IBM delivers Big Fix for compliance management

IBM has launched compliance management software, helping businesses identify when PCs, laptops, servers, point-of-sale or virtualised devices are not in compliance with corporate policies.

The launch resulted from the company's acquisition of BigFix, a systems and security management company, and has arrived just over a month from IBM first announcing its intent to acquire the technology.

The BigFix Unified Management Software Platform can monitor up to 500,000 machines centrally. Organisations can see, change, enforce and report on security policies and system configurations in real time, even for devices not continuously connected to the network.

The platform displays virtualised and physical assets in a single view. The rise of virtualisation has demanded a change in the way that device policy management works, as virtual devices can be used to mask non-compliant configurations. Closer management of those assets can be critical for security.

"As organisations become increasingly more complex, virtualised and distributed, it's critical for them to take proactive steps to secure and manage their IT environment in a consolidated and automated way," said Amrit Williams, chief technology officer (CTO) of BigFix technology at IBM.

The user interface has been redesigned to offer staff role-specific views. Assets can be displayed according to key functional areas, such as end-point management, security, audit compliance, provisioning or IT operations.

IBM said upgrading BigFix deployments to the new version 8.0 does not require a server reboot, allowing customers to upgrade at their own convenience. The software can also help expedite clients' migrations to Windows 7, Williams claimed.