The new version offers numerous new features and performance enhancements, most notably tighter integration with PeerLock, providing more flexibility and control over file locking and releasing within PeerSync, and the ability to more efficiently handle large amounts of data and complex directories. The new features and enhancements make PeerSync 7.4 a true enterprise-grade file management solution.

“Managing data in enterprise environments demands a continual balancing of functionality/power and performance,” said Paul Marsala, CEO of Peer Software. “Often, one comes at the expense of the other. The new version of PeerSync was developed to offer a true enterprise-grade file management tool that delivers uncompromised functionality and performance—IT admins now have the ability to efficiently manage larger volumes of data, provide users with a transparent, reliable collaborative framework by way of PeerLock, and maintain complete data availability without overburdening network resources.”

PeerLock is the only true stand-alone file locking solution on the market today offering real-time detection of file use and immediate remote locking, ensuring that when a user is modifying a file, no other user will be allowed to make changes to that file on any machine that the user has chosen to lock. The newest version, PeerLock 2.0, eliminates several critical file management barriers (i.e., now files can be locked on any location even if the location is on a different domain), and facilitates more seamless collaboration by reducing file “release” intervals (longer “release” intervals increases the risk of “version conflict,” one of the main reasons collaborative projects are late, over-budget or fail).

New and Improved Features At-a-Glance

• Tighter PeerLock Integration: the ability to configure, manage, and monitor PeerLock from the Profiler.
• Enhanced Scan Processing: the ability to dynamically build multiple sub Jobs from each Job in a Profile for parallel processing of folder scans, shortening the time of completion for scanning.
• Enhanced Event Processing: the ability to parallel process real-time, retry and any other non-scan events, optimizing performance and minimizing processing time.
• Bi-directional through TCP: added functionality to support bi-directional synchronization with source and/or target being a TCP connected folder.
• Improved Interface: added four main sections to the Profiler: PeerSync, PeerLock, Run/View, and Service/Startup.
• Managed Files – Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS): new screen now allows for the option of using either of the following technologies to manage open/locked files: Embedded Open File Manager (EOFM) and Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS).
• Exceptions – Include Attributes: Ability to include a broad range of attributes, including Normal, Archive, System, Hidden, Read Only, Temporary, Offline, Encrypted, Compressed, Not Indexed.
• Exceptions – Exclude Attributes: includes Normal, Archive, System, Hidden, Read Only, Temporary, Offline, Encrypted, Compressed, and Not Indexed.
• Reporting – ACLs: ability to log the transfer of ACLs during scanning (ACL’s updates only) and after successful synchronization of a file.

For more information visit www.purplerage.com/peersync.

PeerSync is available in two versions: PeerSync Workstation and PeerSync Server, and runs under Microsoft Windows 2000/2003/XP/Vista.

A free 15 day trial copy is available for downloading at www.purplerage.com/getpeer.

New features facilitate improved management in Peer collaborative environments by providing administrators with comprehensive visibility of file activity from a single console.

Purple Rage, a UK distributor of software solutions for Windows, Linux and Mac OSX, today announces the release of PeerSync Observer Enterprise Edition 2.0. Observer 2.0 provides administrators with the ability to monitor all running instances of PeerSync and PeerLock from a single console. Version 2.0 gives users optimised performance of, and increased visibility into, their Peer product deployment(s) and enables administrators to more efficiently manage even the most demanding collaborative environments.

PeerSync Observer Enterprise Edition V2.0 offers complete interoperability with the new version of PeerLock 2.0, the industry’s only stand-alone file locking tool. PeerLock 2.0 eliminates version conflicts many users experience with Microsoft’s DFS Replication solution, as it adds true file-locking. Administrators implementing both PeerSync Observer V2.0 and PeerLock 2.0 will achieve immediate productivity gains. Collaboration is made even more efficient, reliable and transparent – all within an environment that can be easily monitored and managed from any location (using the new Observer tool).

