Infoblox Unveils New IP Address Management Solution for Microsoft Environments

Robust Appliance-based Solution Replaces Manual Administration Using Spreadsheets, Lowers Costs and Improves Compliance

October 16, 2007; 03:45 AM
SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Infoblox Inc. today announced availability of the Infoblox IPAM WinConnectTM system, an IP address management tool for Microsoft DNS and DHCP environments that enables IT administrators to replace spreadsheets, manual processes and home-grown solutions with a powerful, cost-effective, dedicated solution.

Many enterprises rely on Microsoft Windows™ Server software to deliver DNS and DHCP services; however, limited management functionality provided with Microsoft DNS and DHCP forces IT administrators to manually perform IP address management (IPAM) functions and to rely on spreadsheets for tracking addresses and devices.

IP address management is an increasingly daunting challenge in view of the rapidly increasing number and variety of new devices being added to enterprise networks, the persistent shortage of IT staff and the need to support detailed administrative audits for compliance purposes.  As the viability of spreadsheets for managing IP addresses quickly wanes, administrators are feeling the need for more robust IPAM functionality to increase efficiency, lower costs, reduce errors, and meet security and compliance objectives.

“While many organizations rely on Windows for DNS and DHCP, there are few tools for effectively and efficiently managing their IP address space,” commented Jon Oltsik, senior analyst at Enterprise Strategy Group.  “Furthermore, spreadsheets and home-grown solutions just can’t scale to meet the ever expanding demands for IP address management.  This is compounded by increasing security and compliance pressures that beg for more advanced IPAM tools, such as delegated administration and detailed audit logs.”

The Infoblox IPAM WinConnect system addresses these requirements in a purpose-built, appliance-based solution that complements Microsoft DNS/DHCP systems.  It allows enterprise customers that rely on Microsoft for DNS and DHCP services to preserve their current investment while realizing improved operational efficiency and control of their IP address space, as well as support for security and compliance initiatives.

The Infoblox IPAM WinConnect Solution Automates Management and Reduces Costs

The Infoblox IPAM WinConnect offering is an easy-to-deploy, appliance-based IPAM solution that allows IT departments to automate, share and delegate management tasks, reducing costs and errors associated with spreadsheets and home-grown solutions.

With the IPAM WinConnect system, the time-consuming processes related to administrating IP addresses are automated, making management tasks easier, faster, more reliable and more accountable.  IT administrators can manage DNS, DHCP and IPAM from a single centralized console through an intuitive GUI that offers a graphical and hierarchical representation of the IP map.

Further, IPAM WinConnect provides many features, such as detailed audit logs, to provide administrative audit trails for regulatory compliance.  There is easy insight into historic and current IP usage, as well as automatic discovery of IP devices on the network.  And, delegated administration provides granular, role-based administrative ownership where it is most appropriate while protecting the network as a whole.

“Spreadsheets are great for many things, but IP address management isn’t one of them,” said Richard Kagan, vice president of Marketing at Infoblox.  “Modern networks are highly dynamic, with new devices being added continuously.  Keeping static spreadsheets up to date is intractable, and IP addresses based on bad data leads to time-consuming network problems like duplicate IP assignments.  In today’s challenging IT environments, manual processes are too costly and risky.  Automating IP address management is not a luxury, it’s a necessity.”

IPAM WinConnect is delivered on reliable, security-hardened Infoblox appliances running NIOSTM software for simplified installation and easy software updates.  It also offers automated backup and restore to enable high uptime and eliminate data loss.  It is agentless and does not require any modifications to existing Microsoft DNS/DHCP infrastructure for seamless installation and minimal maintenance. 

Pricing and Availability

Infoblox IPAM WinConnect will be available on the Infoblox-250, -550, -1050, and -1550 appliance platforms.  General availability of the product is expected in December.  Pricing is available from Infoblox’s global network of IDeal partners.

For more information about Infoblox products, visit: http://www.infoblox.com/products/.

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