RES has just announced that they have released the free version of their flagship product Powerfuse called Powerfuse Express. This version has a subset of all the Powerfuse features for up to 100 concurrent users! The key is of course what this subset of features is made up of. Let's take a quick look, shall we?

UPDATE: A couple of Thincomputing.net readers mentioned that the current download of Powerfuse Express expires in April even though the RES website states the version is "production ready". RES' CTO, Bob Janssens has explained this in the comments of the article: "The current download of RES PowerFuse 2008 Express Edition is a Release Candidate. Based on feedback we have received from people using the Release Candidate we can make sure the final version of RES PowerFuse 2008 Express Edition meets all expectations. The final version does not contain any expiration.

The final version of RES PowerFuse 2008 Express Edition will be made available next week [Week 10] for download. We will also offer a hassle free update for anyone running the current Release Candidate. I will post the link to this PowerPack for Express Edition next week."

Access Control - Basic

Access to settings and applications can be based on Organizational Units within Directory Services like (Active Directory and Novell) or through groups in the domain. This enables you to use the company's organizational structure to make applications and settings available to the users.

Access Control Basic can be based on:

• Global
• Users
• Groups
• Organizational Units

PowerZones - Basic

PowerZones allow you to determine which settings should be applied to a user, depending on the location where he is logging on. You can set up PowerZones depending on various rules.

PowerZones Basic support the following rules: IP-address, computer name, hardware requirements, environment variable, computer OU membership, operating system, operating system bit version, terminal server listener name.

Rules based on IP address or computer name are useful to link the PowerZone to a range of IP addresses or to a specific server, e.g. when configuring a printer-server.

Rules based on terminal server listener names can differentiate between network connections from inside and outside the company network. This is useful for applications that should be highly secured, such as financial applications.

Building Blocks

Building Blocks allow you to transport configuration settings from one RES PowerFuse environment to another in an easy way. A Building Block is an .xml file that contains all properties of a certain setting or feature. This is useful as a change configuration and change management solution in e.g. DTAP environments, but also as a backup solution to facilitate disaster recovery, because Building Blocks allow you to recreate the exact configuration settings of your RES PowerFuse environment.

Desktop Appearance & Lockdown

With Desktop Appearance a company can ensure that the corporate identity is maintained throughout the IT environment. With Lockdown parts of the Windows environment can be hidden from the user, reducing complexity.

Instant Datasources

With RES PowerFuse, you can use the Instant Datasources technology to define the data source once, using a simple Wizard in the RES PowerFuse Management Console, and then link the applications that need to connect to it. When the user starts the application, the database connections will automatically be set up and made available for the application. This makes it easy, fast, and reliable to create data sources.

Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) provides a common layer between Windows applications and their databases. After installation of the ODBC drivers on the relevant technology stack, the applications will need to connect to their databases. This connection is usually established by creating a link on the desktops, laptops and Terminal Servers to the database servers and the necessary databases (DSN or Data Source Name). For example, on each workstation, laptop, and Terminal Server running the CRM application, you would have to create a link to the CRM database on an SQL database server (the DSN).

Instant File Associations

You can manage Windows file type associations with the RES PowerFuse Instant File Associations technology. Normally, the last installed application on a computer handles the file type (e.g. PDF or DOC). With Instant File Associations, file types can be managed per user instead of per computer.

The application at the top of the priority list for a certain file type or command will handle the file type association. If this application is not accessible to the user, the second application on the list will be used, and so on. If the initial application that handles a certain file type and command is temporarily not available (that is, disabled or limited by PowerHours), RES PowerFuse will look for an alternative application. This alternative must be configured for the same file type/command and must also be available in the user's menu.

PowerLaunch

With PowerLaunch in RES PowerFuse you can apply configuration changes in the end-user session for groups and single users without the need for complex scripting. The following settings can be controlled:

• Environment Variables
• Drive & Port Mappings
• Drive Substitutes
• Network Printers
• User Registry
• Directory Maintenance
• External Tasks
• RES Wisdom Tasks

Start Menu Handling

Start Menu Handling exposes the right application at the right time and the right place for the right user. The user sees only the applications that should be available to him.

Databases

The datastore is the central database for your RES PowerFuse environment. All computers in a RES PowerFuse environment connect to this database. It runs on a central database server that you have installed prior to installing the RES PowerFuse Management Console. The datastore can exist on any of the following database systems:

• Microsoft SQL Server (2000 or later)
• Oracle 9i (or later)
• IBM DB2 (8.1 or later)
• MySQL (5.0 or later)

Any edition of above database systems is supported.

Directory Services  

Directory services are used to store information about the network resources. It contains objects that globally fall into three broad categories: resources (e.g. printers), services (e.g. e-mail) and users. The Directory Service provides information on the objects organizes the objects and provides authentication and validation. This will enable RES PowerFuse to retrieve all available user and group information.

Active Directory  is supported.

Novell Directory Active Directory  is supported.

RES Wisdom Integration

RES PowerFuse offers seamless integration with RES Wisdom. You can automatically schedule and trigger IT tasks, ranging from application installation to configuring computers. This powerful flexibility leverages the strength of RES Wisdom and RES PowerFuse, further increasing ease of use.

Instant Reports

Instant Reports provide you with a very powerful solution to create documentation of the entire RES PowerFuse environment or just a specific part of it. Making manual notes becomes unnecessary. It is important to document and record all settings made in the RES PowerFuse Management Console properly. Doing this enables an easy-to-maintain and hand-over environment that is fully transparent, even to personnel not involved in the initial process of setting up the environment.

Workspace Analysis

Workspace Analysis allows you to preview a user's workspace. It will show all applied configuration, desktop settings, accessible applications, security events and configuration errors for a specific user. Workspace Analysis is typically used by helpdesks to reduce resolution times. Use Filtering to configure a filter that limits the amount of information that is displayed in the RES PowerFuse Management Console. This allows you to focus on a specific part of the RES PowerFuse Management Console.

Removable Disks Security - Essentials

Removable Disks Security allows you to configure permissions for usage of removable disks for specific people on specific locations.

It is possible to configure permissions for the use of removable media for specific people on specific locations. Read and write permissions can be assigned to all removable media, including floppy disks, DVD/CD disks and Removable Disks like USB drives.

So no:

• integration with Citrix, TS 2008, Softgrid, Thinstall and such
• Workspaces
• Performance Management
• Powertrace

But hey, it is still very much free. And I have to say am I very pleased the number of free concurrent users that comes with Powerfuse Express Edition: 100 ! I was wondering how Powerfuse Express would look. Would the features that are not available be removed from the Powerfuse Express management tool or would they still be there with a "nag" screen? I tried it out by checking User Preferences:

It is no surpise of course that RES decided to create it in this way.It makes perfect sense from the commericial angle. But what do you think? Can you live with the "nag" screen?

Clearly, Powerfuse Express Edition is RES' response to Windows Server 2008 Group Policy Preferences . I think they needed to make this move and they made a good move at that. Powerfuse Express Edition offers some additional value to Windows Server 2008 Group Policy Preferences. With Windows Server 2008 not really widely adopted yet, Powerfuse Express Edition might just give RES the foothold they need at Windows Server 2003 shops before they migrate to Windows Server 2008 to get them hooked on Powerfuse (because it is easy to get hooked)

The very least you should do is give it a try , it's free anyway!

Now where's Appsense with their freebee product ?