Thursby Software Systems today released ADmitMac 5.0 and DAVE 8.0, upgrades to Mac OS X networking software for Windows Active Directory and file- and print-sharing compatibility. The new versions now run in Snow Leopard in both 64-bit and 32-bit mode. ADmitMac 5.0 also adds the ability for Windows administrators to manage Macs running ADmitMac using Windows group policies, without requiring anything to be installed on Windows servers or management stations.

DAVE implements two-way SMB/CIFS file and print sharing on the Mac, with features not in Apple's Samba implementation in Mac OS X. ADmitMac includes all of the functionality of DAVE, plus client-side Active Directory integration without the need of Mac OS X Server or schema changes.

ADmitMac 5.0 can enforce many Windows group policies for establishing network connections. ADmitMac 5.0 comes with Windows group policy templates that can be used to add to the number of Mac attributes that can be managed with Active Directory. It can also encrypt all network traffic to and from the Mac. Administrators can also use Apple's Workgroup Manager to manage Macs running ADmitMac.

The SMB/CIFS file and print sharing in DAVE and ADmitMac is the only client-side software that implements Microsoft's Distributed File System (DFS) for accessing Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008. Unlike the built-in Samba client in Mac OS X, Thursby's SMB/CIFS client does not leave extra files on Windows servers.

Upgrades are free for customers with active Support and Upgrade Agreements, and for anyone who purchased ADmitMac 4 or DAVE 7 licenses on or after August 1, 2009.