In the evaluation of four desktop management software products, LANDesk Management Suite 8.6 is the high scorer due to its stellar and responsive administrative console, excellent security tools, and fine deployment and imaging solutions. The LANDesk management console sports several new user-interface features that allow users to easily find data and accomplish specific tasks. The offerings Trusted Access application now has scan and block capabilities along with the basic patch and update tools included in previous versions. LANDesks canned reports are much improved and many users may not need to customize them, although this is an available feature. Coming in second is the Altiris Deployment Solution, which offers a wide variety of modules that address all user roles and a comprehensive security auditing tool. Cross-platform support is also solid. The product offers a strong Web-based reporting system with dashboards that display graphical summaries of important data such as incident reports, software delivery status, and patch status. Asset management is also handy, but the downside is such that users must enter information manually to track cost items for each item that needs to be monitored. In third place is Microsofts Systems Management Server (SMS) 2003 with Service Pack 1, which offers straightforward security tools for auditing and patching user workstations and a new imaging tool.