Samsung SyncThru Admin 5 excelled in BLI’s labs-based evaluation and has earned a Fall 2009 “Pick” as “Outstanding Network Device Management Solution.” SyncThru Admin 5 provides network administrators and help-desk staff with centralized management, maintenance, auditing and support capabilities for networked MFPs and printers. The utility, which is available as a free download from the company’s Web site, allows administrators to remotely discover devices on the network, quickly discern the status of devices and consumables, group devices for streamlined management, clone settings to like devices, distribute printer drivers over the network and update firmware. Users can also generate detailed reports showing device settings and usage.

“While all of the network device management utilities BLI has evaluated deliver the same basic discovery and monitoring capabilities, advanced features vary widely from one solution to the next,” said BLI Associate Editor Jamie Bsales. “Overall, Samsung SyncThru Admin 5 is superior to almost every other utility BLI has tested, and on par with the best in the class.”

BLI technicians were particularly impressed with the utility’s Dashboard top-level view, drag-and-drop functionality and customizable user interface. SyncThru Admin 5 can be accessed via a Web browser, and the utility works with networked and locally connected Samsung devices as well as SNMP-compliant output devices from other manufacturers. Two add-in modules expand the functionality of the core product. With the SyncThru Admin 5 Device Map Plug-in, administrators can organize devices based on location and create maps showing where each device is located. With the SyncThru Admin 5 Job Accounting Plug-in, users of the utility can track, analyze and allocate the costs of every document that any employee sends to any networked device. This can help a company eliminate unauthorized jobs, enforce quotas on color output, allocate output costs to departments or clients, and analyze exactly what jobs have been performed by the devices.

“We are honored that Buyers Lab has chosen Samsung SyncThru Admin 5 as the ‘Pick’ award winner for ‘Outstanding Network Device Management Solution’ for Fall 2009,” said YH Park, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Samsung Electronics’ Digital Printing Division. “SyncThru Admin 5 allows IT managers to easily manage and monitor all digital printing devices on the network. The award reflects our legacy of innovation to develop tools that help our customers improve the performance of their printing environment and decrease the time spent managing it. Customers can count on SyncThru Admin 5 for simpler operation and efficient print management in a more secure print environment.”

SyncThru Admin 5 earned an overall rating of 5 stars, as well as 5-star ratings in most of the categories BLI evaluated.

 

Twice a year with its “Pick” awards, BLI gives special recognition to the hardware and software products that provided the most outstanding performances in BLI’s exhaustive lab tests. For MFPs, printers, scanners, wide-format devices and digital duplicators, BLI’s awards stand alone in that they are based on a rigorous battery of lab tests that includes an extensive durability test, which uniquely qualifies BLI to assess reliability, which is a critical factor for buyers and IT directors.

Software solutions undergo an in-depth hands-on review that focuses on key attributes for a solution’s target market and compares how well the product stacks up against leading competitors. Pick winners rise above the competition in key areas such as value, feature set, ease of use, ease of administration, hardware compatibility, software integration, security and support.

Software solutions earn an overall rating based on a Five-Star scale, and “Pick” contenders are culled from those that earn the highest ratings. Consequently, a BLI “Pick” is a hard-earned award that buyers and IT directors can trust to better guide them in their acquisition decisions.