Emerging Enterprise: Desktop Management

Some organizations that don't need high-performance PCs are issuing only laptops to enable their workforces to be more mobile. This is a win-win for employees and companies, but laptops present unique challenges. A big consideration, besides the initial cost premium, is that laptops are harder to secure--they're not only more likely to be stolen (along with your data) but users may bring nasties back from their travels. Insist that desktop firewalls and antivirus programs be kept up-to-date. If your laptop users want to connect to your internal network over the Internet, budget for enough VPN tunnels. You may even want to consider a network access-control system, like StillSecure's clientless Safe Access. Protecting 50 nodes, with one year's maintenance and upgrades, will run you $2,000.

If going mobile isn't your thing, consider another interesting trend: virtual desktops powered by blade servers. IBM recently teamed up with VMware and Citrix Systems to offer a setup dubbed the IBM Virtualized Hosted Client Infrastructure, where one blade can power 12 to 15 desktops. Because the actual desktop software setup is centrally located, it's easier to manage, patch and secure--a real benefit in small shops that can offset the initial investment.

Desktop Purchasing. Do you buy from a Tier 1 vendor or a white-box manufacturer? Big names offer a degree of consistency, predictability and extensive tech support. White boxes are usually less expensive, and vendors may be more willing to custom build. Make sure your white-box maker offers tech support comparable to that of a Tier 1 provider--is saving $200 on a PC worth the cost of downtime? Be sure the vendor is using quality parts and insist on standardization. Keeping track of the driver installers and quirks of multiple network cards will quickly eat up any savings.

Operating Systems. We won't say that Linux is not desktop-ready, so don't flame us. But realize that your software choices will be limited. And, if you go with Windows, that doesn't mean you must buy Microsoft Office: Free office programs, such as OpenOffice.org, are available natively on Windows, and CRN's recent review of EIOffice 2004, Sun StarOffice 8 and Corel Word Perfect Office 12 (see www.linuxpipeline.com/ 172301696) show that options are available.Apple Mac OS X desktops cost more than an equivalent Intel system, but the price premium is nowhere near what it used to be. All Macs use USB keyboards and mice, so you may need converter cables if you have PS/2 gear.

Desktop Management. All but the very smallest shops need a desktop-management strategy. You can outsource--HP's Smart Desktop Management service costs $19 per client PC--or you can do it yourself. But just do it: An unmanaged Windows XP desktop has a four-year total cost of ownership of $4,455 compared with $2,850 for a well-managed, locked-down PC, according to Gartner. There's a huge range of DM suites available for all budgets. Key features include patch management, change control, and software and hardware inventory. A good inventory feature may pay for itself by identifying unused licenses and underutilized hardware.

--Michael J. DeMaria

Going mobile was one of the best things Edward Don and Co. ever did--the second time around, anyway. Now, as it plans the third refresh of laptops for its salesforce, the company has even greater expectations for using the systems to improve sales and customer service.

The 83-year-old family-owned food service equipment and supplies distributor has the benefit of hindsight as it prepares to deploy 350 new Dell notebooks next year. The privately held, midsize Chicago company first issued notebooks to its sales staff in the late 1990s, but they were too heavy, and salespeople resisted plugging into a hardwired phone connection from client sites to send in orders. So, they'd leave their notebooks at home, then rush back to file all their orders before deadline, says Jim Lyman, vice president of e-commerce.When upgrade time rolled around three years ago, the 1,200-employee company had a better understanding of what kind of systems its salesforce needed: It chose smaller, lighter laptops from Dell equipped with Wireless AirCards that let reps enter orders from any venue with a wireless access point. The company was able to dramatically improve its distribution processes and supply chain. "We were able to see orders flowing in throughout the day, so we could forecast our needs for the warehouse that night," Lyman says. It was able to place orders for new equipment more quickly, too.

Still, the wireless connections were slow. Reps had to restrict their remote-access operations to placing orders and checking inventory, rather than having full access to other data on the mainframe, including client files that provided a more complete picture of their customers. The addition of broadband EV-DO (Evolution-Data Optimized) wireless access cards on the Dell laptops means reps now will be able to work remotely exactly as they do from their offices. "What we're creating with these laptops is a virtual office for our workers," Lyman says.

Edward Don's 40-person IT staff is getting smarter about how it manages these systems. Centralized Windows XP management and Novell Zenworks management tools will enable helpdesk personnel to push changes and security updates to the remote computers, as well as regularly back up each salesperson's data.

The company leases its laptops for three years. It won't disclose its specific system costs, but Lyman says that's a more cost-effective route than buying systems outright. He says every small- or midsize business should look at notebooks for their remote salesforce, even if an immediate ROI isn't readily visible. "When you look at how the technology improves the quality of life for the salesforce, and the convenience it offers," he says, "it's more value than anyone truly appreciates."

--Jennifer Maselli0