Intuit launches Windows patch tool

Jumping into the Windows patch management fray, Intuit on Tuesday announced a software tool aimed at smaller businesses.

The Track-It Patch Manager is designed to help information technology managers install security updates to Microsoft's operating system on networks belonging to small and midsize businesses, or at units of larger companies.

Several other companies, including LANDesk and Altiris, sell Windows patch management products. Microsoft itself offers a free patch management tool called Software Update Services.

Patch Manager, like other Track-It products, comes out of Intuit's IT Solutions group. Last week, the Mountain View, Calif.-based company said it plans to sell that unit and focus on its core QuickBooks, Quicken and TurboTax products for financial management.

The new patch product can schedule scans of PCs in a network to see if fixes have been applied, then install missing patches and reboot machines, Intuit said in a statement. The product also displays information on patches, lets administrators decide which patches should be installed automatically and provides reporting capabilities.

Patch Manager is available now to users of Intuit's Track-It, Deploy and Network Monitor customers. A stand-alone trial version can be downloaded from the Intuit Web site. Pricing varies, depending on installation.