What's Hot: Products From LANS Unlimited Software, NetIQ, and Sunbeam

Resolve End-User Problems

LANS Unlimited Software, Helpdesk,
http://www.lansunlimited.com, [email protected]

Windows & .NET Magazine reader Lois Healan from North Olmsted, Ohio, nominates LANS Unlimited Software's Helpdesk as a top product. She says, "Working in a large school district with almost 2000 computers and servers in multiple buildings can be tough. Helpdesk eliminates much of the burden of all the follow-up I was doing. Web-based Help-desk has become another link on our district Web site. We use it for technical help and support, but I can also see using it for other possibilities such as building-maintenance requests. Now, here's the best part—the price is $99! Even schools can afford that. The tech support from the software company has also been excellent."

Helpdesk creates a trouble ticket as soon as a user fills out the Get Help form. The user and the administrator receive email notification that a request was made. The software assigns the problem to a support person. The software monitors how much time resolving each problem takes. If users want to search for a resolution to their problem before they ask for help, they can type a keyword into a database and search the problem and resolution fields. The software runs on Windows 2000/NT/9x systems.

Block Spam Now!

NetIQ, MailMarshal, http://www.netiq.com,
408-856-3000, 888-323-6768

NetIQ MailMarshal is email content security software that monitors and controls email communication. The software enforces your organization's acceptable use policy (AUP) and protects against viruses, spam, and loss of confidential data. MailMarshal helps to control the type and subject matter of material entering or leaving your organization.

Jason Hauck of San Jose, California, recommends MailMarshal as a top product. He says, "We've used MailMarshal since its first release and have always been pleased with its functionality and customizability. Two weeks ago, we upgraded to the latest version of MailMarshal, which uses XML, and I've already received comments from people who notice a huge difference in the amount of spam they receive. They now receive little to none. MailMarshal's auto-release feature can notify users that potential spam was stopped, so they can reply to the message and release the spam themselves, which greatly reduces administrative overhead. However, we don't notify users (we're that confident in the small number of false positives) because that would be almost as bad as getting the spam itself. I did tweak the functionality so that when a message is stopped, I get an administrative notification for executables, unknown attachments, script, and code. When users ask me to release a message, I need reply only to the administrative notification I get to release the message to them. Because all my company's IT members have a BlackBerry device, I no longer need PC access to release the message. Administrative overhead is now nil, and customer response time has gone way down. For obvious reasons, I can't let users determine which executables are safe and which aren't, but having the ability to release the message remotely makes that portion of my job so much easier. As a supporter of MailMarshal since the early days, I can't express how happy I've been with the product so far." MailMarshal is available for SMTP systems and for Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server. Contact NetIQ for pricing.

Keep Your Coffee Warm with USB

Sunbeam, USB Coffee Warmer,
[email protected], http://www.sunbeamtech.com

A Windows & .NET Magazine reader wants to inform fellow coffee lovers about Sunbeam's USB Coffee Warmer. The readers says, "Just plug the USB Coffee Warmer into the nearest USB port on your PC, and it actually will keep your coffee cup warm all day long."

Sunbeam's coffee warmer will keep your coffee, tea, or other drink warm for any length of time and accommodates any type of cup. The device features translucent power, and you don't need to worry about burning yourself because the enclosure is made of quality insulation material. The USB Coffee Warmer installs easily and doesn't require a driver. Specifications include a clear 6.4' cable and a maximum cup capacity of 150mL.