ManageEngine, the real-time IT management company, today announced the launch of voice assistant and geo-fencing features for Desktop Central, its unified endpoint security and management solution. Available immediately, the latest version of Desktop Central allows IT teams to manage endpoints via voice commands from the solution’s mobile app. This version includes a geo-fencing feature that closes IT security gaps by enforcing location-specific IT policies on mobile devices.

ManageEngine employs AI in Desktop Central's new virtual assistant, which comes integrated with its mobile app for Android devices. With the AI-powered virtual assistant, IT teams can perform complex tasks—like scanning, detecting, and deploying missing patches; performing asset scans; uninstalling software; blocking unauthenticated executable; prohibiting software; establishing remote connections; and shutting down and waking up computers—in a few quick voice commands. To further streamline endpoint management, Desktop Central adds geo-fencing capabilities that provide IT teams with location-specific security commands.

'Endpoint management is critical to IT security, because most security breaches originate from the endpoints,' said Mathivanan Venkatachalam, vice president at ManageEngine. 'IT teams today spend a lot of time on redundant tasks, with one or more tools. Infusing AI, we could automate most of the complex endpoint management tasks using simple voice commands, saving a lot of time and features like geo fencing and remote OS deployment will reduce IT time and efforts and increase productivity.

Highlights of the New Desktop Central

Virtual Assistant

Administrators can use voice commands on Desktop Central's mobile app for Android devices to perform the following operations:

Patch Management: Scan a network for patches, detect and deploy missing patches, and ask for details on which computers in the network are vulnerable.
Software Deployment: Uninstall software, prohibit or block non-productive software and applications, apply licensees, and more.
IT Asset Management: Ask for hardware and software details of network computers, as well as check license compliance status.
Remote Control: Initiate remote connections to a machine by saying its name.
Tools: Remotely wake up and shut down computers.
Geo-Fencing

The new geo-fencing will help IT teams automate IT security policies on a device based on its location, including locking it or completely wiping corporate data from the device it if it leaves the established geographical range.

Remote Office OS Deployment

OS Deployment to remote computers being  the most challenging and time-consuming task is now made easy with the newest version of Desktop Central. Deploying OS images to computer anywhere in the world, at any time, in a few simple clicks, allows IT teams to master on-boarding activities.

Pricing and Availability

Desktop Central is priced at $15 per device per year. A fully functional, 30-day trial version is also available for download. Desktop Central can be installed on-premises or hosted on various cloud platforms and has a fully functional free edition that can manage up to 50 endpoints.