Mobile Manageability in Low-Power and Operating- System-Absent States

Before the advent of Intel® vProTM technology, there was no complete solution for managing mobile computers (laptops) remotely while the computer was not powered on or was without a functional operating system (OS). With the deployment of Intel vPro technology, however, a comprehensive enterprise-focused mobile manageability capability in low-power states and OS-absent states became available for the first time. In this article we examine the evolution of remote manageability of computers in low-power states, and we show how Intel vPro technology comes full circle in addressing the shortcomings of pre-existing technologies for remote management of mobile computers. A Note on Terminology This article makes frequent use of the term “platform.” This term is used when we refer to the insides of a computer—the aggregate of all the computer’s physical components, their states, and their behaviors. The term “computer” is used when the emphasis is on the end-user’s or Information Technology (IT) department’s usage of the box that encases the platform. In certain cases, these terms are interchangeable.