PCM Launches new Centralized Symantec Server

We are excited to announce that our new Centralized Symantec Server has been up and running for a number of weeks now. This new server adds another level of centralized control and simplifies management of the Symantec EndPoint Protection software used at our various client sites to protect from viruses and spyware. As we continue to build our managed services offering this next step gives us greater control and visibility across all the networks that we manage.

In the past each client site would have had a Symantec Management Console application installed on a local server. As new releases came out, or anytime client policies needed to be updated, we would have to log into each site to make the required changes. Reporting also would have to be emailed to our staff for each individual site, creating a fair bit of work as the client list continues to grow. With our new server, all computers are told to speak directly with our PCM Symantec Server which will then push out updates and policies.

So is this new change mainly for our benefit only? Absolutely not! Now all clients will be immediately updated with any best practices or policies gained from experiences at different sites. This means all client workstations and servers will be automatically configured in the exact same secure way and we don’t have to worry about different settings at different sites. This also means that when we upgrade the central server each client will gain from this immediately, rather than waiting for their turn to be upgraded, or having to decide if this is something they want to invest funds into.

In addition to greater control, this new service also means that there is one less application running on your local servers. As we move clients over to this new central server we are seeing performance improvements on the local servers after the Symantec Management Console software is removed.

Another benefit is that the computers now are updated even when they are away from the office. So for those of you with laptops that frequently leave the office, these will now still be able to get virus definition updates and other changes whenever they have access to the internet.

Some of you may be wondering about bandwidth implications, especially larger sites as all computers now report regularly with our external Symantec Server. We have worked with Symantec to ensure that the “heartbeat” signal is so minor that we aren’t seeing any major impact to internet performance or overall network performance. For our rural clients with slower internet connections we also have the ability to customize the polling intervals so that these slower connections are not noticeably affected either.

All in all it’s an exciting process as we already have seen the benefits of more visibility and greater control of this critical protection software. Not part of our Sentinel network monitoring program? Contact our office and find out how we can remove the stress of managing technology while at the same time increasing the security and stability of your computer networks.