Apple Upgrades Desktop Management Product

Apple Computer on Tuesday unveiled the third generation of its desktop management software, which has been updated to run on the new Intel Macs.

Apple Remote Desktop 3 includes more than 50 new features that improve on software distribution, asset management and remote assistance, the Cupertino, Calif., computer maker said.

Improvements include the ability to search across multiple OS X 10.4 "Tiger" systems and more than 30 automated actions for handling repetitive system administration tasks. There's also a Dashboard Widget for observing remote systems, and an automatic-install feature for mobile systems returning online.

Remote Desktop 3 pricing starts at $299 for managing 10 systems and $499 for managing an unlimited number of systems. The software runs on Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later.