Staging and Integration - Trend

[#1]

Closed Loop Lifecycle Planning (which is the body of my research and work) defines staging and integration as the preparation for client devices for deployment. While this may seem very basic, the manner in which the staging and integration can be delivered has dramatically changed in the past few years.

Despite this, for a variety of reasons and rationales, many businesses still deliver the staging and integration the same way as it was performed in the Y2K deployment. If your business is considering the W7 deployment, this posting will likely be of interest to you.

First the disclaimer. All of the content and commentary on this blog are mine and does not represent the opinions of my employer.

At the start of this posting, I would ask your thoughts and opinions on the staging and integration for the upcoming technology refresh cycle.

There are a few significant factors that might make the staging and integration for the W7 deployment a step change from previous refresh cycles. Among these changes are:

- Management tools

- Self installations

- Virtualization

- Service delivery strategies

Now a short comment about each of these.

Management tools are very mature as you already know. As a result much of the work that was previously performed deskside or in a staging area can now be performed remotely as a part of the scripting. Regardless of whether the staffing level is the same or reduced as a result of the Great Recession, this technology refresh cycle likely represents a spike in IT activities. If you are like many businesses that deferred a technology refresh extending the useful life of desktops and laptops, the spike will be that much larger and significant. Leveraging management tools are a "must" for many businesses going forward.

Self installations perhaps represents an initial challenge to many businesses who remain skeptical that end users can handle the data migrations and backup/recovery aspects of technology refresh. Interestingly, it is the competency of the end users which enables the process. A business may consider BYOC, but remain hesitant on end users performing a migration. Self installations could easily include pulling the applications from a server or using management tools and user profiles as the key, in essense staging the device.

Virtualization of the application deck or leveraging remote desktops (as an example) could simplify the process for staging and integration. Actually eliminating certain processes could be very desirable.

Perhaps the larger driver is the service delivery strategy. Whether the OEM or partner stages and integrates a device, the trend is to do as much remotely as possible based upon trends. Having a service provider perform the staging and integration may prove to be scalable and cost effective.

In lifecycle there are no right or wrong answers, only conscious and unconscious decisions. Continuing to stage and integrate in house may be the approach your business elects to take and continue. However, since the last refresh cycle enough of the practices and surrounding tools have changed which suggests a least a revisiting to make sure that the approach taken in the previous cycle remains valid.

[#2]

Bruce,

If anything has proven the ability of many end users (note I did not say all users!!) to be more self-sufficient in the area managing their devices it has been the success of smartphones.  Smartphones come with a handful of applications that most users will tend to want to use.  From there, users can visit their favorite "app store" to retrieve for (pay for) applications they need to be successful.

The same model could apply to traditional desktop and notebooks.   Hardware providers, like HP, could pre-load the operating system, antivirus, Office, Acroread, printer drivers, disk encryption, Agent for Application and a few other items that is used by nearly everyone.  User unpacks the unit, powers-on the unit, and downloads additional applications and patches from a "cloud" based service.

The need to do all the customization at the "Image" level is drawing to a close.  There are more PC's shipped every year with a standard "from the factory" configuration than those that are customized.  Even if you add in the number of PC's that are customized with a unique image post delivery, there are more PC's delivered and installed annually with a "from the factory" build.  Somehow the owners of those units seem to be successful.

The question is .... how many companies can adopt a self-service model for their desktop management?