In gearing up for its annual partner conference in Las Vegas next week, Parallels today announced Parallels Management, a plug-in for Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) that lets enterprises extend System Center capabilities to efficiently and cost-effectively manage the growing number of Macs on their network.
Parallels Management extends System Center to become a universal and complete cross-platform solution for managing both Macs and PCs, as well as virtual machines running on Macs. This new software adds to the growing list of cross-platform solutions Parallels offers that are paving the way for Macs in business environments – including Parallels Desktop for Mac Enterprise Edition.
This first component of the Parallels Management Suite enables CIOs and IT administrators to solve the problem of full Mac management, letting enterprises leverage the existing infrastructure and extend it to Macs without costly build out, as well as giving them the power to gain complete control of the Macs on their network.
“IT departments are experiencing the growing reality of Macs across their networks. In response to demands of CIOs and IT managers who need better control and more cost-effective answers, we delivered a complete and seamless solution that leverages existing IT investments in infrastructure, resources and talent,” Birger Steen, CEO of Parallels, said in a media statement. “As the industry experts and innovators in making Windows and Mac work well together, we are delighted with the industry response.”
As Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and Choose Your Own Device (CYOD) grow from a trend to becoming a mainstream reality, the number of Apple devices showing up in enterprises is growing, yet the management and tools for securing those devices are lagging behind. A Parallels survey, at www.appleintheworkplace.com, of more than 500 IT and knowledge workers revealed that less than 30 percent of workers get automatic software updates distributed to their Macs, and that more than 42 percent of large companies have no system or tools in place for Mac security and management – exposing potential security risks.
With Parallels Management, CIOs and IT administrators can:
· Manage and control Macs by leveraging their existing Microsoft SCCM infrastructure, resources and talent.
· Gain full visibility into the Macs coming onto their networks, both those they know about and those they don’t.
· Gain control and take action on those devices the same as they would with PCs – all while working within the same environment they are accustomed to.
· Easily leverage Mac technologies to have complete security on their Macs.
· Leverage Parallels Desktop for Mac Enterprise Edition to deploy and manage policy-compliant Windows stack to Macs, which is key for employees who need Windows OS on their desktops and laptops to run mission-critical Windows-only applications.
Parallels Management – Mac for Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager is available for $30 per Mac per year, with volume discounts available, beginning Jan. 31, 2013, in the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand, with French, German and Japanese versions to follow.
Parallels Desktop for Mac Enterprise Edition starts at $100 per Mac per year, with volume discounts available.
