Explain desktop management in an enterprise environment
Enterprise environments provide a substantial number of challenges in managing desktop computers. Although the size of an enterprise environment varies, most typically include hundreds and sometimes tens of thousands of computers.
Because of the large number of computers in enterprise environments, it's essential to manage these computers centrally. For example, using one solution to install software updates across large numbers of computers is much more efficient than installing a software update manually on each computer in the organization.
By allowing users to manage their computers, the following problems could occur:
- Software update problems: Many users are unaware of the need to keep the operating system and application software updated with security patches. Without centralized update management, some users won't maintain software updates.
- Anti-malware problems: Unless managed centrally, many users don't ensure that anti-malware software is enabled and up-to-date.
- Application management: Users could install unauthorized software without centrally managed “locked down” configurations. Users often install unauthorized applications as an alternative to going through cumbersome organizational processes for requisitioning software.
- Hardware support: When enterprises purchase hardware, they often sign contracts for extended support. Should hardware fail, it's relatively straightforward to get replacement parts, even entire replacement computers, within the support period. When users purchase their hardware, we often leave them to determine how best to repair it should a failure occur.
Enterprises often use one or more standard operating environments (SOEs) to manage a large fleet of computers more efficiently. An SOE is a set operating system, application, and hardware configuration. SOEs have the following benefits:
- Simplified deployment of new and replacement computers: Should new computers be required, deploying an SOE is more straightforward than building a configuration from scratch. You can often deploy an SOE from images using products such as Windows Deployment Services or Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager. An alternative is to apply a standard set of policies using an MDM such as Microsoft Intune to reconfigure the device to meet organizational requirements.
- Consistent applications and hardware: across the organization. Should a failure occur, information technology (IT) employees can replace the computer more quickly, enabling the user to remain productive. The replacement computer will have the same applications as the original computer, thereby ensuring that the user will have fewer changes to make to the replacement system.
- Simplified inventory: Organizations must keep track of hardware and software assets. It's far simpler to track hardware and software assets when all employees use similarly configured computers than to track hardware and software assets when each person has a uniquely configured computer, operating system, and application suite.
- Simplified updating: SOEs streamline managing the operating system and application updates as the updates only need to be tested against a limited set of configurations.
- Simpler software deployment: Products such as Microsoft Endpoint Manager help simplify deploying new or updated applications to computers.