IT Works® Features

Adopting a managed desktop environment is the most beneficial step an organization can take toward improving and leveraging its information technology investment. The desktop, key to almost all successful IT implementations, is where most IT efforts are focused.

Most organizations are currently plagued with ongoing support challenges regarding the hodge-podge of existing computers and software. IT Works® will turn chaos into order and allow you to realize the full benefits of your existing IT investment.

Lowers Total Cost of Ownership

Enhances IT staff efficiency and productivity by reducing the time needed to perform various administrative functions, thus increasing availability of IT resources for strategic projects.

Improves user service quality, productivity, and satisfaction while lowering the cost of supporting your users.

Simplifies and supports the migration toward new enabling technologies.

Define

Defining your Common Operating Environment has never been easier than with the IT Works® hierarchical inheritance model system. Define common computer configurations based on the needs of the whole organization, business unit, location, functional roles, and individual preferences.

Example: every computer gets an operating system but only Accounting Department computers get accounting software.

Benefits:

• Cost of defining computers is lowered
• Accuracy and reliability is increased
• IT staff productivity is increased
• Testing and validation is simplified Retain intelligence by embedding into
• IT Works®
• Complexity is lowered
• Define once and replicate as needed
• Model based replication
• Guru requirements are lowered

Configure

All computer hardware, software, security, and configuration settings are defined in the IT Works® hierarchical inheritance model. As new computers are connected to the network and booted, the IT Works® server automatically assigns software and settings, appropriate to their positions in the hierarchical Inheritance Model (HIM).

Example: A new Accounting Computer is automatically built and configured to the exact specifications defined in the IT Works® HIM.

Benefits:

• Cost of configuring computers is lowered
• Accuracy and reliability is increased
• "Hands-free" configurations
• Fast
• Visual
• Complexity is lowered
• Easy to manage and change
• Simple testing and validation
• IT staff productivity is increased
• Retain Intelligence by embedding into IT Works®
• Guru requirements are lowered

Deploy

Eliminates many tedious man-hours (per computer) spent building and configuring new computers to be "user ready". IT Works® can deliver a 100% "user ready" computer in approximately 1 hour.

Example: Connect a new Accounting Computer to the network, boot it from the IT Works® Builder boot floppy, and a hour later it is built and configured the exact specifications defined in the IT Works® hierarchical inheritance model and is 100% "user ready".

Benefits:

• Cost of updating computers is lowered
• Accuracy and reliability is increased
• Faster deployments
• Simple testing and validation
• "Hands-free" deployments
• Complexity is lowered
• Less people and money involved
• Scheduled for delivery at a pre-defined time
• IT staff productivity is increased
• Faster Virus Inoculations
• Guru requirements are lowered

Lockdown

Everyone wants and expects the computer to work like their phone or a calculator. Elimination of "User Caused Maintenance" eliminates Help Desk calls and eliminates user downtime. Productivity is increased. IT staff can focus on value adding projects instead of non-value adding maintenance tasks.

Example: what if your users could modify their phones or their calculators? The "tools" the company provides are intended to increase the employees ability to add value. Keep the computer as a tool and keep the employee adding value by simply using the computer as an efficiency tool.

Benefits:

• Cost of administrating computers is lowered
• Elimination of "User Caused" maintenance
• Only knowledgeable IT professionals can modify computers
• Security is enhanced
• Security vulnerability is reduced
• User and IT staff productivity is increased
• No need to ever visit the desktop again
• Complexity is lowered
• Guru requirements are lowered

Manage

Remote Management, real-time diagnostics, troubleshooting, assessment, file transfers, even rebooting combined with Remote Control and a comprehensive and tightly integrated Help Desk system -allow your IT Staff to be more efficient and your users to be more productive.

Benefits:

• Cost of managing computers is lowered
• Accuracy and reliability is increased
• Full help desk capabilities
• Less visits to user desks
• Cost effective support to end-users
• Support costs are lowered
• Simple to implement changes
• Less guess work with real-time diagnostics
• Increase user and IT staff productivity
• Automatic Role Based Configuration
• Guru requirements are lowered

Update

IT Works® enables targeted or widespread software distribution. Effortlessly and in minutes: deliver the latest software updates to all computers, or to only the computers that need the updates. Reconfigure all computers in the accounting area to use the new print server, or update all computers with the latest Virus definitions.

Benefits:

• Cost of updating computers is lowered
• Accuracy and reliability is increased
• Software Distribution is automated
• "Patch" distribution is automated
• Complexity of updating computers is lowered
• User and IT staff productivity is increased
• Guru requirements are lowered

Report

Knowing exactly what hardware and software is deployed and available is critical. For security and compliance, you need accurate inventory data on desktops, laptops, servers and the ability to monitor all changes. IT Works® provides accurate details regarding all managed hardware, software, and delivers flexible reporting.

Benefits:

• Lower costs of keeping IT asset inventory current
• Accuracy and reliability is increased
• Accurately tracks hardware and software
• Easy to access and use
• Informative
• Provides hardware and software transparency
• IT staff productivity is increased
• Buy only what you need

Recover

Provides a simple and fast disaster recovery process. 100% automated computer re-building to exact "user ready" state eliminates tedious man-hours spent diagnosing and then "fixing" a broken computer. IT Works® can deliver a 100% "user ready" computer in approximately 1 hour.

Example: boot the broken computer from the IT Works® Builder boot floppy, and a hour later it is built and configured to the exact specifications defined in the IT Works® hierarchical inheritance model and is 100% "user ready".

Benefits:

• Cost of recovery process is lowered
• Accuracy and reliability is increased
• Downtime is decreased
• User and IT staff productivity is increased
• Complexity of recovery process is lowered
• Guru requirements are lowered

Migrate

Migrations have never been faster or easier. Change the OS definition from NT 4.0 to XP, and automatically rebuild the computer to the new definition. 100% automated computer building to exact "user ready" state eliminates many tedious man-hours (per computer) spent on migrating computers. IT Works® can deliver a "user ready" computer with a migrated operating system in approximately 1 hour.

Example: Connect an Accounting Computer to the network, boot it from the IT Works® Builder boot floppy, and a hour later it is built and configured the exact migrated specifications as defined in the IT Works® hierarchical inheritance model and is 100% "user ready".

Benefits:

• Cost of migration process is lowered
• Accuracy and reliability is increased
• Complexity of migration is lowered
• User and IT staff productivity is increased
• Faster Migrations
• Guru requirements are lowered