Likewise Software enables smoother Mac integration in corporate environments
Posted by Dennis Sellers 
Aug 5, 2008 at 11:34am
Likewise Software says it’s made a “breakthrough” that benefits large organizations seeking to integrate Mac computers into their IT infrastructure.
The new software is part of Likewise Enterprise 5.0 and lets administrators streamline the process of managing Macs by integrating computer and user settings, created in Mac OS X Server’s Workgroup Manager into Group Policy Objects for Microsoft Active Directory. Users can access Managed Preferences created in Workgroup Manager either from a Windows Group Policy Management Console or by using the Likewise Administrative Console from their Mac.
The new features included in Likewise Enterprise 5.0 are a fit if making schema changes in Microsoft Active Directory isn’t a feasible approach for IT administrators that are managing mixed network environments, says Likewise CEO Barry Crist. This new way to integrate Managed Preferences from Workgroup Manager with Active Directory allows Windows and non-Windows systems to be provisioned and managed in the same way and gives management more control and visibility of the entire network, he adds.
Organizations that have decided to consolidate to a single directory to manage all of their Mac, Linux, Unix and Windows systems and increase operational efficiency are also good candidates for Likewise Enterprise 5.0, Crist adds. Likewise Software provides identity management solutions designed to improve security and operational efficiencies and help achieve regulatory compliance in mixed network environments. Contact the company for pricing options.
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Contributor
Dennis Sellers
Dennis has been a newspaper editor/reporter (seven years) and teacher (seven years). He has over 4,000 magazine, newspaper and online articles to his credit. He has also covered the Mac and tech industries for over a decade for such online publications as MacCentral, MacMinute and now MacsimumNews.
