Does anybody knows about BigFix Consumer Edition, specially about privacy questions and effectiveness?
Description of the service
No matter how obscure the problem with your computer is, chances are that someone has both had the problem and figured out the solution. BigFix helps to prevent computer problems by finding and alerting you to patches, security fixes, and the like–hopefully before any problems arise.
After you download the application, a BigFix icon will reside in your system tray. Once in the tray, BigFix automatically gathers information about the latest bugs, security alerts, and updates from BigFix sites around the Internet. A flashing icon lets you know if any of these found fixes apply to your system. You can then read a list of these problems, and when you click on a ‘Fixlet’ message, you learn about the nature of a particular problem. The Fixlet message contains an action button, a one-click solution to the problem. Action buttons can automatically apply any fix, however complicated, including installing a new security patch or fixing an incorrect Registry entry.
Note: This version is free for personal use only. Business users may download a trial of the professional version, BigFix Patch Manager, from the vendor’s site.
Sounds like a good program to have. I have not heard anything about it Technical. If you try it please let us know what you think of it. I usually seem to Beta test programs and I just might download it and see how it operates. Thanks for the information.
Edit: I went to the site, read up on some of it. From what I can see if you download their program it basically is a P2P program it looks like to me. So, I may just forget about this one. See what anyone else thinks. Here is some of what I read:
“The BigFix Agent runs the action, downloading any patch or other software required. The BigFix Administrative Console receives real time feedback from each computer as the BigFix Agent runs the action to remediate the issue. At any time, the state of the entire enterprise can be viewed from any Web browser using BigFix Web Reports. This interface allows authorized BigFix Administrative Console operators to monitor remediation efforts, create reports and produce asset inventories based on current information across hundreds of thousands of networked computers.”
I’ve tried it and I liked it, its like going to windows update but in a smaller window, I cant remember much about it because i tried it a few years ago
The question is where do you need updates for? Let us see:
av software, firewall (if you have a software one), drivers, windows.
All these are already have a option to check for newer vresion build in, so why needing a third party uitl for it. Waste of resources if you ask me.
Tonight, I was doing some upgrade & security work on several of my sister’s business & home computers. Two of those were emachines. I found out that BigFix comes standard on emachine computers … or did when these were bought about 1 year ago.
BTW, the NAV had run dead on one of the emachines. So, I uninstalled that crap and added avast!4 Home to that one. I’ll do the same to that other emachine when NAV runs dead in one more month. I also removed McAfee from an HP and added avast!4 Home to that one also.
It seems more of a “no brainer” patch update warning system for system builders. Emachines etc. to save on service support calls. Only privacy issues that would concern me would be the third parties they are involved with as the initial agreement on install would be with BigFix and not them…
I agree with Eddy, most of us who are aware of security issues wouldn’t need it running in the background.
I can’t find anything on the company website about privacy issues, which might fall foul of E.U. business practice for E.U. users, but obviously isn’t relevant to other countries.
Though one of their products might make some think twice about the company model
Thanks, inthewildteam.
I’ll read that article later…
Now I’m finishing avast 4.5 translation ;D
Have you already seen the new ‘Settings’ in my signature ???
Here is some of what I read:
