Now does Time Machine, extended attributes, more

Taking note of a recent Forrester Research report that enterprises will spend 45 percent more on Macs and 68 percent more on iPads in the corporate sector compared to 2011, GroupLogic has updated its flagship ExtremeZ-IP program that allows for easy integration of Macs into existing Windows-based server environments. The new version adds full support for Lion and the Apple Filing Protocol (AFP), including Time Machine and OS X extended attributes.

Having full support for AFP allows ExtremeZ-IP to support features such as the "reconnect" facility that allows Macs to seamlessly reestablish connectivity and authentication to remote volumes without data loss. The program also supports manipulation of Windows Access Control Lists (ACLs) and integration between Network Spotlight for the Mac and Windows Search on servers.

ExtremeZ-IP also now further Active Directory integration, including long and encrypted passwords even going back to Mac OS 9, password expiration notification, home directory support and support for disk quotas. Via its own "Zidget," the program lets administrators completely eliminate the "chatty" AppleTalk protocol from the network, but still use printer "zones" for legacy AppleTalk services, and work around limitations of the Bonjour services on the WAN.

The company is marketing the new version as being the best-positioned option for enterprise adoption of Macs and iOS devices, with over 12 years of experience integrating Macs into Windows infrastructure. The new version focuses on performance optimizations, along with reliability and compatibility improvements.

Customers already under a maintenance contract with GroupLogic can upgrade to ExtremeZ-IP for free, and a free trial is available for new customers. Licenses can be purchased as subscription licensing or perpetual licensing, and licenses start at $800.

by MacNN Staff