Apple debuts Remote Desktop 3

Apple today announced Apple Remote Desktop 3, the third generation of Apple’s award-winning desktop management software. Building on Mac OS X version 10.4 “Tiger” innovations such as Spotlight, Dashboard and Automator, Apple Remote Desktop 3 is a Universal application optimized to take advantage of the power of Intel-based Macs with more than 50 new features that deliver improvements in software distribution, asset management and remote assistance.

Apple Remote Desktop 3 offers a wide range of high performance desktop management features including lightning-fast Spotlight searches across multiple Tiger systems; over 30 Automator actions for easily automating repetitive system administration tasks; a Dashboard Widget that provides quick and convenient observation of remote systems; and AutoInstall for installing software automatically on mobile systems when they return online.

Other new features in Apple Remote Desktop 3 include:

System Status Indicators that let administrators quickly check the overall health of multiple systems at a glance;

Power Copy files up to 11 times faster than with Apple Remote Desktop 2;

Remote Drag and Drop files and folders between local and remote computers;

Remote Copy and Paste for simple transfer of text and images between local and remote computers;

Persistent Task History and Task Templates to make it easy to save and replicate repetitive tasks;

Curtain Mode to hide the desktop of a system while it is being controlled remotely;

Application Usage and User History Reports to track software compliance and monitor the use of unauthorized applications;

Smart Computer Lists for dynamically managing systems based on specified criteria; and

AES 128-bit encryption for secure communications between Apple Remote Desktop 3 and clients.

Apple Remote Desktop 3 is available immediately for $299 (US) for managing up to 10 systems and $499 (US) for managing an unlimited number of systems.