Virtual Desktop Strategies, Virtual Server Management
Business Wire | August 28, 2023
VMware Explore 2023 — Data and intelligence play a key role in enabling automation and implementing a successful hybrid work strategy, but a holistic approach is required to maximize its advantages. Today, VMware announces modern AI integrations to the Anywhere Workspace platform, part of the VMware Cross-Cloud services portfolio, that automatically optimize employee experience, drive new vulnerability management use cases, and simplify application lifecycle management. VMware Anywhere Workspace is the only hybrid work platform that integrates digital employee experience (DEX), virtual desktop infrastructure and apps (VDI and DaaS), unified endpoint management (UEM) and security to enable a seamless and secure workspace on any device or location.
“Last year, we announced our Autonomous Workspace vision as a path forward for organizations to navigate the challenges brought on by hybrid work,” said Shankar Iyer, senior vice president and general manager, End-User Computing, VMware. “We are thrilled to unveil new advancements for our customers that expand data sources and insights, integrate with technology partners for improved security, and unify app delivery strategy across all virtual desktops and apps. These innovations continue to progress our vision of providing the next evolution of digital workspaces.”
Integrated AI-Driven Platform Scales Experience Management
VMware continues to leverage data, intelligence, and automation to improve the employee and IT experience by introducing new Insights and Playbooks based on greatly expanded data and machine learning algorithms that enhance DEX remediation capabilities. These updates broaden access to data, help strengthen VMware Insights, and allow for remediation of more issues.
VMware will now enable delivery of new app performance scores, in addition to existing mobile device, desktop, and virtual environment experience scores. If a SaaS app service goes down, IT is proactively alerted and employees are automatically notified. This allows IT to quickly resolve the outage without dealing with inbound support tickets and employees don't waste time trying to access unavailable services.
But simply providing IT with more data is not enough to empower them to work smarter. VMware’s AI-driven Insights feature now provides anomaly detection that informs IT of potential experience issues for frontline devices and VDI environments, in addition to mobile and desktop environments. Today’s announcement of new Playbooks enables IT to create step-by-step remediation workflows to resolve incidents more efficiently and use success rate analytics to automate the resolution process and streamline execution over time.
“Workspace ONE Intelligence has been a game changer for us when it comes to automating life cycle management inside UEM. We have been utilizing it for automatically tagging devices and assigning them into smart groups. We have also used several dashboard templates for monitoring our security stance and helping remediate high-risk security threats,” said George March, manager of digital workspace and development, Information Technology, USA Health. “Next on our roadmap is implementing the ITSM connector, and with the addition of remediation playbooks, we are so excited about the way it will streamline our help desk support teams workflows.”
Unique Partner Integration Powers New Security and Manageability Use Cases
Ensuring end-to-end manageability and security for today’s distributed workforce is critical and requires a holistic approach to vulnerability assessment, prioritization, remediation, out-of-band support, and reporting. Collaboration with a best-of-breed partner ecosystem that offers speed, breadth, and depth in vulnerability management is necessary to protect against sophisticated attack vectors. VMware is committed to innovating together with our technology partners to provide customers with more secure and seamless hybrid experiences.
Today, VMware continues this mission by announcing an expanded partnership with Intel through a one-of-a-kind, cloud-native integration of Workspace ONE with Intel vPro®. This chip-to-cloud integration makes it easier to secure and remotely manage work devices entirely from the cloud, with no additional on-premises infrastructure and management software needed. Through line of sight and out-of-band management of vPro powered devices, IT teams can have below-the-OS vulnerability insights, and visibility to reduce the impact of potential exploits quickly and efficiently. Using Workspace ONE, customers can have centralized visibility into Intel vPro-powered PCs and accelerate patch remediation cycles for devices located outside of office perimeters, even if the devices are sleeping or powered off. This improves security and compliance by accomplishing higher patch saturation with fewer remediation steps and reduces potential disruption to employee productivity.
Modern App Management Simplifies Virtual Environments
Managing and delivering apps across VDI, DaaS, and published app environments has become increasingly complex and inefficient due to silos of legacy tools used. VMware recently introduced Apps on Demand, powered by VMware App Volumes, to unify app management and intelligently deploy apps to published app hosts or non-persistent desktop environments, all based on real-time app usage.
