the product is done using the web-based GUI.

The company offers two main type of products and within these two lines some combinations and alternatives:

Software inventory and distribution solutions

Under the series names KBox 1xxx a series of physical or virtual Systems management appliances that offer computer-inventory system, software provisioning system and helpdesk-application. The main services offered in the different products in the 1000 series range are services like: software-inventory, software-provisioning, support-desk system including ticketing system and remote-control option, update/patch-deployment (OS and application patches) and software asset management.

Operating System Deployment

Under the main-range Kbox2xxx Kace appliances offer operating-system deployment. Via PXE Boot a computer without any operating system can automatically install a Microsoft Windows or Apple OS X operating system via either image-based deployment or script-based automated OS installation.

Mobile device management

As mobile devices as smart-phones and tablets are getting used more and more in enterprise environments, including the trend of allowing "own devices" some level of access to the enterpise IT infrastructure (under the term BYOD or Bring your own device)^[3] there is a growing demand to manage mobile devices in a similar way as laptops, workstations or servers. Dell KACE has introduced the K3000 series to manage mobile devices. The virtual appliance will be launched in March 2013 and followed April 2013 by the physical K3000 box.^[4]

Overlap in functionality

Some of the facilities offered in the application-distribution systems are also to some level available in the OS deployment systems: you can include the installation of some standard applications as part of an OS deployment. Also both systems do offer inventory options. The products are completely separate products though: you can choose to use both solutions or just one of them: neither of the two main lines are replacements for each other.

Architecture

Since before the acquisition by Dell, the K-series appliances are sold as physical Dell Poweredge servers and use many open-source software technologies. All appliances are also available as Virtual Appliances that can run on VMware ESX or VMware ESXi. Trial versions of the appliances can also run on VMware Player.

See also

• Daftar/Tabel -- systems management systems
• Systems management
• Desktop management
• PC management
• Server management
• Application virtualization
• Configuration management
• Change management
• Security management
• Process management
• Power management
• Remote control
• Patch management
• Software distribution
• Software imaging
• System administration
• Service desk (ITSM)
• IT service management (ITSM)
• ITIL
• Background Intelligent Transfer Service

References

1. ^ In The News - Computer Management Software, IT Inventory Software, Patch Management - KACE
2. ^ ZDNet website Dell acquires Kace of 10 Feb., 2010, visited 10 April, 2011
3. ^ CIO article: 2013 Prediction: BYOD on the Decline?, 13 November, 2012. Visited: 20 February, 2013
4. ^ Kace website: K3000 Mobile management appliance, visited: 20 February, 2013

Industry Coverage

• Network World on KBox
• Info World" security and management collide
• Information Week
• A complete list of press coverage on KACE from Kace website

External links

• Kace homepage
• ITNinja.com