Software Deployment

I've had great success with both the K1000 and K2000. K2000 imaging makes managing pretty easy as it is modular by design.

you need a bit of configuration before, but it is a great solution for OS deployment. Esp. if you use it together with the K1000 you have not much work to do after the initial configuration.

Especially you don't need to take images all few weeks because some new updates were installed.

I might be able to be of some help here. I've used a good number of imaging systems over the years. There are alot of variables to consider.

To answer your direct question, if you use Dell hardware, then the K2 is a great piece of equipment. Once you build your scripted install, adding new models to your environment is as easy as checking the model number off in the driver feed. The K2 automatically goes out and grabs the appropriate drivers, eliminating the need for a separate image for each model of PC you have. Right now we have ~15 models of laptops and desktops all using a single standard scripted image. In the past I've used Altiris, Ghost and FOG... none of which presented me with that kind of flexability (I used to *love* having to build new base images every damn time purchasing decided to order new models, or one off models for *special* people).

The ability to provide imaging functionality to offsite locations via K2 extenders is a real benefit to us as well. It's (almost) as simple as loading an OVF onto some spare VM space. A few DNS tweaks and your offsite techs can image machines locally.

Microsoft's SCCM is as close as I've come to the Kace scripted install (for more than just Dell hardware), but I remember there being significant issues getting new models added to the driver store and the requirement of boot media to image and reimage (this may be more of a reflection on the capabilities of the systems engineering folks who were put in charge of building our system, as opposed to the system itself)

If you have any other questions, just shoot me a message or something.

I work at a college and we have used many imaging systems.  Our last one was zen imaging, the choice to go with Kace saved us a lot on imaging costs and time.  The only thing I miss with the k2000 was multicasting, but we have workd around that with native wim imaging and are again able to image up to 120 machines at multiple sites at the same time from a single kbox, (30 max is recommended) in about the same it took to multicast blast 4 classrooms.