QED Omni Manager FAQs
Q1. What is QED Omni Manager?
Omni Manager is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) offering for the information security market. Omni Manager offers all the essential security applications in one hosted, subscription-based service, including e-mail and Internet filtering and blocking, anti-virus, instant messaging control, application usage monitoring, policy management and reporting. ROI is delivered in the form of improved employee productivity, cost savings and operational efficiencies.
Q2. What benefits will our business gain by using Omni Manager?
Business advantages:
- Time and cost savings
- Save time researching, deploying and managing an information security infrastructure
- Cost-effective per seat licensing, yet still provides enterprise features and functionality
- Omni Manager is up and running in minutes – no long deployment cycles
- Reduces IT management time, since staff is not supporting and managing a myriad of software applications
- Reduces operating and maintenance costs due to hosted platform
- Omni Manager lowers management and operating expenses over the long term, since IT staff time is not used up supporting and managing a myriad of software applications.
- Increase in organizational security and policy compliance
- Minimization of exposure to legal liabilities via policy enforcement
- Maximization of employee productivity by controlling use of non-work related web sites and applications
- Visibility and insight into employee production, creating employee accountability
- Omni Manager provides a security ‘umbrella’ that covers geographically dispersed networks, workers and IT assets.
Technical advantages:
- One solution to implement and manage, versus multiple applications from multiple vendors
- Delivered over the Internet – no hardware or equipment to purchase or install
- Protects computers whether they are on or off the company intranet
- Centralized creation, deployment and enforcement of company security policies on all systems at all locations via a web-based portal
- Real-time, at-a-glance reports on every user and hardwired or wireless machine on the network, regardless of their physical or geographic location
Q3. How does QED Omni Manager actually work?
Omni Manager is a combination of both end point software client and hosted Service. The client resides on the target machines and provides the protection and data collection, while a web-based hosted service provides the interface for setting and managing policies and reports. When connected to the Internet, the client automatically receives new policies, updates and antivirus/spyware signatures without the need for any user intervention. The organization receives real-time user activity back from the clients - providing constant monitoring and a ‘whole world’ view regardless of the end point’s location, connectivity or time.
Q4. How does Omni Manager protect me on and offline?
When connected to the Internet, the Omni Manager client constantly communicates with the central databases and receives the latest policy and antivirus updates. Upon receipt, the client incorporates the updates as its latest operating profile. This ‘profile’ then continues to control the user activity until it is next updated. The client continues to operate according to its latest profile whether it is on or off line.
Q5. What size is the QED Omni Manager Client and how can I deploy it to my computers?
The Omni Manager Client lies at the heart of the system. It provides the protection to the target end point machines based on the latest policies provided by the central servers. In addition, the client collects the data that forms the basis of the QED reports. The client is approximately 3.8MB in size. The client can be deployed in a number of ways. It can be downloaded from the web/email etc, installed from a CD or distributed using the web-based deployment tools that are integrated within the Omni Manager Control Center. Using a simple directory ‘plug in’ administrators can remotely deploy clients via the web to any machine listed within their domains.
Q6. How will I receive any future upgrades to the Omni Manager Client software?
Automatically. Each time the client connects to the internet, it will check for the latest updates/upgrades and new updates are made available immediately to the client.
Q7. How much bandwidth does the Client use when communicating?
Each installed client generates approximately 40k of traffic per hour or 320K per working day.
Q8. Am I legally allowed to monitor/record details of my employee’s activities?
The simple answer is yes, but there are major legal implications that you must be aware of. A balance must be drawn between an obvious business requirement to protect your IT assets from Internet threats and/or abuse and the rights of the employee. Monitoring your employees' email and Internet use is an emotive issue – and one that can damage employee relations even when lawfully carried out. You must inform your employees if you intend to monitor their Internet and email use. Every company should design and implement a written acceptable use policy that is included within all employment contracts. Consulting your own legal counsel is the only proper way to make sure you are staying within appropriate legal boundaries.
Q9. How is the data sent back from our computers to the QED databases, and how secure is it?
The Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) servers provide the basic connectivity between the hosted service and the QED Clients. This protocol provides a simple communication mechanism that runs over standard ports and through Proxies. The protocol runs over SSL (Secure Socket Layer) - SSL creates a secure connection between a client and a server, over which any amount of data can be sent securely. This transmission process mirrors the one used by banks and credit card companies for on line transactions.
