KACE Desktop Authority

Centralized, secure and consistent management for Windows environments

Business stakeholders require greater flexibility in IT operations, but administrators must still maintain a secure and consistent user environment.

They can no longer rely on the traditional model of managing only the machine. Each user needs to be granted the right access to the right resources regardless of the device used.

This means that even small businesses are dealing with hundreds of user environments, each of which needs to be exactly right for the particular user, without impacting IT administration resources that are already limited.

KACE Desktop Authority makes it easy to target and enforce configurations and settings using patented Validation Logic technology for user environment management.

Quest^® KACE^® Desktop Authority^® makes it possible for you to proactively configure, manage, secure and support each unique user workspace, quickly and easily, through a single console. Part of the KACE Desktop Authority Management Suite, KACE Desktop Authority provides the following capabilities:

Minimize the hassle of deploying and securing devices by customizing devices at the first login; configure the firewall and control browser security for physical, virtual and published Windows environments.
Ensure applications are always available and maintain access to network resources.
Tailor each user’s environment to the identity instantly by configuring drives, printers, folders, shortcuts and Outlook profiles.

Features

Real-time targeting engine: Eliminate the need to choose between one-size-fitsall configurations or leaving computers unmanaged. Desktop Authority tailors settings and configurations by user, computer, network address and dozens of other criteria using its patented Validation Logic targeting engine.

This simplifies initial provisioning and environment setup, enforces user access policies, automates configuration and setting updates. User environment configuration:

Configure access to company resources, manage security settings, configure Microsoft Outlook profiles and Office settings, and customize registry settings.

Windows environment management:

Take control of your Windows environment by deploying software and service packs, controlling power schemes and inactivity settings, and tracking hardware and software.

Device security: Prevent security problems where they’re most likely to occur - at the desktop. Set security policies, manage the firewall, lock inactive computers, and manage browser security and privacy settings for machines, applications and data.

Remote user support: Manage more than 40 computer tasks without interrupting the user with the ExpertAssist remote management system while accessing system information, controlling processes, running remote command-line commands and copying files.

Use Cases

Customize user configurations for drives, printers, shortcuts, Microsoft Office and Outlook signatures without logon scripts.
Provide users with the ability to customize their computers the way they want while giving IT admins centralized control over key settings.
Minimize risk by configuring browser security settings.
Reduce the IT burden of managing users who move from company location to location or who spend part of the time on the road and need support when they’re not in the office.

Benefits

Easily targets, configures and manages a secure and consistent user environment, no matter where users are or whether they use a physical or virtual desktop - even machines on and off the domain with just internet connectivity
Customizes user configurations like drives, printers, shortcuts and Office - without logon scripts, PowerShell or WMI filtering
Enables users to customize their computers the way they want - within the limits you specify and without giving them local admin rights
Reduces service requests by proactively managing user configurations and administrative privileges