Vallum Software announced the general availability of the Vallum GMI-Agent, a universal software agent that is now being offered in a free download package from the Vallum Application Exchange (VAX). The GMI-Agent is a network management tool delivered with encryption, plus a fully-exposed and documented application program interface (API). The Vallum GMI-Agent allows single network admins to issue multiple commands across thousands of systems with diverse, multiple software packages and architectures for enterprise updates or network device statuses.
The VAX, hosted on the Vallum Software website, is a software portal that provides additional free applications, including performance monitoring, scheduling, software distribution and remote shell capabilities. The GMI-Agent and accompanying applications install in seconds across a very narrow footprint and consume minimal resources. Prior experience with open-source developer tools led Vallum to produce ample documentation on the API, including how-to-build app documentation.
The universal agent (GMI-Agent) is part of our quest to simplify the management of IT,” said Tony Perri, Vallum founder and director of business navigation. “Software systems, even in a small enterprise are numerous, some with massive footprints and many have their own proprietary software agent. To execute a simple update or program across a small NOC requires a lot of resource executing commands across a lot of proprietary systems, each with their own software agent,” Perri added. “With a universal agent, one resource can update thousands of network computers with a few simple commands.
In May of 2013 Perri launched Vallum software with colleague and veteran software professional Lance Edelman. Both Edelman and Perri possess extensive backgrounds in enterprise software dating back to the mid-1990s working with independent software vendors (ISV) in the U.S. and abroad; Edelman in sales and product management, Perri in marketing and analyst relations. The fuel that fired Vallum and the VAX came from firsthand experience both had watching organizations purchase large software packages, yet having only the resources or time to deploy small pieces of those packages.
The existing IT Asset Management market is dominated by proprietary solutions that are expensive and bloated with functionality the customer may never need,” Edelman said. “The Vallum GMI Agent was designed to provide a cost effective solution where customers can pick the functionality they need, and then develop it if they have even the modest of resources.
With the Vallum GMI Agent, developers can create new applications that can be distributed in a similar fashion to the Android and Apple iOS exchanges. Because of GMI-Agent’s powerful yet simple framework, any network admin with minimal knowledge of the UNIX or Windows’ command prompt can easily administer it. Applications built on the GMI-Agent framework can easily be deployed or removed based on organizational needs.
Vallum will certify all applications for security and authentication, and once authenticated, developers can make them available through a number of global online exchanges, including the VAX. The simplicity of the Vallum framework vastly expands GMI-Agent capabilities while at the same time, extends its use across multiple market segments where organizations are currently forced to acquire and deploy individual solutions with proprietary agents.
