If cars were sold in the same way as software, you would have to hook your Mondeo to the internet and download the latest code update before you left the garage. Managing software patches across an organisation can be one of the biggest headaches for IT departments, but luckily there are products to help.

According to Mark Nicolett, a research director at Gartner, there are three main types of patch management tool. The first, supplier-specific utilities, manage patches for a single company's product set. The second, software distribution systems, fold patch management into a wider set of software management functions such as asset management, complete application roll out and configuration, and helpdesk systems.

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