Intel's next network management outsourcing product for small businesses, scheduled to debut in October, will add Microsoft application monitoring, an Intel official says.

Intel InBusiness Remote Services Center version 2 will let VARs, acting as a company's virtual IT department, monitor Microsoft SQL Server, Internet Information Server and Access; as well as Word and Excel, by parameters including response time and lockups. The product targets companies with 200 nodes or less. Version 1, which shipped in February, monitors servers and PCs on NT or Novell networks.

"We're getting much more into the business application space in addition to the hardware and network space," says Steve Quane, product line manager at Intel.

Intel sells Remote Services Center to VARs, which include the product within broader service agreements. The current product monitors system parameters including disk space and CPU utilization, alerts VARs when statistics fall outside acceptable boundaries, and enables remote repairs.

As more small companies depend on Web, database, and application servers for mission-critical E-business functions, they've asked for unified management, according to Quane. "VARs would rather say, 'I'll keep your business up and running,' as opposed to, 'I'll just keep up your network, PCs, and servers'," he says. Beta testing on version 2 is scheduled to begin in mid-August.

In addition, the forthcoming release will let VARs keep more detailed account histories and billing records of remote activities. The software will deposit information to an Intel Web site which technicians may access.