A Symantec Platinum Partner and former Altiris Partner of the Year, XCEND developed the Patch Management Dashboard to provide organizations with a consolidated view into their patch compliancy on multiple levels, including monthly compliance, bulletin criticality, and critical systems compliance. The template enables IT administrators and executives to make rapid-fire, performance-driven decisions based on identified gaps in their patch management strategy and overall coverage, without having to wait days or weeks for reports.

“We are pleased to announce the release of our second Symantec Performance Dashboard template, focusing on Altiris Patch Management 7.1,” said Ron Schoenherr, President and CEO of XCEND Group. “With pre-built Key Performance Indicators for the latest version of Altiris 7.1, the template provides IT organizations with real-time visibility into vulnerabilities that can adversely affect an organization’s efforts to minimize risk. Our goal is to provide IT organizations and decision makers with the information necessary to identify risks and respond more efficiently to a rapidly changing threat landscape.”

To learn more about how XCEND’s Patch Management Dashboard for Symantec can help your organization respond proactively to dangerous vulnerabilities its patch management strategy, and to schedule your free evaluation, please visit our Product Page.

CHICAGO

DETROIT

Exponential growth in company data and the rise in security breaches over the past year have been major wake-up calls for executives. Customers of all sizes are faced with one essential challenge: the need to secure and manage an enormous amount of information.

This December, join global security leader Symantec and award-winning national Platinum Partner XCEND for our exclusive Executive Briefing Series: Securing & Managing the Business of IT and gain access to leading industry experts to help identify technologies and services needed to protect your information, now and in the future.

The Program

The 2011 Executive Briefing Series provides customers with an exclusive opportunity to learn about the latest security research from Symantec’s Global Intelligence Network; current and future solutions for protecting mobile devices against security threats and data loss; and gaining real-time visibility into the security and compliance metrics that matter most to IT managers and the C-suite.

Seating for this exclusive event is limited, so register today. Registration is complimentary for invitees and includes dinner and entertainment, as well as eligibility for exciting Symantec & XCEND giveaways. Once the event reaches capacity, additional registrants may be added to the waiting list and will be notified on a first-come, first-served basis as seats become available.

The Sessions

• Global Security Threat Landscape
• Mobile Device Management & Security
• Symantec Data Loss Prevention & DLP for Mobile (Roadmap Overview)
• Real-Time Performance Dashboards for Symantec: Software/Asset Compliancy, Mobile Mgt., Patch Mgt., & Security

Any questions about the event may be directed to marketing@xcendgroup.com.

Three hundred command and control networks, primarily located in China, were used in the cyberattacks that began as early as November 2010. More than 760 organizations were shown to have been targeted, including more than 20 perfect of current Fortune 100 companies. What is not clear in the report released by security analyst Brian Krebs is the extent of each individual attack and whether sensitive data was successfully stolen.

Notable targets included Cisco Systems, eBay, Facebook, Freddie Mac, Google, Intel, Internal Revenue Service, Motorola, Novell, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, VMWare, and Wachovia Corp.

Dave Jevans, chairman of IronKey, maker of a security-focused Web browser, was quoted in a recent CNN article as saying, ”The only companies that haven’t been compromised in some way, shape, or form are either insanely small, lucky or secure. [...] I’m sure 90% of these companies are just finding out they’ve been hacked along with the rest of us. They don’t even know they’ve been penetrated.”

The full list of targeted organizations can be accessed at the Krebs On Security blog.

“We are proud to announce that we have been recognized by Symantec to receive the Data Loss Prevention Master Specialization,” said Francis Sherk, Vice President of Business Development for XCEND. “The specialization proves our expertise in assisting clients by reducing or eliminating the risk of losing confidential and private information as well as competitive intellectual property through the implementation of Symantec’s market-leading data loss prevention technologies.”

Symantec Master Specializations recognize partners with a proven expertise in a particular area of business and provide partners with the skills and experience required to deliver differentiated service to customers. Symantec partners achieve Master Specialization by meeting certain requirements that deepen their knowledge and proficiency in a solution family, and Master Specialized Symantec partners receive exclusive benefits as a result of their investment.

“The Data Loss Prevention Master Specializations recognize partners’ ability to deliver advanced consulting, technical and service to their customers,” said Randy Cochran, vice president, North America Channel Sales Americas, Symantec Corp. “Master Specialist partners have demonstrated deep investment in Symantec and an expertise in delivering advanced services and solutions to protect customers’ most critical information.”

For a full listing of XCEND’s Master, Technical, and Sales accreditations, please see our Specializations page.

