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KACE LAUNCHES NEW HELP DESK MODULE FOR UPGRADED KBOX IT MANAGEMENT APPLIANCE

Automated support ticket management and enhanced Microsoft Security Bulletin patch installation process reduces IT staffing costs for mid-market organizations

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – January 30, 2006 - KACE™, the leader in IT management solutions for mid-market organizations, today announced the general availability of KBOX™ IT Management Suite 2.1. The new version of the automation appliance integrates with a new help desk module and improved patch management, software distribution and the new ability to manage automated installs of all patches in Microsoft Security Bulletins.

"Patch management is a critical part of a comprehensive security program for IT governance,” said Andrew Plato, President / Principal Consultant for Anitian, a nationally recognized leader in information security and network infrastructure solutions. “Manually applying patches consumes valuable time and lacks auditing and accountability capabilities. The ability of KBOX to automate and manage system patching saves time and helps IT departments maintain security compliance."

In a recent review of 33 IT asset and software management tools, industry-leading tools analyst Steven Russman reported in ECPWeb.com's Tools Manager report: “KBOX offers surprisingly robust software-reconciliation and knowledge-base functions for a mid-market product. The user interface is well designed, straightforward and easy to navigate. We give it high ratings for workflow management (e.g., job, policy, and script-scheduling wizards), event notification (i.e., creating custom alerts using a combination of conditions) and the ability to add custom data fields.”

“KACE’s new help desk module brings the end-users of Windows business desktops into the IT management process by helping IT staff identify technical problems in a manageable way,” said Rob Meinhardt, CEO of KACE. “The KBOX is designed to automate IT management and give IT managers more time to keep their networks secure and running smoothly.”

The KBOX IT Management Suite automatically manages, monitors, and controls the inventory, distribution, patch, security, compliance, messaging, licensing and performance demands of every node on the network.

New features in version 2.1 include:

New Help Desk module – Trouble ticket submission, tracking and management integrated with the KBOX knowledge base, hardware and software inventory, remote control, and customizable reporting;

Automation of Microsoft Security Bulletin updates - Automated creation of managed installs for individual patches and all patches in Microsoft Security Bulletins;

Additional Security and Configuration Wizards - New wizards enable IT managers to easily prevent programs from running, set and lift quarantine policies, deploy McAfee SuperDAT Updater and Symantec Norton AntiVirus, enforce remote desktop configuration, and MSI Installer wizard;

Automated Power-on for late night virus scans and patch updates - Wake-On-LAN support allows IT managers to schedule all your machines to power on at midnight for the important virus scan or software distribution;

Support for Multiple Remote Control Packages – Easy integration and customization for VNC, NetOps, XP Remote and Dameware;

User Self-Service Under IT Control – Users can install approved software, download approved files and run approved scripts without the need to have administrative privileges on their desktops;

New hardware design - 1U rack mount with cool silver faceplate; Dual Intel Xeon 3.0 GHz 2MB Cache with 800 MHz Bus; 2 GB Memory; 3x160GB SATA hard drives; Dual NIC cards.

Pricing for KBOX™ IT Automation Appliance 2.1 starts at $7,500 for a 100-node network. The KBOX™ Policy and Scripting Module, the KBOX™ Security Enforcement and Audit Module and the KBOX™ Help Desk Module are priced separately. For more information, please contact KACE at 888-522-3638 or via email to sales@kace.com.

About KBOX™ by KACE

The KBOX IT Management Suite is an inclusive secure appliance that instantly manages, monitors, and controls the inventory, distribution, patch, security, configuration, compliance, licensing and performance demands of every node on the network. KBOX automates routine and complex IT maintenance tasks, improves IT productivity and security, and robustly promotes network uptime in an extremely flexible, intelligent and unique approach.

About KACE™

KACE is a privately-held technology company that's Rethinking IT through its KBOX™ product line which delivers easy-to-use, comprehensive IT automation solutions that are affordable and really work. KACE is headquartered in Mountain View, California, and has offices in Charlotte, North Carolina and Chicago, Illinois. To learn more about KACE and its product offerings, please visit www.kace.com or call 1-888-522-3638.