BANGALORE, INDIA: SanDisk Corporation has announced version 3.0 of its CMC (Central Management & Control) software for managing SanDisk’s secure Cruzer Enterprise USB flash drives.

CMC transforms portable storage into a mobility and productivity asset by giving IT departments a powerful tool for lifecycle management of Cruzer Enterprise drives – including deployment throughout the organization, password recovery and renewal through the network, central back-up and restore, central usage tracking, and remote termination of lost drives.

With version 3.0, CMC gains additional strength through new features that include:

Application distribution. CMC 3.0 allows central distribution of productivity applications to Cruzer Enterprise drives through the network, with new applications appearing in the Cruzer Enterprise launchpad, easily accessed through an icon in the system tray. This makes it possible to rapidly introduce new applications, without users having to initiate an installation process or having to bring their drives to the IT department. 

License management. CMC now keeps track of application and seat licenses on Cruzer Enterprise drives. This reduces the burden of tracking software usage. 

Streamlined deployment and user provisioning. Cruzer Enterprise drives can now be remotely configured from any corporate PC without requiring pre-installation of a software agent. This contributes to overall user productivity and shrinks the time and effort required to add new drives, especially in large organizations with multiple locations and many remote workers. 

Expanded reports. IT administrators can create pre-defined reports on user activity, and have access to a wizard for creating dynamic reports on demand. This gives the IT department new tools for uncovering violations of the organization’s data security policies, and for providing confirmation of regulatory compliance through an enhanced audit trail. 

Improved password policy control. Passwords can now be set to expire after a number of days selected by the IT department. This increases security by reducing the risk of unauthorized users gaining access to longstanding passwords. CMC 3.0 also offers the option of synchronizing with Active Directory password policies. 

CMC 3.0 is expected to be available in the third quarter, with pricing provided on request to enterprise clients. 

“CMC is at the center of SanDisk’s mission to make flash memory the preferred solution for authentication, workspace virtualization and endpoint security,” said Etti Berger, Product Marketing Manager for CMC in SanDisk’s Enterprise Division. “We recognize that IT departments aren’t interested in new technologies that place additional demands on their time – no matter how compelling in theory. So we focused on adding features to CMC 3.0 that reduce the effort required to manage secure flash drives and therefore allow easy enterprise-wide implementation.”

Cruzer Enterprise protects all files stored on the drive with advanced hardware-based 256-bit AES encryption and mandatory password protection. Data is doubly protected with Cruzer Enterprise and CMC – files are protected from unauthorized users if the drive is lost or stolen, and the backup feature of CMC makes it simple for the IT department to provision a new drive with the files from the missing drive. 

SanDisk, a global leader in USB flash drives, is driving the convergence of secure portable storage, identity management and virtualization through its Enterprise Division to create a comprehensive solution for mobile professionals in enterprises and government agencies. Today, SanDisk's Enterprise Division offers solutions for securely storing and managing enterprise data, within and outside the enterprise environment. With the upcoming introduction of virtualization and identity and management capabilities, SanDisk expects to allow IT managers to boost employee productivity by mobilizing the corporate computing environment through flexible, secure solutions that also reduce total cost of ownership.