END USER COMPUTING 
SLAM | Service Management | Data Intelligence| End User Computing |EATS
Desktop Services
The end game is to provide an automated and commoditised computing environment where users have “ready” access to their data,
applications and settings from any device within your organisation. Regardless as to whether the device is delivered directly from the manufacturer
pre-configured or already pre-existing, the configuration and management of the device must be automated and consistent to minimise hands
on third party intervention.
In addition, it is important that you define what constitutes your desktop. Is it device or your entire workgroup platform? The most common calls to your help desk are most likely one or a combination of the following:
- Password resets
- Printing problems
- Email issues
- Storage capacity issues including file inaccessibility
The above issues may have nothing to do with your desktop operating platform at all. You need to seriously ask yourself why you need to standardise the same way you have always done in the past.
There is now an appetite to virtualise desktop platforms and in some cases this is an effective strategy however the feasibility of such an approach is heavily weighted on the current state assessment even though the target end state looks attractive. In many cases it is, but transition costs may outweigh the benefit. You will be hard pressed to find other IT service providers able to address the needs in an innovative way.
Our consultants address the desktop requirements of client organisations at 3 levels:
- Environment architecture (high level view)
- Desktop Management and Process Issues (at the technical coalface)
- Project / BAU cycle (at the technical and business interface)
Environment Architecture
- Investigate and document the current state of the desktop infrastructure – we have tools that are able to audit and track what is being installed on people’s PCs and we can audit without deploying additional software onto your desktop devices and file servers (you need to audit both)
- Application analysis. This is typically what drives the need for costly Standard or Managed Operating Environments due to the age of the applications. We have some of the best people able to diagnose and offer strategies as to how these are best handled. Virtualisation may or may not help here.
- Design a target architecture that best suits these needs taking into account the state of the backbend infrastructure that devices are required to connect to
- Perform a gap analysis between the current state and the target architecture.
- Establish a program of work to transition the organisation to the target state – timing is critical in this program of work
Desktop Process Issues
- Perform a process analysis – how are devices currently being deployed and supported?
- Review the resource conflict between the need for some users requiring the latest software editions in order to undertake their job function whilst maintaining support for some legacy applications that are yet to be certified to operate on that platform.
- How to best manage the current state (which may involve a number of concurrent operating environments already) whilst still delivering new business or infrastructure initiatives (desktop or others that ultimately do impact the desktop)
- The need to shorten the provisioning time lines.
- Reduce the risk of new deployments or upgrades (including analysing what is being stored on local devices)
- Define the lifecycle management process of hardware and software.
Project / BAU Cycle
- Analyse the most efficient way to deliver a one time step change project to eliminate the need to undertake costly large scale mass deployments in the future.
- Identify the best of breed solution and services.
- Assist in the development of business cases.
- Project manage the initiatives into the organisation
If you would like additional information, please register your interest by visiting the Registration page.
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