As enterprise PCs continue to evolve from stand-alone boxes to networked devices, development is under way to help IT administrators make them more secure and easier to manage. Hewlett-Packard Co. and BIOS maker Phoenix Technologies Ltd. are readying product enhancements that will shore up security, and PC blade pioneer ClearCube Technology Inc. is extending its management software with upgrades designed to bring utility computing features to the client.
HP this summer will roll out enhancements to its ProtectTools Security software with the release of its Compaq 7000 series of high-end PCs. The desktops will come with a single GUI to manage the two security modules in ProtectTools: the TPM (Trusted Platform Module), which ensures that only authorized users and equipment can access the network, and the Smartcard Keyboard Module, which uses digital signatures and certificates to prevent unauthorized access to PCs, officials said.