A new version of VMware's Go Pro (VMware's web-based service to guide users of any expertise level through the installation and configuration of VMware vSphere Hypervisor) is now generally available, so we wanted to highlight a couple of the new features in the release as well as its 3rd party patching capabilities.
1. Patch Management: The importance of Patching 3rd party applications Traditionally many organizations were primarily concerned with patching Microsoft operating systems and applications like Microsoft Office and Internet Explorer. There has been a less vigilant approach to patching of 3rd party applications which has left a significant security vulnerability. Even when organizations do patch 3rd party applications, the deployment often is less organized and takes more time. Mainly because of this casual approach to patching 3rd party applications, they have now become the primary target for malware attacks. According to a report by Secunia "Data from the first half of 2010 shows that third-party program vulnerabilities are the primary risk factor for typical end-user PCs. From an attacker's perspective, targeting third-party programs proves to be a rewarding path." VMware Go Pro helps mitigate these risks, by making it easy to patch 3rd party applications. VMware Go Pro uses Shavlik Technologies patching engine to patch many of the most vulnerable 3rd party applications including: Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Adobe Flash Player, Adobe Reader, Adobe Acrobat, Java, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Visio, Adobe Shockwave Player, Mozilla SeaMonkey, and Mozilla Thunderbird. VMware Go Pro also scans and applies patches to physical and virtual machines, so the entire IT infrastructure can be protected. For a free 30-day evaluation of VMware Go Pro including patch management go to https://www.vmware.com/go/vmware-go-pro.
2. Help Desk: Streamline trouble ticket management VMware Go’s straightforward Help Desk makes it easy for IT Admins to manage their trouble tickets while maintaining visibility with their management and clients. With VMware Go they can easily create and manage tickets as well as instantly know their due date, priority, and status. They can also analyze past ticket reports to better understand trends and IT workload.
• Create and Edit Tickets and specify Email Notifications.
• View and sort tickets by field or even export ticket data to Excel.
3. Hardware Asset Management: Track and Manage Hardware Assets For a company to get the most value out of its workstations, servers, and laptops, it must understand how these machines are being used. VMware Go Pro makes it easy to track what physical and virtual machines exist, as well as their configuration, cost and service history so companies can have complete visibility into their IT infrastructure.
• Hardware Inventory – Scan physical and virtual machines for configuration details.
• Create hardware asset descriptions which can include asset number, PO number, vendor name, dates, financial data and more. Track asset modifications to ensure an accurate service history.
