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Desktop Management: Saving Your Small Business Resources!

Table of Contents able to perform administrative functions
from their office as if they were sitting
Introduction............................. in front of the PC of remote and mobile
..........................1 workers.When considering how to implement
Importance of PC desktop management best practices,
Management.........................1 companies need to acquire management
Effective PC tools to automate the management tasks.
Management............................... Companies can license tools and build an
..2 in-house management infrastructure,
Alternatives for Acquiring Good Tools: access management tools through a hosted
Build, Software as a Service, Software as a Service (SaaS) model, or
Outsource................................ outsource the entire desktop management
..................................2 process. Each of these alternatives is
Building an Internal PC Management explored in more detail below.
Infrastructure.....3 Alternatives for Acquiring Good Tools:
Software as a Build, Software as a Service, Outsource
Service.................................. A company with as few as 2-20 employees
.................3 can struggle
Outsourced PC with manual desktop management
Management............................... processes. The moredesktops to be managed
.........4 and the more mobile and remote workers to
Morton & Morton's support, the more difficult it becomes to
Perspective.............................. deliver good service with manual
.....4Introduction processes. The severity of issues that
Personal computers have delivered on the can arise from poor PC management
promise of productivity for knowledge requires that the problem be taken
workers. As a consequence, desktop and seriously and therefore automation should
laptop computers have proliferated to be given significant consideration.There
almost every knowledge worker in a are now many options available to
company. Advances in network bandwidth automate some or all of the PC management
and the availability of wireless functions, and some of these options are
connectivity options have radically cost effective even for small and medium
increased the number of home and remote sized companies. However, tool selection
workers. However, the increased use of should be made carefully to ensure that
personal computers and remote access has the necessary functions are addressed by
added significant workload and the tool, to keep training time to a
coordination to the already busy IT minimum and to avoid selecting a tool
schedule.For many companies, desktop that requires more effort to administer
management is not a core competency and than it saves. As with any decision, all
there are other IT tasks that are of the alternatives should be considered
considered mission critical or more before making the decision. PC management
strategic. Yet for many knowledge is no different, and it can be
workers, the desktop is mission critical. accomplished through several approaches:
Schedules, correspondence, contact management tools deployed in-house to
lists, presentations and work in progress internally manage PCs (the "build"
all live in the desktop for most office approach), using a Software as a Service
workers. Take away the desktop and work hosted management tool with internal
stops until the desktop is back up and staff, and outsourcing the management of
running.Most small and medium businesses PCs to a third party.Building an Internal
do not have the IT staff and tools to PC Management Infrastructure
treat desktop management issues with the This traditional approach to management
attention they deserve. IT shops in small involves identifying tools to purchase,
and medium sized companies are generally purchasing those tools, deploying the
over-taxed and doing the best they can to tools, training IT staff on how to
keep the IT infrastructure running effectively use the newly deployed
smoothly. Budgets are much smaller than management tools, and staffing
those of their large enterprise sufficiently to manage the PC
counterparts, staffing is limited, and infrastructure on an ongoing basis. One
toolsets are few and far between. Too of the advantages of this approach is
often manual processes and "just enough that the IT organization retains full
to get by" scripting is the answer to control of the management infrastructure
desktop management in the small and and functions because the solution is an
medium sized company. Individual users internally deployed solution. However,
can be left to handle minor issues for the control also brings with it the
themselves, and pseudo power users often responsibility to manage the management
get themselves into trouble and require system/software itself.The build approach
IT staff assistance to resolve problems typically requires a larger initial
they have created through their self-help budget outlay for purchase/licensing
efforts. It is no longer a viable answer costs, with on-going maintenance fees,
for small and medium sized business to and any investment in additional hardware
treat desktop management that is required to run the
casually.Importance of PC Management management infrastructure. In addition
The task of PC management has become too to these initial licensing costs, it is
large and too important to be handled on also important for IT organizations to
an ad-hoc basis with limited tools. The realize that there is an associated cost
number of personal computers is of management. The IT staff is naturally
significant. There are many versions of responsible for managing the IT
