New Free Security Patching Tool – Service Pack Manager 2000LT v6.3
Network Security Patching Utility for Windows NT/2000 Adds Support for Windows XP and ISA Server 2000
San Diego, CA (February 28, 2002): Gravity Storm Software today announced the release of Service Pack Manager 2000 v6.3. In unprecedented step, the 2000LT version of the software is distributed now free of charge to the IT community. It is the first security patch management application on the market with the heavy-weight User Interface and set of features that is available free of charge. By making the 2000LT version free, Gravity Storm Software leads other security software vendors in their contribution for securing critical IT infrastructure in the United States.
This software utility enables system administrators to fix security vulnerabilities and stability problems in Windows NT/2000/XP and additional Microsoft products. The increasing number of viruses such as Code Red, Nimda, and BadTrans worms and continuous discoveries of security flaws in Microsoft products mandate cost-effective security measures, provided by Service Pack Manager 2000, to protect both servers and workstations on the enterprise networks.
Service Pack Manager 2000 is an automated security utility that allows an IT professional to remotely detect, track, monitor, and install Windows NT/2000 Service Packs and Hotfixes on the enterprise networks from a central console. Remote inventory, research, and deployment of the security vulnerabilities patches and stability updates makes Service Pack Manager highly cost-effective tool when used on the enterprise LANs and WANs. More importantly, it makes the task of maintaining security of the large networks viable.
Service Pack Manager 2000 v6.3 adds support for Windows XP and Microsoft ISA Server 2000, in addition to the Windows NT/2000, and to the mission-critical Microsoft products such as:
– Internet Information Server 4.x on Windows NT platforms
– Internet Information Services 5.0 on Windows 2000 platforms
– Exchange Server 5.5
– Exchange Server 2000
– SQL Server 7.0
– SQL Server 2000
– Internet Explorer (version 4.0 and higher)
– Outlook 98
– Outlook 2000
– Outlook Express
Subsequent versions will provide support for additional Microsoft products.
Service Pack Manager 2000 functionality includes the following:
– Performing a query of selected networked computers, domains, and entire networks for detecting installed OS or product version. It also identifies the installed hotfixes among all available Hotfixes issued for particular OS/product version by Microsoft.
– Conducting a research on all available updates through on-line access to Microsoft KnowledgeBase articles and Security Bulletins.
– Downloading required Service Packs and Hotfixes either to the local host or to the designated network share.
– Remotely deploying required updates, while receiving constant feedback throughout the entire duration of the deployment process, including reboot phase of a target machines, when required.
Among key features of the Service Pack Manager 2000 are:
– “LiveUpdate” instantly updates local machine with the latest information on availability of new Service Packs and Hotfixes. “LiveUpdate” can be scheduled to run periodically, clearly identifying the new updates available from Microsoft.
– Installation of Service Packs and Hotfixes on target machines is unattended. It can be performed on multiple selected network computers, domains, and entire networks simultaneously.
– Scheduled installation of Service Packs and Hotfixes.
– Hotfix installation does not automatically reboots the target machines, and thus, does not disrupt the tasks running on the target machines.
– The Hotfix Profiler capability allows to test selected networked machines, domains and entire networks against pre-defined and user-defined groups of Hotfixes (Hotfix Profiles), including security, stability and Y2K profiles.
– The NetGroup feature allows system administrator to create custom groups of networked computers, improving manageability of the deployment process.
The new version 6.3 of Service Pack Manager 2000 adds additional features and improvements, including capability to download Service Packs from the User Interface, and Service Pack file integrity verification.
Additional information and free time-limited version of the product can be found at:
http://home.san.rr.com/gravitystorm
The Service Pack Manager 2000 white paper is available at: http://home.san.rr.com/gravitystorm/SpmWhitePaper.doc
In addition, a Microsoft Excel(R) spreadsheet is available at: http://home.san.rr.com/gravitystorm/ManualUpdateCosts.xls The spreadsheet allows the user to calculate the costs of maintaining the security of Windows NT/2000 machines manually, based on the network size, labor costs, update frequency, and other enterprise-related factors.
Service Pack Manager 2000 can be purchased electronically. Licensing and pricing information:
http://home.san.rr.com/gravitystorm/pricing.htm
About Gravity Storm Software:
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Located in San Diego, California, Gravity Storm Software provides innovative, quality products and development services for Windows platforms. Its flagship product, Service Pack Manager successfully provides cost-efficient security and stability solutions for its customer since March 1999. The company’s client profile includes Fortune 500 and 1000 companies, government organizations and military, financial institutions, telecommunication corporations, universities, and a number of leading mid-sized companies in the computer industry. Gravity Storm Software specializes in Client/Server architectures, advanced Graphic User Interface, and networking, including high-speed secure multicast data delivery.