“Removing any and all barriers to efficient collaboration is imperative in today’s digitally-driven, 24×7 business environment,” said Paul Marsala, Peer Software’s President. “Our goal is to provide users with a seamlessly integrated collaborative framework, built on our core PeerSync file management tool. Together with the new version of PeerSync Observer and our recent release of PeerLock 2.0, users now have a complete solution for reliable, anywhere/anytime collaboration. “

New Features:

• The ability to receive PeerLock status information and display it in a separate table, similar to the display available in PeerLock, when running in an application mode.
• Allows Observer to set the interval by which PeerSync and PeerLock transmit status information to the Observer.
• PeerLock entries can now change their status and colour if the Observer has not received new updates from PeerLock for a given period of time.
• Improved PeerSync and PeerLock status colour change notification setup and accuracy. The Observer will now correctly update the colour status of the entries accordingly. End user setup for colour change notification is now much simpler and intuitive.
• Can show/hide, resize, reposition, and sort all PeerSync and PeerLock table columns. Each column size and index will be saved in the PSOBDEF.CFG file to be loaded each time the Observer is restarted.
• New “Locked” and “Released” PeerLock activity panel Tabs to maintain separate listings of locked or released files similar to the PeerLock application.
• Improved auto sorting mechanism to automatically sort PeerSync and PeerLock entries, as they are received, based on a new “Status Level” column.
• Refresh all active PeerSync or PeerLock entries by hitting F5 on the keyboard provided that the PeerSync or PeerLock Activity Panels are in focus.
• Manually add, rather than self-discover, a machine name for the Observer to broadcast to directly (in order for running PeerSync and PeerLock instances to begin transmitting status information to the Observer). This ability is useful when the Observer is having problems receiving status information from PeerSync and PeerLock instances running on the domain or across the VPN.
• Enhanced Logging to include PeerLock activity.
• New “Enable Repetitive Broadcast” setting ties into the “Always Enable Activity Reporting” feature. When this option is checked the user will be able to “Enable Repetitive Broadcast” and specify the broadcast interval. This sets the cycle of how often the Observer will broadcast messages to all PeerSync and PeerLock instances running within the designated domain to begin transmitting status information to the Observer.

Since its introduction in 1993, PeerSync has been used by thousands of organisations to keep their data secure, synchronised, and continuously available, without interruption. PeerSync unobtrusively monitors connections between storage points and provides a range of manual, scheduled, and/or real-time file backup and synchronisation routines. In addition, users can select multiple source-target configurations for speed and flexibility when dealing with multiple computers and storage devices.

Observer Enterprise Edition v2.0 is available directly from the Purple Rage website (www.purplerage.com/peer) or through authorised Purple Rage resellers. For those ordering Observer Enterprise Edition v2.0 between now and 15 November 2007, it is £247 per instance; after 15 November 2007 the price will increase to £494 per instance.

A free 15 day trial copy is available for downloading at http://www.purplerage.com/getpeer.

New features provide more flexibility and control over file locking and releasing; includes cross domain file locking, narrower “release” intervals, and key performance enhancements for more efficient collaboration.

Purple Rage, a UK distributor of software solutions for Windows, Linux and Mac OSX, today announces the release of PeerLock 2.0. The new version contains features and enhancements to provide greater control over file management and collaboration.

The only true stand-alone file locking solution on the market today offering real-time detection of file use and immediate remote locking, Peerlock’s core functionality ensures that when a user is modifying a file, no other user will be allowed to make changes to that file on any machine that the user has chosen to lock. The new version, Peerlock 2.0, eliminates several critical file management barriers (i.e., now files can be locked on any location even if the location is on a different domain) and facilitates more seamless collaboration by reducing file “release” intervals (longer “release” intervals increases the risk of “version conflict,” one of the main reasons collaborative projects are late, over-budget or fail).

PeerLock 2.0 adds locking options for more precise control, increases visibility into locked files across collaborative environments, and offers a number of enhancements to streamline overall performance. PeerLock 2.0 eliminates version conflict many users experience with Microsoft’s DFS Replication solution, as it adds true file-locking; project teams relying on the PeerSync Collaboration Package will realize immediate productivity gains, as collaboration is made even more efficient, reliable and transparent.