operating systems and many different infrastructure, but in addition, they are
software applications. This is also also responsible for managing the IT
complicated by the number of employees management infrastructure itself. For
working from remote offices. The scale example, in the case of internally
has become rather large, even in a small deployed management software tools, these
to medium sized business. Now add in the costs reveal themselves in deployment
constant stream of Microsoft patch costs of the management tools,
updates (security, operating system and maintenance of the management tools
application software updates), periodic (upgrades, patching), support personnel
operating system upgrades, user initiated for ongoing operational support,
software installations and configuration management tool consulting services,
changes, antivirus updates, and IT training, software licensing costs (both
configuration changes. The rate and initial purchase and recurring
volume of change is significant, if not maintenance costs), hardware costs for
overwhelming. Not to mention the problem additional hardware that is required to
of Microsoft phasing out their support of run the management software, and the cost
old office applications and operating of integrating tools in-house.The cost of
systems. Windows 95 is no longer management depends on several factors;
supported and 98 is now no longer going the ease-of-use and ease-of-deployment of
to be supported.The risks of doing a poor the management solution, the stability of
job of desktop management are now quite the management code, the frequency of new
high given the security risks to every PC releases, and the maturity of the IT
every day. Left unprotected, PCs are organization. Most of these factors
subject to Trojans, Keyloggers, Root translate to IT staff time that is
Kits, Spyware and Viruses. One of the required to manage the management
best ways to be protected is to apply all infrastructure. In addition to these
patches to operating systems and direct costs, maintaining a help desk to
applications in a timely fashion. assist users with PC issues is another
However, coordinating, staging and additive cost of management. For
testing these patches is time consuming geographically dispersed companies, the
and something that should not be left to help desk may be required to operate
end users or ad hoc processes by the IT 24x7, which adds significantly to the
team. Every desktop needs Anti-virus cost of ownership.Software as a Service
software that is constantly updated, and Another way for IT organizations to
users cannot be trusted to keep their employ PC management functionality is
virus data files current. Mobile users through management software delivered as
should also be protected with personal a service. This option shifts the
Firewall software, but again, users responsibility for the management
cannot be depended upon to install and software deployment and maintenance to
keep such software current. Leaving this the service provider. Software as a
to chance can put the entire network and Service (SaaS) results in eliminating the
subsequently the entire company at risk. following costs for enterprises:
The employee desktop today contains deploying the tool, maintaining the
significant corporate data, both data tools, consulting services to deploy the
taken from corporate repositories for use tool, software licensing, internal tool
on the desktop as well as work-in-process integration, hardware to run the
data not yet stored on a secured and management software, and troubleshooting
backed-up repository. Employees handle when the tool is not working properly.
important and sensitive data that needs Instead of these costs of ownership, the
to be protected. This can include price cost of the hosted software is in the
lists, customer lists, customer data, form of fixed monthly subscription
human resources data, strategic plans, fees.PC management SaaS can bring
product plans and corporate financial additional advantages beyond the features
information. Security breaches, viruses, of the tool. Virus protection and
and spy-ware can lead to stolen, lost or automated update of virus data files is a
corrupted data. Regular backups can feature often available. Some services
mitigate the risk of lost or corrupted include significant coordination of new
data, however most users are not patches; simplifying the staging, testing
disciplined enough to perform regular and deployment of patches. The service
backups. Mobile and remote users may include automated backup and offsite
complicate the backup problem and render storage features providing excellent data
home-grown backup scripting protection with little additional effort
ineffective.Dealing with the disruption or hardware costs. Hosted software
and potential data loss of security solutions also provide news and
breaches can represent significant information on new practices and trends
productivity loss. Work-in-process data which can assist the small to medium
on the desktop can represent weeks of enterprise IT staff.Some IT departments
effort and may be difficult or impossible may be concerned over the loss of control
to recreate. The loss of such data can by using a management infrastructure
affect project time-lines, which in turn provided as a hosted service. The quality
can cause customer satisfaction issues of the service provided must be excellent
and/or contractual penalties. Desktop and the reputation of the service
data loss can also affect revenue if a provider is critical. However, only the
desktop problem interrupts critical infrastructure itself is under third
timeframes for customer proposals.Another party control in this alternative.
