Rather than sending out CD's and license key-codes to every end-user that has a need for a new piece of licensed software, our company has been experimenting with a program called Install Solutions Suite in order to remotely install the software. The way it is supposed to work is that we have a central server with the programs on it we need, we send the end-user an exe file, and when they run it, it installs the software on the computer. However, we are having difficulties running this application through certain firewalls and some home networks.

So I want to ask the TechSpot community if anyone has experience with any other software or services that solves the problem we are having. As we all know, when you send CD's and/or key codes out, software piracy runs rampant. The goal is to allow the IT department to install any piece of software on any PC or laptop remotely, be they in the building or on th other side of the country in a Starbucks.

Thanks in advance.

follow the MS Update technique;

1. access the support web server
2. select updates (or automate)
3. user click then PULLS package to local system
4. install is then run whenever desired

the HTML/PULL will always punch thru firewalls as it runs from the same port 80.

if you wish to control who gets updates, you have the registration in a backend database
and the user-id + registration-info allows download

this is pure web service programming and if you can create software for CD distribution, then this is a piece of cake

We do not want the end user to be able to be able to just download and install any software they feel like having at any time. We in IT need to have complete control over the process of who gets software and when.

you only need authentication; a user login + product activation key to be used
to access the support page(s).

you could even use an email link to cause specific updates to be announced (and subsequently) made available.