Key Features

• Cross Domain File Locking: Lock files on any location even if the location is on a different domain or on another machine requiring specific credentials for access.
• Performance – Improved Locking and Releasing Time: Files are locked and released in milliseconds instead of approximately one second per file.
• Detection Options – Dual Detection: Use both Local and File Server Mode Detection for complete locking on machines that may have files opened from users connecting over the network as well as accessing the files locally.
• Ability to manipulate Locked List: Release locks from the PeerLock Locked list.
• Lock Options – Allow Access based on Source File: This feature adds the ability to Lock Target Files with the same access based on the Source File. When using this feature files on the source and their corresponding target(s) will be accessible by other users in the same manner: i.e. you cannot open the file, you can open the file for read access or you can open the file for read and write access. This is an important feature for applications that open some files for read and write access and other related files for read access, as well as, applications that just open Source Files for read access (such as for CAD resource files).
• Display – Release List: Sorts recently released files and all information pertaining to the locking and releasing of those files including why the file was released (i.e. Manually, Locking Stopped, PeerLock Stopped or the Source File was released).
• Internal File Management – Cache Management: Used to track and remove temporary files used by PeerLock. There are options to enable the caching, clear the cache at the start of locking and to clear the cache manually on demand.
• Failed Connections Retry: PeerLock now stores failed connections and retries them on a ten minute cycle. This should improve overall performance when connection losses occur.
• Performance – Optimized Lock and Release: Separated the Locking and Releasing cycles to allow for the ability to set the priority of each procedure.

A free 15 day trial copy is available for downloading at http://www.purplerage.com/getpeer.

So, how many printers does your company own? How many people are on staff, and how many pages do they print each day? Do some people use those expensive color printers for everything they print? Try to add up the cost of paper, toner, ink cartridges, the maintenance, wear and tear on the equipment, and you begin to get the picture! Despite this huge expense and its impact on profits, most organisations both big and small just view it as “the cost of doing business” since it’s impossible to control without the right information and tools.

There is an easy solution to these “hidden” printing expenses. They can be easily managed – Print Manager Plus.

Print Manager Plus allows you to monitor Users, User Groups, and Printer usage for a complete print management solution. This system gives you control over these valuable resources, namely printers, paper and toner. No more wasted budget resulting from uncontrolled and irresponsible printing. You’ll be amazed how much you can save by just tracking this outflow.

Print Manager Plus allows you to monitor and reporting on all printing activity on a Windows NT/2000/2003 network. It will track pages being printed from Windows 2003/2000/NT 4.0, 3.51, Windows XP, Windows 98, Windows 95, Windows 3.1, DOS, Macintosh, UNIX (all flavors), and OS/2 clients.

Print Manager Plus installs in seconds on any Windows Print Server or Work Group and is so cost-effective it often pays for itself within 10 days. If you run on budgets and especially if you are responsible for printing, you need Print Manager Plus.

Print Manager Plus:

• Tracks, controls and reports printing usage and costs across networks.
• Budget or restrict users by dollar (or any currency) amount, number of pages per job, job size and file type.
• Restrict printers by number of pages per job, job size and file type.
• Complete cost and usage accounting.
• Complete reporting.
• Client Billing and Authentication Module available.
• Simple licensing. The product is licensed by print server. Each license covers UNLIMITED printers, users and workstations.

If you would like to learn more about what Print Manager Plus can do to hel;p you manage your printers more effectively, please visit http://www.purplerage.com/printmanagerplus. A 30-day trial is also available from our site at http://www.purplerage.com/download1.php?prod=080.

According to the 451 Group, industry trends point to the rapid evolution of the enterprise mobile laptop as a viable – and permanent – desktop replacement. “Mobile-enabled laptops are getting cheaper; wireless networks are becoming faster and more ubiquitous, and the suite of software needed to securely connect the mobile worker with the office, on the go, is rapidly solidifying.”

For some years IT organisations have focused on mobile, laptop-lugging workforces and the attendant security and data availability issues. As the laptop supplants the desktop, these issues can only be compounded.

How do mobile users or those who “take their work home with them” (even those who decide to take their work to the wi-fi enabled coffee shop on the first floor) keep their data backed up and just as importantly, synchronised? Transparently, consistently, reliably. Synchronisation is a particular challenge as entire business units are increasingly virtual, requiring seamless, real-time collaboration. With information stored on one’s laptop, what happens when that laptop is misplaced, stolen or tampered with?

Given the fluid nature of today’s workforce – with employees jumping from one company to another, what happens when an employee returns a company laptop with an erased hard drive? Presentations, contact information, key documents created, modified and housed on this laptop can be lost forever. These are just several of a number of scenarios that can put your data at risk.

