Numara Software Products Assist Companies Planning Vista Migration (email this article)

TAMPA, Fla., December 14, 2006 – Numara Software (Company Profile, Past Stories, Case Studies), Inc. (formerly Blue Ocean Software), a leader in asset management, help desk and customer support, today announced its capabilities and support for customers planning to introduce the new Microsoft Vista operating system to their IT environments. The company’s products, which audit and track IT assets, are able to detect compatibility and determine readiness of hardware and software for the new OS. Leveraging Numara Software’s experience in leading companies through major operating system upgrades, the company has launched a three-part series of podcasts, titled “Optimizing Your Vista Migration,” to offer essential tips and guidance for an efficient and cost-effective transition.

In a recent survey of Numara Software customers, approximately 25 percent said they have plans to migrate to Vista over the course of 2007, with a majority planning to start in the third quarter. Numara Software products help companies during this preparation phase with the critical activity of assessing system compliance and identifying areas of vulnerability or incompatibility. Numara Software’s products manage and monitor companies’ IT inventory - from PCs and networked devices to software licenses - to help companies ensure that all devices and software are accounted for during an upgrade.

Numara Software also provides its customers with solutions for tracking and addressing help desk and external customer support requests, which may increase during major IT transitions. With the help of Numara Software’s products, companies can anticipate the increased volume of requests and maintain the proper level of support for both their internal and external customers.

“Having assisted companies through several significant upgrades in the past, we know that companies cannot simply leap blindly into a new system deployment without proper assessment and planning,” said David Weiss, CEO, Numara Software. “Any major upgrade to the IT environment, no matter how advantageous, introduces change and requires planning. We recognize the challenges companies face when making these system upgrades and our solutions provide the necessary tools our customers need to make the most of their investments. We aim to equip customers with the most comprehensive solutions and direction they need to execute a smooth migration with minimal disruption to users.”

Last week, Numara Software launched a series of podcasts to provide insight and guidance for the items that companies should consider before, during and after adopting the Vista operating system. The first podcast of the series, titled “Assessing Your IT Environment: What to Look for as you Begin Migrating to Vista,” features Numara Software product manager Tony Thomas and offers expert guidance, including the key steps for assessing hardware and software compatibility in the pre-migration phase. The podcast can be downloaded at www.numarasoftware.com/vista.

Examples of ways to leverage Numara Software products for Vista deployment include:

Pre-migration planning
• Numara Track-It! and Numara Asset Manager solutions enable customers to identify all active devices on the network, identify incompatible equipment and assess the scope of necessary hardware upgrades across the organization for proper prioritization.
• Numara Track-It! and Numara Asset Manager generate reports on the required hardware upgrades to calculate costs and plan budgets. The solutions also generate real-time compliance reports, indicating possible incompatible software applications.
• Numara Track-It! and Numara FootPrints help create formal change management processes and keep track of incompatible applications and their level of criticality to the business.

Facilitating the Vista migration
• Numara Track-It! and Numara Asset Manager allow customers to keep track of the hardware update progress and report real-time status while upgrading to the new operating system.
• Numara Deploy distributes updates or full packages to groups of computers on demand or on a scheduled basis. Numara Deploy can also be utilized to extract non-critical, incompatible software from desktops which are targeted for a Vista upgrade.
• Numara Deploy enables live visual progress reports of machines as software updates are being implemented, giving a dynamic view into the changes based on defined priorities. Numara Track-It! and Numara FootPrints solutions can record all actions and outcomes performed to certify application safety and sanity after a Vista compatibility update.
• Numara Patch Manager scans existing network desktops running Windows XP or Windows 2000 and enables quick download and deployment of the latest Service Pack necessary before migrating to Windows Vista.

Post-migration assessment
• Numara Track-It! and Numara Asset Manager can offer customizable reporting to verify that all changes have been made once the Vista migration is complete.
• Numara Track-It! and Numara FootPrints solutions immediately record and escalate any reported end-user incidents related to Vista for timely remediation and problem management.
• Numara Track-It! and Numara FootPrints solutions prepare for and measure initial spikes in help desk call volume due to changes in the user interface.
• Numara Track-It! and Numara FootPrints solutions have Self Service technologies enabling end-users to browse knowledge base articles and published How-To’s helping to facilitate any initial Vista learning curves.
• Numara Patch Manager measures and prepares for the download of patches that may be deployed for the operating system.

The remaining podcasts will be systematically released to continue the discussion on post-migration assessments and the elements for measuring return on investment (ROI). To learn more about how Numara Software’s products helps your migration to Vista or to listen to the podcasts please visit: www.numarasoftware.com/Vista.asp.

About Numara Software, Inc.
Founded in 1991, Numara Software, Inc., (formerly Blue Ocean Software), is a global provider of service desk management solutions for IT and support professionals who need to simplify and gain control over their increasingly complex environments.

The company’s two flagship products, Numara Track-It! and Numara FootPrints, make it the service desk management leader in small to mid-sized enterprises, serving IT and support professionals at more than 50,000 customer sites worldwide.

The Numara Software trusted solutions automate critical IT and support functions, such as service desk automation for internal and external support along with asset management, software patch and deployment, and network monitoring for small and mid-sized enterprises.

To register for a one-on-one guided walkthrough, attend a webinar or download a trial, please call (800) 557-6970 or visit: www.numarasoftware.com.