The Big Five companies that are banding together to work on personal computer workstation network management systems have grown to eight, and christened themselves the Desktop Management Task Force. IBM Corp, Hewlett-Packard Co and Digital Equipment Corp have added their names to the group of Intel Corp, Microsoft Corp, Novell Inc, Sun Microsystems Inc’s SunConnect and SynOptics Communications Inc developing a common Application Programming Interface for personal computer network management. Meanwhile, Computer Reseller News reports that Intel is readying its first suite of products developed as part of the initiative for launch before the end of the year. It says that there are to be four of these, aimed at providing products for asset management, application and network monitoring, virus protection, and protocol analysis. They will cost less than $1,000 each, the idea being that users can choose the modules they require. Software distribution, metering, scripting and alarm and notification management products are to follow. Intel is also to offer the products OEM to other consortium members, and discussing licensing with Microsoft, the paper adds.