Moreover, with all organisations making data availability a bottom line business imperative, having a backup/synchronisation scheme in place that is tailored to the way laptops are being used – both as mobile devices and, increasingly, as replacements for desktops – is critical.

PeerSync offers a seamless solution to allow mobile users to be backed up at all times, making sure data is constantly available in the event of a system failure. Below are some of the features offered:

* Automated bi-directional backup:
Backup your local files in Real-Time, on a Schedule or on Demand, to a network share device, or any device visible from the Windows machine, allowing for updates to be pushed and pulled from the backup location, based on latest updated file.

* File Revisioning:
Keep multiple versions of a file to allow for retrieval of previous file update.

* Deletion Archiving:
Empower users to store deleted files for x number of days in central location for later restore in the event of a mistaken deletion.

* Byte-Level replication:
Transfer only byte-level changes of a file to minimise bandwidth utilisation.

* Open/Locked Files replication:
Access and transfer locked files, such as PST files, without interrupting the user from using the files.

* TCP Replication :
Synchronise over the internet to a TCP target location.

* PeerSync Observer Enterprise Console:
Allow the Administrator to monitor the multiple PeerSync installations and their individual status to take action in the event of a PeerSync failure, or simply to review the ran backups for the individual users and groups.

If you have 10 or more laptops you need to protect, give us a call on 0871-2500058 (international +44-1684-576373) or email enquiries@purplerage.com so we can discuss your project and the availability of volume licensing.

There are full details on all of the features and modules available for PeerSync on the Purple Rage website at http://www.purplerage/peersync. There is also now a new feature we’ve created on the website so you can create your own quotation. If you’d like to try it out go to http://www.purplerage.com/peersync/quotation.php.

A recent study of 40,000 projects found that 66% of design projects completely fail or are late, over budget or missing critical features. The cost overruns average an alarming 43% according to the Standish Group International.

One factor that can contribute to these failures is geographical distance among project team members. Project teams now rarely have the luxury of working together in a single location. And they often lack even the assurance of having a stable team for the life of the project. Thus, as companies outsource more design and manufacturing services, their teams must find ways to work together across geographical and often company boundaries. Increasing this complexity is the large nature of design files created from computer aided design (i.e. “CAD”) systems, which necessitates that a local copy of such designs are kept at each office within a design team.

But when this is the goal, challenges arise:

• How do you ensure that when a designer is updating a file, another designer is not simultaneously making changes and creating version conflicts?
• How do you ensure that designers are working on the most up to date files, regardless of which office they are in?
• How do you replicate changes made on a large design file over a slow connection link?

Introducing the PeerSync Collaboration Package for CAD systems

The PeerSync Collaboration Package for CAD systems offers integrated File Synchronization and File Locking capabilities to meet these challenges and enable multi-location design teams for effective and efficient collaboration.

Typically, many different entities are involved in getting a building constructed, including building owners, users, financiers, design professionals and consultants on the many specialized component parts found in a building.

Collaboration techniques involving technological tools have been available and in use for many years now in various industries, generating a growing amount of information and experience about implementation issues and solutions to problems that have been faced and overcome, with varying degrees of success. An article appearing in the March 2006 edition of www.cadalyst.com contained a survey indicating that “94% of participants said they collaborate with others on project information, and 92% of those said this collaboration occurs at least once a week.” Moreover, “though just about everyone’s doing it, few are satisfied with their collaboration processes, with only 20% saying they are satisfied with their current approach.”

The PeerSync Collaboration Package for CAD systems provides the following benefits:

* Transparent file synchronization and file locking among N number of geographical office branches
* Bandwidth Usage Minimization, through Bandwidth Throttling and Byte Level replication
* Real-Time CAD File Transfer for fast recovery and usage
* Real-Time File Locking among branches
* Parallel File Processing

To find out more about PeerSync or to download a trial copy, please visit www.purplerage.com/peersync. If you would like to discuss your project with an engineer, please call 0871-2500058 (international: +44-1684-576343).

Data maintained and edited on laptops represent one of the largest data repositories for companies today, yet are the least protected digital asset. In fact, industry surveys show that up to 60% of corporate information is at risk.

