ManageEngine AssetExplorer vs. KACE Asset Management Appliance

The purchase order module can be very useful if you put a process in place. It is miles ahead of using a spreadsheet or something simple to do purchase orders and track spending. It can be good to keep track of equipment and software you have in house. However it is imperative you have dedicated staff and processes in place to maximize the utility of the software else it can become a white elephant if not implemented properly as it is a complex piece of software that does many things.

Incentivized

The KACE Management Appliance does many different things, but does not do them as well as other products. It is an all-in-one system for Asset tracking, software management, ticketing system, Contact management, and reporting. If you require basic functionality for these, then this product will meet your needs. But when you begin needing advanced/granular functions from the appliance, it will fall short.

Incentivized

• The asset discovery across the network is great.
• The periodic scanning and updating of asset status is super valuable.
• The software discovery is outstanding. Receiving list of installed software helps greatly with license compliance.

Incentivized

• Gives you real time data to systems on my network.
• I can get information on all applications running on devices on my network.
• I can get information on what systems are not currently patched and up to date with MS and Virus definitions!

Incentivized

• You can fill the database and link it.
• You can also add assets that aren't connected with the offline script, I would prefer to get a .exe but this import XML works well.
• All is handled via the web, I would prefer a GUI standalone client.

Incentivized

• Configuring automated software installs is difficult, and logs do not present useful information for troubleshooting.
• Customer support will just refer you to search itninja.com when you call in for support issues.
• KACE community site (itninja.com), has outdated documentation, and answers to questions are usually vague at best.
• KACE Amp agent constantly breaks, and has to be re-installed on end user computers.
• A parent-child relationship in the ticketing system requires you to create a process.
• Remote provisioning fails consistently and does not provide any useful information as to why it failed.
• K1000 is overpriced for the jobs it actually performs and the work that is required to maintain it.

Incentivized

It is not a perfect solution. I don't believe it is the best software for some of the components it offers but I do like and appreciate what it does offer. It offers complexity and a range of features for a company to take advantage of if planned and implemented properly.

Incentivized

Altiris is very daunting for users that have never worked with it. AssetExplorer was much easier to use for our team that had no experience with asset management.

Incentivized

DAM blows away what Free wear we were previous trying to tweak and change for use to benefit the County. But as we looked into DAM we saw much more available with this product compared to what we had been trying to use over the last 10 years. It took a lot of convincing to get County Administration on board with County IT but after we had Dell come in and demo software and appliand to BOS and County Administrator they saw the added benefits of going with DAM! It has been a great addition to our County IT tools!

Incentivized

• Allow us to stay in compliance with licensing requirements. We usually have just the right amount of licenses +2 or 3. We don't have to guess on where we are.
• Allows us identify older assets and proactively replace them. Reduces downtime.
• No negative impacts I can think of.

Incentivized

• Asset Tracking works exceptionally well, until the AMP agent breaks an endpoint machine. Quick re-install of the AMP agent usually resolves the issue.
• The remote provisioning tool fails 90% of the time. If this worked properly or informed us why the remote provisioning failed, this tool could become an invaluable asset.
• We canceled the support contact because the renewal price was expensive and cost just as much as the initial purchase price.

Incentivized