Today, VMware announces additional expansion of App Volumes support to deliver apps on demand to persistent virtual desktops. Now in beta availability, customers with persistent VMware Horizon environments will be able to use App Volumes to capture their apps once and deliver to many persistent virtual desktops. This automates the app delivery process with up to 99% compatibility and reduces management time and costs for any desktop or published app environment. VMware App Volumes is the only solution to help organizations deliver and manage apps across VMware Horizon, Citrix, Microsoft, and Amazon virtual desktop and app deployments as part of VMware’s Apps Everywhere vision.
Boeing: A ‘Hybrid Workforce Innovator’
The Boeing Company (Boeing) has used VMware Workspace ONE across the United States and in more than 65 countries to support its global workforce of 140,000 employees who develop, manufacture and service commercial airplanes, defense products and space systems for its customers. At VMware Explore 2023 Las Vegas, they were named ‘Hybrid Workforce Innovator’ as part of the 2023 VMware Customer Achievement Awards for the Americas for enabling its workforce to work from anywhere in the world, improving the user experience while reinforcing and advancing security for devices and applications.
“VMware Anywhere Workspace helps us manage and protect end points, provide a common platform to access apps and tools, as well as helping facilitate a digital experience for our employees,” said Kristina Ross, Boeing Workplace Solutions director for Research & Technology. “Workspace ONE helped streamline our transition from traditional PC lifecycle management to Windows 10 modern management which was enabled by our shift to a SaaS-based solution for the company. Today, we have a unified view to oversee all endpoint requirements, and the adoption of SaaS enhanced our scalability and ability to shift focus from infrastructure to business facing solutions.”
About VMware
VMware is a leading provider of multi-cloud services for all apps, enabling digital innovation with enterprise control. As a trusted foundation to accelerate innovation, VMware software gives businesses the flexibility and choice they need to build the future. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, VMware is committed to building a better future through the company’s 2030 Agenda.
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Virtual Desktop Strategies, Virtual Server Management
PR Newswire | August 25, 2023
Liquidware,the leader in digital workspace management, today announced their first SaaS solution, Liquidware CommandCTRL™, is now generally available at this week's VMware Explore event. CommandCTRL is the only SaaS real-time remediation solution that includes a DVR-like function that provides expeditious point-in-time problem solving. The many other features provide business benefits such as reduced time to resolution of incidents that increases productivity and improves user experience. CommandCTRL is a cost effective solution as there is no infrastructure required with minimal training to get up to speed. With the majority of troubleshooting being done in the background while the user is uninterrupted provides improved user sentiment.
CommandCTRL has four key differentiators to other solutions on the market today:
DVR-like playback functionality- Playback-mode captures 30-days history so admins can see exactly what occurred in the environment at specific dates and times
AI integration - with ChatGPT for process identification
Protocol mirroring - displays the protocol to the physical machine endpoint
Switch - seamlessly switch and navigate between two distinct environments: the local desktop and the cloud-based desktop.
"CommandCTRL fills a gap in the market for assisting organizations in expediting incident resolution, the solution is purpose-built to support interactive remediation of remote workspaces," commentedJason Mattox, CTO Liquidware. "While CommandCTRL is a standalone product, we envisage many customers buying it to accompany their Stratusphere™ UX investment."
In a recent Gartner® research report* it states, "To address the demands of digital business, IT service desks must reduce the number of simple and repeatable incidents and service requests they process manually." Gartner recommends Infrastructure and Operations leaders focused on IT operations transformation should, "Eliminate the cause of low-value, avoidable issues and requests to focus business productivity teams on high-priority work."
CommandCTRL adds another dimension of enterprise management to Liquidware's industry-leading solutions that include ProfileUnity™ user environment management, FlexApp™ application layering and Stratusphere™ UX digital experience monitoring.
Other key features include:
Real-time metrics data updates every three seconds
Real-time remediation actions speed problem identification and resolution
Threshold violations are highlighted in real-time mode and inDVR, these highlights alert the admin to end users' problems in seconds
Admins have two separate ways to shadow users: Quick Assist and Remote Assist
Multi-tenant membership allows partners to be a member of customers' sites to assist with remediation
Powershell and Cmd options for creating scripts to automate needed functions
Full scripting store organizes custom and external scripts for easy access and implementation.
About Liquidware
Liquidware is a leader in digital workspace management solutions for Windows desktops. The company's products encompass all facets of management to ensure the ultimate user experience across all workspaces – physical, virtual, DaaS or in the cloud. Enterprises across the globe utilize Liquidware solutions to dramatically decrease time spent managing desktops, while delivering increased security, flexibility, and scalability. Supported platforms include Microsoft physical, Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD), Windows 365, Citrix Desktops, VMware Horizon, Amazon WorkSpaces, and Dizzion Frame. Liquidware products are available through a global network of partners.
