Patch management is the process of monitoring the software inventory changes on a variety of computers, notifying administrators of vulnerabilities and providing the means and path to deploy patches.

Code Red, Nimda, SQL Slammer… these are a few of the malicious codes, which exploited vulnerabilities in software codes and wreaked havoc in the networks across the world. The SQL Slammer took just 10 minutes to bring the Internet down to its knees. Patches for the vulnerabilities exploited by these codes were available well before these worms came into existence. 90% of break-ins could have been avoided if the company had loaded the latest patches.

Gartner estimates that IT managers now spend up to two hours each day managing patches. "The number of patches released makes it almost imperative to employ automated solutions to keep patch levels current."