1E’s Shopping is the app store for the enterprise that combines the on-demand user experience of consumer devices with the control, integration, and automation needs of corporate IT.
As part of an organization-wide initiative to increase IT efficiency, Parker wanted to streamline its IT systems by automating the management and delivery of ad hoc user requests for new software applications.
The organization had already deployed Nomad as part of an organization-wide effort to improve IT efficiency by centralizing the reliable delivery of large operating systems, software and patch distributions. “Nomad allowed us to extend the zero-touch deployment capabilities of Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr) to deliver Operating Systems and software upgrades across our network without branch servers or site visits.” says Michael Powlison, Technical Resource Supervisor at Parker, “But we still had some concerns over desk-side support because users still had to manually raise a ticket for ad hoc software requests and then wait for a technician to visit them at their desk in order to install the software.”
Parker’s users would raise a ticket with the helpdesk, either by email or via a telephone call and then wait for that request to be allocated to a technician. The technician would then manually check for authorization of the request, locate the software required and then visit the user at their desk. With each ad hoc request taking days to fulfill, and costing Parker around $60 per hour to manage, the length of time it was taking to manage requests was no laughing matter.
Shopping was deployed across Parker’s North American operation, covering 256 sites and 20,000 users, enabling users to download software on-demand, instead of waiting for a technician to visit their desk and deploy the software manually.
“It was incredibly easy to install, we did it in just one afternoon,” remarks Powlison. “The secret was in knowing how we were going to use it once it was installed and we worked closely with 1E to make the most of the functionality.
“But it’s not just about the cutting costs or improving management, it’s also about the user experience. In the past, users would never know when the technician was going to arrive to install the software. Now, through Shopping, they get automated emails telling them when their request has been approved and when the software has been deployed and is available to use. Better yet, because the software downloads silently, there’s no impact to their working day,” he adds.