factor driving the need for good desktop Company IT staff remain in control of the
management is the increasing regulatory actual end user interface and the actual
compliance issues that are affecting processes and actions taken on individual
businesses of all sizes. Consumer and desktops.The SaaS model provides access
patient privacy laws such as HIPAA to a full suite product without the
(Health Insurance Portability and upfront license and setup costs. It
Accountability Act) and the wave of trend allows the IT staff to maintain control
setting privacy laws out of California of the desktop management process without
affect businesses of all sizes. the effort required to setup and maintain
Sarbanes-Oxley compliance includes the management environment. It does
rigorous asset management, change require training and good internal
management and other controls for IT. processes. It also requires a way to
This should be of concern for more than track service requests and problems. To
just the public companies covered by the provide effective support, a help desk is
law. Many small and medium sized useful, and for some companies a 24x7
businesses are working toward an eventual help desk is necessary.Outsourced PC
acquisition as an exit strategy, and most Management
such acquisitions are by companies that The point of acquiring good PC
are subject to Sarbanes-Oxley. It is much management tools is to provide effective
easier and faster to work through the due PC management. There are a number of full
diligence phase of the acquisition if the service outsource options available to
company being acquired has implemented small and medium sized businesses for
the types of controls required by desktop management. This alternative
Sarbanes-Oxley. Good desktop management solves the effective PC management
can assist a company in certain aspects problem by turning the work over to a
of regulatory compliance.Effective PC service provider. The service provider is
Management responsible for tool selection,
Effective PC Management begins with deployment and operation. The service
knowing what you have to manage. Complete provider also brings trained staff and
and accurate asset and license management proven procedures.Like the SaaS model,
is key. Knowing how many machines of what the outsourced model eliminates the costs
type, their location, memory, hard drive, of licensing the management tool,
processor speed, etc., is a big step deploying the tool, consulting services
forward for many small and medium sized to deploy the tool, integration costs,
businesses. Tools available today have maintenance costs and hardware costs.
automatic discovery capabilities and Additionally, the outsourced model
excellent management reporting which can eliminates the costs of internal staff
assist IT staff in establishing and for PC management and the costs of an
maintaining good processes for asset internal help desk function for PC
management. With an accurate picture of management. Outsourced PC management is
the installed hardware base, it becomes typically charged on a per desktop per
much easier to assess operating system month fee. It is more expensive than a
and business suite software SaaS model as the service includes the
upgrades.Keeping track of software staff and the help desk
licenses and where they are installed is functions.Outsourced PC management brings
another important function. Accurate good tools and good processes to the
information of which machines have which problem of PC management, protecting the
software installed is a major starting assets of the company while providing
point to effectively manage PCs across professional performance enhancements to
the company. This information can maintain top performance expectations
minimize the number and duration of from the PC. Some businesses have
on-site visits by IT support personnel. experienced higher individual user costs
It can also ensure that software licenses for desktop management as individual
are appropriately managed; paying for users can spend more time attempting to
only those copies of a particular solve their own problems rather than look
software that are needed and reducing the to the third party provider for help.The
risk of fines in a software license quality of the service delivered by the
audit.Another good practice is to keep service provider must be excellent, and
software installs to the minimum required the services must be flexible enough to
for each employee to do their job. This fit in with the way the company works. A
will shorten install time, reduce updates collaborative working relationship must
and patches required, and use fewer be established. This can require a
resources leaving more capacity for each different kind of management oversight
user's needs. Some systems administrators than exists in some small and medium
will attempt to make things easier by sized businesses. An outsourced service
standardizing the desktop to one image may bring improved service by providing a
for everyone. PC management is one place 24x7 help desk, a tremendous resource
where "one size does not fit all." saving feature for a small business
Overcomplicating the software image for productivity need.Morton & Morton's
every user by installing all applications Perspective
everywhere will increase work in the long Desktop Management is a critical
run and make everyone unhappy. A better business practice that, when done well,
practice is to define unique user types can keep employees productive and keep
by department or job function, and to external threats to the company network
define a standard image for each user in check. The traditional approach to
type. This can limit the time to upgrade managing PCs has been to deploy the
applications and allow for better service management software in-house or use
for each user.With an accurate inventory manual methods. Most companies now
of all hardware and only the software realize that manual efforts are no longer
needed on each desktop, the next step viable given the number of desktops, the
toward effective PC management is to frequency of changes and the risks to
automate software distribution. Automated employee productivity and data. However,
software distribution minimizes the outsourcing the process to a competent
number of onsite visits IT staff must third party company is by far the best
make. This lowers the cost of support and method to reduce the cost of the
allows for more frequent updates. This company's resources and protect the
can be applied to virus data files, intellectual assets of the company at all
operating system patches as well as times.We will provide you the best
updates and new versions of application protection of your assets and reduce your
software. Changes should be staged in a small business resource requirements to
separate environment for testing and then manage the desktops and keep the
rolled out based on individual or group performance level up the expected user
user profiles.Automated software level for the best productivity and do it
distribution is the first step in remote at a cost that you can afford.L. P.
management. Full remote management Morton, Ph.D.
includes the ability to remotely control Morton & Morton Inc. (
the desktop and make all required 820 Northwood rd.
configuration changes through a networked Fort Worth, Tx 76107
connection. This is a critical function 817-625-5980
as the number of remote and mobile Larry P. Morton, Ph.D.
workers has increased. IT staff must be President Morton-Morton Inc.




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