Manual desktop management is inefficient

Matt Fisher puts automated desktop management at the top of the list when aiming for improved IT efficiency

For those charged with delivering effective IT, efficiency means ensuring systems are available, that staff are productive and that external customers are satisfied with the services they are receiving.

For many organisations, the next 24 months will see Windows 7 adoption continue to rise, Office 2010 appear, and many large-scale hardware and software refreshes. Any and all of these may divert IT staff away from other pressing issues.

It’s undoubtedly a challenge to get considerably more efficient, yet implement these sweeping changes on top of current infrastructure – but, of course, such a challenge brings opportunities to the channel.

So how can organisations achieve greater efficiency in the face of added complexity with the help of the channel?

In my opinion, desktop management is often neglected, yet critical to efficient IT. Manual desktop management can be rather inefficient and has scope for human error.

When automated, users can create, deploy and manage entire desktop systems from a central console. This can save money, while ensuring that systems are available when they are needed most and that critical IT issues do not get in the way of computer users maintaining maximum productivity.

The resource freed enables managers to plan more accurately for migrations and rollouts, better understand the current status of the network (including the location and configuration of software and hardware assets) and employ a structured and centralised mechanism for deploying new machines, operating systems and applications.

Previously complex and troublesome tasks, such as selecting the right drivers for different hardware configurations and checking that installs do not create conflicts, is done automatically.

This saves time and reduces the likelihood of failed deployments. Automating desktop management could be one of the largest cost savings a partner or reseller could deliver, in my opinion, and could go a long way to making customer IT more efficient.

Matt Fisher is director at FrontRange Solutions