On Technology Inc has announced version three of its network configuration management software, Status*Mac. The package, which looks to be a boon for managers of large networks of Apple Computer Inc Macintoshes, enables managers to gather detailed information about the hardware and software running on every Macintosh on the network. The biggest change in the new version is the addition of remote updating,which provides administrators with the ability remotely install or update files and folders remotely. The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company where Lotus Development Corp founder Mitch Kapor is involved, and which originally set out to develop revolutionary rather than just useful software, makes good use of store-and-forward technology so that updates can be sent to machines even if they are turned off. If this occurs, then the update is resent automatically when the target Mac is next switched on. As far as monitoring is concerned, the package enables managers to interrogate the remote Macs and retrieve information on applications, fonts, monitors, drivers, desk accessories, SCSI devices and system files. The requested information is stored in a central database that can be updated as and when required. To cut down on the network traffic, the package compresses and decompresses information on the fly. An upgrade costs $5 per user plus the shipping costs, and the retail price for the thing is $750 per 25-user pack, $2,700 per 100-user pack.
