Lenovo Announces Secure Managed Client 2.0

Written by Dave Courbanou 1
November 18, 2009

Lenovo claims its new Secure Managed Client (SMC) is the "PC industry’s only storage-based fleet management solution." SMC 2.0 brings increased security and tools, and there's a lot of them. Here's the news boiled down and what you need to know.

Peter Schrady, vice president, general manager, Software and Peripherals, Lenovo says “We have designed SMC 2.0 to reduce the cost and complexity of desktop virtualization [with] no discernible difference to the end user." While SMC 2.0 certainty flexes Lenovo's networking muscles, it's doesn't seem entirely new. Features include:

Pristine Image Support – An SMC 2.0 enabled PC will return to its original state with each time a user turns off the PC, deleted viruses, spyware, temporary info included saved password and any other gunked-up-junk. Lenovo touts this as the perfect solution for "kiosks, libraries…task workers and software test environments."

Enhanced Redundancy – With SMC 2.0, "duplicate connection managers" allow users to continue working on their desktop PCs even if the original client connection to the SMC Connection Manager in severed. SMC 2.0 also includes a process that instantly backs up user data on separate, redundant storage as soon as user data is saved.

Assigned Seating – IT managers can choose between assigning an image to a user or a particular SMC client such as a PC located in an office, classroom, hotel lobby or school library. This means certain machines will always boot into a specific environment, based either on the machine or the user accessing the machine.

Storage Array Auto Detection – "Designed for even the most novice administrator", the SMC 2.0 version is built with "AutoDetect" which automatically notices when a new storage array has been installed, lessening the need to notify an administrator in the first place.

Lenovo wants you to know that SMC 2.0 can be deployed on SMC compliant Lenovo ThinkCentre desktop PCs and will be available starting in February 2010 in the US. VARs and MSPs, — feedback on 2.0 would be welcomed if and when you're involved.

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