Features

ZENworks Control Center

ZENworks centralizes the management of all your devices into a single, unified, web-based ZENworks console. This lets you perform all your security, patch, and configuration management tasks in one place. It eliminates the extra time and hassle of dealing with multiple, disconnected tools.

User-based management

Unlike any other client management solution, ZENworks relies on user-based management. This is a huge time-saver when every user has multiple devices or moves around. Microsoft’s System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) and other competitor’s solutions are device-based, so admins have to manage each device individually.

Platform-agnostic

Unlike other solutions that lock you into a Microsoft-only back end, ZENworks:

• runs on both Windows and Linux
• supports Microsoft Active Directory and NetIQ eDirectory
• works with your database of choice (Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, or Sybase)
• can manage Windows, Linux, and Mac devices

Dynamic protection

ZENworks offers dynamic, automated protection that changes based on where your users are. Policies you set up control firewall settings that application users can access and more. Automatically give users more access while in the home office but lock things down when they’re on insecure wireless connections.

Policy-based encryption

With ZENworks you can implement:

• Policy-based safe-harbor encryption that encrypts all the data stored in administrator or user-defined "safe harbor" folders on fixed discs.
• Removable storage device encryption that encrypts any data copied to a removable storage device, as well as the entire contents of that device, the moment it's plugged into a PC.

Policy-based patch management

ZENworks offers policy-based patch deployments, which allow you to define the desired state of your workstations and define maintenance windows for when patches can be applied. ZENworks then fully automates the process to ensure devices maintain that desired state.

Reporting

The new reporting system makes it easy to collect and analyze information in the following areas – either by building customized reports or by leveraging canned ones:

• Endpoint security policies
• Power management
• Subscriptions
• Usage and compliance

Rights-based management

With the role-based administration capabilities in ZENworks, you can:

• Gain fine-grained control over what your administrators can see and do to selected IT resources and workstations in your organization.
• Take advantage of support for Kerberos and NetIQ eDirectory Shared Secret authentication to enable Smartcard authentication to the ZENworks system.
• Delegate control of when to deploy system updates.

In-product diagnostics

The ZENworks diagnostics dashboard helps IT solve problems on the back end so they do not influence management and protection of users and devices. The dashboard gives you a way to quickly identify issues with the ZENworks database, LDAP directory service, or primary servers.

Multi-zone content sharing

ZENworks management zones allow you to configure settings that all devices in a zone will then inherit. You can override zone settings too, allowing you to establish zone settings that apply to the largest number of devices and then, as necessary, override the settings on specific folders and devices.

Easy deployment options

The majority of the ZENworks Suite comes as a virtual appliance (Desktop Containers and Service Desk are not included in the virtual appliance). You can use your existing virtualization investments and decrease deployment time and effort with this virtual option.