FullArmor, a leader in enterprise policy management, today announced that it has released for public preview a beta version of AppPortal, a software + services solution that enables organizations to deploy and manage App-V virtual applications through a cloud-based service or through internal infrastructure. AppPortal running on Windows Azure is a complete virtual application lifecycle management system that can be implemented without any capital expenditures in datacenters, servers, or traditional system management software. For organizations that choose to operate AppPortal on internal infrastructure, AppPortal delivers the same capabilities with the added benefit of running in their own environment.
From a web based Silverlight console, AppPortal allows IT administrators to centrally manage or provide self-service capabilities for deploying App-V virtual applications to endpoints. In many organizations today the user is often empowered to add applications to their own systems as they need them. With AppPortal that flexibility is preserved by allowing the user to visit a web page and “check out” applications from a list of approved products. For example, IT administrators can push virtual applications down to select groups to run in standalone mode, and also upload a white list catalog of virtual applications to AppPortal which can be made available to select groups on a self service basis.
Whether App-V virtual applications are pushed down or self selected by a user, AppPortal simplifies and centralizes updates and management of these applications. “Our goal with AppPortal is to help customers reduce the cost of managing App-V software on their endpoints,” said Danny Kim, CTO of FullArmor. “We believe that giving our customers flexibility and choice is key. If they don’t have a robust infrastructure, we can provide AppPortal on Windows Azure as a service. If they have the infrastructure to run AppPortal internally, they can do that as well.”
To maintain control over rogue or unauthorized applications, AppPortal provides black listing capabilities so that administrators can detect unapproved installations and enforce IT policies. AppPortal also maintains detailed usage and tracking information on all applications to simplify license management. Finally, AppPortal manages the App-V client to optimize the performance of virtual applications on the endpoint.
“FullArmor has built a robust App-V management platform that leverages Windows Azure to deliver a cloud-based solution or an enterprise solution running on the customer’s own infrastructure,” said Karri Alexion-Tiernan, Director of Product Management for App-V. “Innovations like AppPortal from FullArmor demonstrate the strength of our application development partner ecosystem and how they are extending Microsoft technology for the benefit of customers.”