If you can't piece together basic English, I don't trust your opinion on anything else.

Schneier is, in my opinion, a much more reputable source than the New York Times.

You can also use psexec to run VBS scripts, or VBS scripts with user escalation (your users are running as users and not local admins, right? :P) compiled into an exe via Visual Studio Express.

Alternatively OP could ask for an agent based system such as Kaseya, Altiris, etc.

I really don't understand why a company would ban GPOs, however. That just reeks of incompetent management.

You're not allowed to use GPOs? Why not?

Some of the micropayments concepts are particularly interesting, because we're literally talking about nickels and dimes.
"Add $50 funds for 5000 News!"
"Read this article for 2 News!"
I actually suspect that it would work quite well, but it's very foreign.

It also saves on HW - assuming you are the one service per OS/instance type.

You seriously recommend a WRT54 for an *office* with 150 users?

That is truly the worst advice I've heard in months. Congratulations.

That was what I thought at first glance, but no it is definitely referring to the architecture. (hence the forming relationships with vendors).

Core 2 Duo x128 around the corner?

Do you know the definition of "straw man fallacy" by chance?

My life story.

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