LogMeIn's new One2Many feature for its LogMeIn Central web-based management console lets IT admins do admin tasks to local or remote computers running LogMeIn Pro in bunches rather than one-at-a-time.There's no shortage of tools to remotely manage a PC -- reconfiguring, re-imaging, doing software updates, and the like -- and for SMBs, that's a good thing. Time to do IT tasks is precious enough that doing them from one desk -- and being able to multi-task while a given process is working to completion -- is important. And many users' PCs won't be in the same office, making remote control essential.

Many of the IT tasks apply to many-to-all of a company's computers.

LogMeIn, which makes remote access and desktop control software and web services, recently added the new One2Many feature to its LogMeIn Central web-based management console that IT in SMBs -- and larger companies -- will appreciate.

The LogMeIn Central management console works in conjunction with computers running LogMeIn Free or LogMeIn Pro, and with network devices running LogMeIn Hamachi; however, the new One2Many feature can only be used with systems running LogMeIn Pro.

Previously, LogMeIn Central could only remotely access and control a single PC per session (although an IT admin could crank open multiple sessions, each in their own browser window or tab).

One2Many lets an IT admin work on all, or a selected group, of a company's machines at the same time, rather than having to login to one and then another, or create and manage multiple per-machine sessions.

The target systems can be either on the same LAN, or off-LAN, as long as the systems are on the Internet, and there's enough bandwidth.

According to LogMeIn, One2Many lets IT admins do tasks on multiple machines including:

• Create, schedule and rollout automated tasks for updating and maintaining computers from virtually anywhere
• Quickly add, update, or remove software
• Simultaneously run scripts, batch updates, or remote commands
• Distribute files, updates and patches -- everything you need to administer a computer - like files, updates and patches
• Update registry settings or create custom packages for more advanced management

According to Andrew Burton, vice president, Access & Management, LogMeIn, "The new release adds automation of administrative and maintenance tasks that IT needs to do, so rather than logging into a bunch of computers, whether ten, a hundred or thousands, individually one at time. LogMeIn Central One2Many lets you automate the distribution, deployment and execution of scripts and commands, like scheduling defrag, scans, and backups. You can take almost any executable or MSI, distribute it to all your computers, and automatically run it, without being on that computer, have that install process complete, and get a report back, without having to go physically to those computers or log in to them."

And the time savings can be significant. "I've talked with around two dozen of our customers recently, and while they're each doing different sets of tasks, they all report that by using the One2Many feature, what used to take hours to do software updates now takes minutes," said Burton. "For example, twenty minutes instead of twenty hours to distribute software updates."

Enterprise tools are typically designed for on-LAN use, are very complex, and are expensive, claimed Burton. "The IT people we talk with have not found any comparable solution in terms of ease of use with multiple targets, on/off LAN." LogMeIn Central costs $299 per year, and can be used with an unlimited number of users and instances of LogMeIn Free or Pro. The new One2Many feature is available as part of LogMeIn Central, includng as a free update to existing LogMeIn Central Customers.