Client management suites help IT with PC life-cycle management with tools that automate operating
systems (OS) deployment, software distribution, and systems management and provide visibility into
the state of each corporate-owned PC. Forrester’s product-based evaluation of eight leading client
management solutions across 98 criteria revealed that HP, Altiris (now part of Symantec), and CA have
established client management suite leadership — thanks to their integrated solutions and strong focus
on policy-driven management. LANDesk, an Avocent company, offers one of the strongest offerings,
with full management and security functionality, but it’s the smallest vendor in the evaluation and will
have a hard time competing with much larger competitors in the long term. Novell and Microsoft offer
solid capabilities today, but it is their vision of integrated security and management that is worth waiting
for. IBM and BMC Software are both Strong Performers but lack some of the more basic support and
popular features that users have come to expect from their client management vendor.