SMM’s mobile device management (MDM) functionality includes:

• Comprehensive visibility and control over all the popular mobile devices, including iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows Phone, Symbian, and Blackberry

• Policy management around passwords, remote wipe and application blacklisting

• Personal-Corporate data separation on end-user devices

• Enterprise appstore for mobile application deployments

• Mobile library for active content distribution

To learn more about how XCEND and Symantec can help your enterprise confidently increase IT efficiency and enable mobile productivity, visit our Mobile Management page.

To earn a Master Specialization in Security, partners must meet and maintain a strict set of requirements in their chosen area of expertise, including maintaining technical staff capable of flawless design and implementation of Symantec technologies, executing and supporting all aspects of the sales and delivery lifecycle from pre-sales through design and delivery, and employing a minimum number of employees who have passed the appropriate senior-level Symantec consultant exams. Partners must also participate in a consulting services business review performed by Symantec.

“I am incredibly proud to announce that XCEND has been recognized as one of the first three Symantec partners in the country to achieve the Enterprise Security Master specialization,” said Francis Sherk, Vice President of Professional Services for XCEND. ” This highly regarded recognition sets us apart as a go-to security firm with the skills and expertise required to define security strategies and implement complex security solutions that align with our clients’ business needs.”

For a full listing of XCEND’s Master, Technical, and Sales accreditations, please see our Specializations page.

In today’s complex IT environment, software management is more than just knowing what applications are installed and where. It involves reducing risk by ensuring license compliancy, reallocating unused software to eliminate extraneous costs, and proactively managing vendor contracts to treat software as the high-value business asset it is.

You’re cordially invited to join XCEND as we discuss how organizations today can reduce the cost and complexity associated with managing software, ensuring that their IT investments are protected, optimized, and business-aligned. Learn how our Symantec Software Management Dashboard integrates seamlessly with Altiris Asset Management Suite to display in real time the software management and compliance metrics that matter most to IT managers and CIOs.

Topics will include:

• The three critical factors involved in IT performance management that allow you to make smarter and faster decisions, enhance efficiency, and accelerate bottom-line results

• The principles behind developing effective IT performance management dashboards to deliver the right information to the right users at the right time

• Moving beyond analysis: how best-practice Key Performance Indicators allow you to optimize purchasing decisions, drive strategic planning, and develop a win-win relationship with your software vendors

Register Now >>

Learn More about Symantec Software Management Dashboard >>

A Symantec Platinum Partner with industry-leading expertise in IT performance management and asset management, XCEND developed the Software Management Dashboard to help organizations eliminate unnecessary software and hardware costs, proactively manage vendor contracts, align IT resources, and fulfill compliance initiatives. Organizations seeking innovative ways to reduce the cost and complexity associated with managing software now have the ability to ensure on a 24-7 basis that their IT investments are optimized and business-aligned.

“Our Software Management Dashboard for Symantec is the first in a series of Symantec Performance Dashboards , designed to enable our clients to significantly enhance decision making and increase situational awareness across the entire Symantec portfolio,” said Ron Schoenherr, President and CEO of XCEND.  “Designed with our MetriX Real-time Dashboard solution and leveraging our expertise in Symantec’s Altiris Asset Management Suite, the Software Management Dashboard for Symantec has content-rich, best practice Key Performance Indicators that will help our clients better monitor and measure the impact of software costs and compliancy across the enterprise.

To learn more about how XCEND’s Software Management Dashboard for Symantec can help your organization reduce compliance risk and optimize purchasing decisions, and to schedule your free evaluation, please visit our Product Page.

Job Title: Senior Consultant – Endpoint Management

Location: Continental North America (travel required)

Job Description:

• Work both on-site and remotely with XCEND customers to assess, design, pilot, and implement IT lifecycle management processes and technologies
• Communicate directly and frequently with customers, partners, and other key stakeholders to gather the necessary input for project scoping and ongoing project management
• Create professional project-related deliverables in a timely manner, including statements of work, proof of concept evaluations, product presentations, risk assessments, and project reports
• Lead or participate in customer scoping calls, project update meetings, technical presentations, and knowledge transfer/training on behalf of XCEND or in conjunction with other XCEND employees
• Proactively address issues that impact project delivery and results
• Maintain Partner Certifications and other training requirements to augment personal skills set
• Manage and support internal company projects as required; sustain ongoing close communications with direct manager(s) when both on- and off-site
• Manage personal business travel schedule and arrangements; work independently and with minimal supervision

[Jump to job posting for more details]

XCEND TV currently offers three series of videos — Installation, Basic Features, and Advanced Features — aimed to help customers install and configure the application, navigate the Dashboard Designer, and work with more complex features such as creating advanced page themes and developing new metrics. Additional videos are currently in production for other advanced features as well as instructions on how to create both industry- and platform-specific dashboards.

A new product support area has also been created for MetriX Real-Time Dashboard on the company’s web site, and includes newly developed product documentation in PDF format. A basic installation manual is available, as well as a more comprehensive user manual which covers a broad range of features and functionality.