One unexpected benefit is that the new software supports patches for Windows 95 machines, of which the district still has 4,000. It has also reduced the time required to drive to schools to repair servers and desktops, a job shared by 15 IT workers, Bullock said. "It makes my job a lot easier and has saved us all hours of work," he said.

In all, there are about 10,000 PCs and servers in the district, which has 4,000 administrators and 33,000 students in 60 locations, Bullock said.

Having a single software agent instead of three is a "huge benefit," said Harry Butler, support center manager for EFW Inc., an electronics supplier in Fort Worth, Texas. Having three agents running on hundreds of machines was "a pain in the butt," Butler said. He has been testing the software since November on about 1,400 laptops, servers and desktops.

Butler also has found that he can combine information on all of the devices into a common database also used by CA software for service desk functions. "This cuts down the time it takes work service issues with clients."

Some IT workers are concerned the software will jeopardize their jobs, although managers have reassured them that they will administer the software, among other job functions, Butler said.