Being acquired by VMware has brought many exciting changes to Shavlik. With the integration in full swing, we are busy incorporating the Shavlik products into VMware and changing our branding. Continuing our strategy of offering SMBs simplified IT management, the current Shavlik product line is being enhanced and expanded upon, leveraging the sophisticated technology offered by VMware and at the same time extending VMware’s offering to the SMB market.

As a first step, we announced a new release of VMware Go and VMware Go Pro on October 18th, taking cloud-based IT management to the next level by adding additional functionality and integrating the popular features of IT.Shavlik. VMware Go provides a free IT management service to SMBs enabling them to run a comprehensive assessment of their physical and virtual IT infrastructure providing the user with recommendations to reduce costs, increase security and optimize their IT infrastructure. With VMware Go, you can run unlimited patch and asset scans on your physical and virtual network, tracking missing security patches and get a clear understanding of the assets deployed on your network including hardware and software whether physical or virtual. To streamline trouble ticket management, an easy Help Desk is assessable anywhere, anytime. For those of you wanting to virtualize, this product makes it easy for you by providing an intuitive wizard to guide you through the installation and set-up of a virtual environment.

VMware Go Pro provides all these benefits but in addition gives you the tried and tested Shavlik patch management technology including scheduled deployment of patches – freeing up valuable time and resources. In addition, you get hardware asset management so you can not only track assets but can organize hardware groups to maximize resources throughout their lifecycle. Control software licenses by tracking installed software titles to maintain compliance as well as further simplify trouble ticket management, with a secure user portal for end users to submit their tickets.

It is an exciting time for SMB IT management with affordable and powerful options available in Go as a web-based service. IT.Shavlik will be available to current customers until January 31, 2012. I encourage you to check out VMware Go – it’s free and can immediately simplify your IT management. Upgrade to a free 30 trial of VMware Go Pro where you can manage your physical and virtual environment – all in one place from anywhere and at anytime.  For more information go to https://go.vmware.com/.

- Mike Bleakmore