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Virtual Desktop Strategies, Backup and Disaster Recovery
businesswire | August 10, 2023
eSentire, Inc., the Authority in Managed Detection and Response (MDR), today announced the expansion of its proprietary software and services portfolio with the introduction of its new MDR Agent. The eSentire Agent is the latest innovation of the firm's SaaS-based Extended Detection and Response (XDR) Platform, developed specifically for small and medium businesses (SMBs) seeking affordable prevention, detection, investigation, and response capabilities as part of an all-in-one 24/7 solution. eSentire will be elevating the eSentire Agent’s differentiated capabilities this week at Black Hat USA in Las Vegas and will begin offering its Agent as part of eSentire’s value-rich MDR service bundles, including endpoint, log, and network protection, in October 2023.
eSentire created the category ofManaged Detection and Responsewith the vision of arming 24/7 Security Operations Center (SOC) Analysts with the tools to perform digital forensic-grade investigations to rapidly contain attacks before they spread. As the firm has scaled to protect over 2000 leading organizations across 35 industries globally, its focus on deep investigation to drive proactive threat response and remediation has never wavered. In 2021, eSentire acquired state-of-the-art, digital forensics and investigative software, CyFIR, transforming its Incident Response practice and disrupting the industry with a 4-hour threat suppression SLA commitment as part of its24/7 On-Demand IR Retaineroffering. Over the last 24 months, eSentire has scaled its digital forensics software to also power MDR outcomes – delivering unmatched time to value and choice for SMBs.
eSentire Agent’s Prevention, Detection, Investigation, and Response Capabilities
eSentire’s MDR Agent begins with a prevention-first approach, stopping malware and ransomware using deep learning technology with incredible efficacy:
Blocking 99% of known and unknown threats
<0.1% false positive rate
<20 millisecond time to prevent
Delivering on eSentire’s service promise of world-class threat response that prevents business disruption, the Agent acts as a protective presence across customer endpoints, extracting unfiltered, rich telemetry data. These insights into potential threats are processed by eSentire’s XDR Platform and investigated by its SOC, driving improved security outcomes, including the containment of lateral movement and data exfiltration efforts.
As SMBs grapple with a significant shortage of cybersecurity experts and the need to prioritize security investments, eSentire is delivering unmatched cybersecurity value with its XDR Platform and Agent as part of its MDR service, including:
Rapid time to value with expert onboarding and one-push install
24/7 security monitoring and expertise to offset resource constraints
Operationalized threat intelligence from eSentire’sThreat Response Unit (TRU)
150+ novel detections added per quarter to augment security threat detection
Automated blocking of 99% of known and unknown threats
Full-scale detection, prevention, investigation, and response
Mean Time to Contain active security threats of 15 minutes
The introduction of the eSentire Agent complements eSentire’s robust, best-of-breed ecosystem of endpoint partners, including CrowdStrike, Microsoft, SentinelOne, and VMWare Carbon Black, which can all be managed within eSentire’s MDR offering as a fully licensed solution or in a Bring Your Own Subscription model.
“As the cybersecurity landscape continues to evolve and grow more complex, service providers everywhere have to remember the customer always gets a vote,” said Rahul Bakshi, Chief Product Officer, eSentire. “eSentire believes they will choose value, every time. That’s why we are bringing the eSentire MDR Agent to market as part of full-service bundles that offer enterprise-grade security at a fraction of the price. We have made great strides in advancing the Agent from a digital forensics tool to a MDR force multiplier and plan to leverage its innovative capabilities as a universal investigation and response enabler across all technology types in the near future.”
eSentire will showcase its MDR Agent and full-service offering with demonstrations on the Black Hat USA show floor at booth #2823 from August 9-10, 2023.
About eSentire
eSentire, Inc., the Authority in Managed Detection and Response (MDR), protects the critical data and applications of 2000+ organizations in 80+ countries, across 35 industries from known and unknown cyber threats by providing Exposure Management, Managed Detection and Response and Incident Response services designed to build an organization's cyber resilience & prevent business disruption. Founded in 2001, eSentire protects the world's most targeted organizations with 65% of its global base recognized as critical infrastructure, vital to economic health and stability. By combining open XDR platform technology, 24/7 threat hunting, and proven security operations leadership, eSentire's award-winning MDR services and team of experts help organizations anticipate, withstand and recover from cyberattacks
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