IBM Focuses On Endpoint Security: Page 2 of 2

Support for other devices, such as smart meters, is not yet supported either as software or via a service, but it is under development to provide the ability to, for example, secure a meter remotely and ensure that it is tamper-proof, IBM says. "BigFix has a highly flexible architecture that's message-driven, so client-side functionality can be repurposed in virtually any way that Bigfix 'fixlet' messages can be crafted," says Scott Crawford, managing research director for Enterprise Management Associates. The Juniper partnership is interesting because of the synergies between the two companies--they both focus on the data center and both needed to expand their portfolio for endpoints and mobile, he says.

As far as the research and development aspect, IBM is likely looking at how best to adapt existing assets to the constraints of less traditional endpoints, including point-of-sale devices and smart meters.  While there are advantages to using something as well-established as SNMP, there are also concerns about its size and security, Crawford says.

Tivoli Endpoint Manager is available now for $96 per desktop and $110 per processor core. It is also available as a subscription model, for $39 per desktop per year and $40 per processor core per year. The software supports up to 500,000 machines at once.

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