How can I message intranet users to refrain from using client apps?

Solution 1:

net send * "This is a message."

Solution 2:

Beyond the obvious observation that fixing your infrastructure so that the database can support the number of users you have is the real solution, I think the "net send" approach is the fastest way to do this. If you have message pop-ups blocked, you might want to investigate setting up some instant messaging service (if allowed). It can have other advantages that will last beyond your immediate problem. If all of those fail, at least simplify your life by setting up a phone tree so that the number of calls you make is small and people get them quicker. Mailing lists (email) may also work, but delivery is asynchronous and I'm not sure how quickly you need to get the message out.

Solution 3:

I googled for "net send alternative" and I found this at the expert-exchange.com:

Hi,

theres quite a few application out there to use finding teh right one for you will obviously involve you needing to scheck them out but for what you are looking to do you could use

http://www.vitalsoundlab.com/

there is free software on here for network chat and it has system tray capability. You would be able to disable other users from editing etc by employing group policy or permssion out the executable

Hope that helps.

Solution 4:

Most phone systems should have a broadcast functionality, if not by standard PA speaker, at least with recorded message hunt-and-replay.

Is this a single office or several? Thought about a sound system if it doesn't already exist? Mobile phone text messages could also be used if employees have them.

Otherwise, non-optional IM like Office Communications Server with Communicator deployed by policy to all desktops would be my suggestion, and it's usually a great productivity booster, especially if you use Outlook and share at least a few Word or Excel documents between users now and then.

If you can kill the connections, just "pull the plug" on the network segment or simply block the specific traffic of this application towards the server on a network level?

Just saw your "changing settings on all machines is out" - why is that? It's hard to manage a network without that kind of basic control - that would need to be fixed first in my opinion. At the lowest simplest level it's a list of client host names or IP addresses, a share the machines have access to hosting the scripts and tools like psexec, and a script or two looping through the machine list executing your configuration change. If it's a Windows shop, the next level is Active Directory and built-in group policies.

Also, is this application and database unsupported by the vendor? That seems like a way too big risk to have sitting around, have it replaced. This seems to be a non-technical problem in the end.