The market segment includes software solutions that help IT with PC lifecycle management, including capabilities that automate operating systems (OS) deployment, software distribution and systems management, and those that provide visibility into the state of each corporate-owned PC.

Forrester evaluated HP's current offering, strategy and market presence for client management suites against 98 criteria. According to the report, "HP held top scores in all key areas."

"As a top vendor in the IT management market, HP understands what enterprises need from their management solutions," wrote Natalie Lambert, senior analyst, Forrester Research, and author of the reports. "HP Configuration Management offers a comprehensive client management suite, including full capabilities in the areas of software, OS, and systems management. … Most important is HP's ability to maintain the desired state of managed machines through its identity-based policy management capabilities. These capabilities assure that users have the necessary applications and settings when logging into their machine."

The Forrester report states that "one of the biggest challenges for today's IT operations group is the management of an increasingly distributed and heterogeneous environment."

HP Configuration Management runs on Windows® and UNIX® servers and can support multiple types of Windows, Linux and UNIX workstations, which makes it ideal for multi-platform organizations. According to the report, the product is an especially good fit for buyers that manage large, distributed and heterogeneous environments.

"Automation of the configuration workflow enables our customers to deliver business services faster and more reliably in an increasingly challenged IT operations environment," said Michel Feaster, director, Change and Configuration Center, Software, HP. "We are proud to be recognized by Forrester as a leading provider of client management suites."-HP