Traditional back-up solutions have focused on the storage infrastructure within the confines of the data center and have neglected the storage capabilities resident outside that infrastructure. This problem has multiplied over recent years as computing power on mobile systems have grown exponentially and corporations have chosen laptops as desktop replacements to increase productivity through mobility. Traditional back-up solutions have not kept pace with these advancements due to the challenges created from mobility. For example:

• How do you handle the different connectivity states of a laptop user (i.e. “on net” when in the corporate office, “off net but connected remotely” when at home or in a hotel, and “temporarily disconnected” when working while on a flight)?
• How do you centrally configure, deploy and monitor a back-up solution in real time for a system that is constantly mobile?
• How do you ensure back-ups occur to the central corporate storage infrastructure without creating complex processes that require end-user actions?
• How do you ensure efficient and secure data transfer from anywhere in the world?

Introducing the PeerSync Laptop Backup Package

The PeerSync Laptop Backup Package for the Enterprise Mobile Workforce addresses each of these challenges and enables centralized configuration, deployment and monitoring of continuous data protection for laptops.

While there are many solutions and methodologies trying to address this need today, a comprehensive review of requirements should be made to ensure that any product chosen meets all the complex challenges presented from a mobile workforce.

With this in mind, the PeerSync Laptop Backup Package was created to include the following functionality:

* Centralized backup configuration and deployment
* Centralized monitoring console
* Backup auto-start with intelligent “connection” check (i.e. no end-user action required)
* Real-time event detection and back-up when connected
* Multiple Source / Target path configurations allowed
* Enterprise grade encryption for data transfer
* Byte-level replication
* Bandwidth throttling
* Open / locked file processing (e.g. Outlook .pst files)
* UNC Path, TCP/IP and FTP Support
* Transfer file ACLs
* Inadvertent file deletion protection
* Revision control
* Administrative and Email reporting
* Log files by job and by laptop
* Blackout schedule options

To find out more about PeerSync or to download a trial copy, please visit www.purplerage.com/peersync. If you would like to discuss your project with an engineer, please call 0871-2500058 (international: +44-1684-576343).

Parallels allows you to run Windows, Linux, and more side-by-side with Mac OS X on any Intel-powered Mac, without rebooting. With Parallels’ award-winning virtualization technology, you can run Mac OS X and your favorite Windows applications at the same time. You can even drag-and-drop files between desktops!

The latest release of Parallels Desktop for Mac comes packed with 50+ new features and enhancements, including SmartSelect, Snapshots, and 3D graphics. Learn more about the new capabilities in the latest release of this award-winning product.

With the latest version of Parallels, you can:

• Use Windows and Mac OS X at the same time… without rebooting
• Run Windows programs like native Mac applications with Parallels Coherence
• New! Open Windows files with Mac programs and Mac files in Windows programs with Parallels SmartSelect
• Share files and folders between Windows and Mac OS X
• New! Browse through Windows folders and access files without launching Windows with Parallels Explorer
• New! Run today’s most popular PC games on a Mac with support for 3D graphics
• Achieve maximum performance by leveraging Intel® Virtualization Technology
• New! Protect your Windows with Parallels Snapshots

To get more details or to download a free trial visit www.purplerage.com/parallels.

• Support for Windows Vista Operating Systems
• ByteReplicator*
• Admin/Email Reporting
• User Interface Display
• TCP WAN Connector
• and more…

This is a minor release of the PeerSync 7.3 version. Any user on versions 7.2 and below will first need to request an upgrade code to bring the license up to date. Please contact support for details.

* If you are using the ByteReplicator make sure you also download the latest release(v2.0.3) for your target machines. Again, please contact support for details of how to obtain the upgrade.

If you want to know more about PeerSync, please have a look on its product page.

Peer DRS now has a new independant management console to configure and control the service which is at the heart of the product. European as well as US date formats are now supported. Small Business Edition has been created which runs on all the SQL Server versions as the Standard edition, but with a few limitations:

• Maximum of 2 systems acting as source and target machines
• Maximum of 4 databases per source server
• Maximum of 1 warm standby target servers
• Transfers via SSH and SFTP are disabled

The good news is the price. Only £382 for the SBE, as opposed to £573 for the Standard. It’s hard to know how companies can do without Peer DRS. You get up to the minute protection, the ability to bring a warm standby on line within minutes, and be totally up to date. What more could an IT person need, apart from the resulting undisturbed nights’ sleep. More information can be found here.