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See how Microsoft’s DesktopOptimization solution helps
government agencies deliver
better services more cost-effectively.
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Real World Situations:
Desktop Optimization Best Practices GuideState and Local Government
Infrastructure Optimizationand Windows Vista® Customer Solution Case Studies
IT Security and ManageabilityCustomer Case Study
Microsoft® DesktopOptimization SolutionDatasheet
State of Indiana acceleratedcomplex application deploymentsand upgrades while reducing costs.
Read more>
Washington State Departmentof Licensing decreased their
application deployment timeto help ensure a more reliable
and manageable system.
Read more>
Fulton County created a morestable network by decreasing
network disruptions caused by
noncompliant computers.Read more>
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Infrastructure OptimizationCustomer Solution Case Study
State of Indiana Streamlines DesktopManagement, Saves $14 Million Annually
Overview
Country or Region: United StatesIndustry: Government
Customer Profile
Indiana, with its capital in Indianapolis,
has 6.2 million people living on more than
36,000 square miles.
Business Situation
The state wanted to reduce the expense
of managing computers on an agency-by-
agency basis, increase the effectiveness of
state government, and free funds for
investment in taxpayer services.
Solution
The state worked to optimize its core
infrastructure, centralize its desktop
management, and automate software
updates and other administrative
functions.
Benefits
Fast application deployment that boosts
IT productivity and reduces user
downtime
Scalability from 900 desktop computers
to 25,000
Savings of U.S.$14 million
Smooth upgrade path to Windows Vista®
“We’ve increased the number of desktops we manage
by a factor of 25 while increasing staff by only 10 or15 percent.… That’s an extraordinary increase in IT
productivity.”
Gerry Weaver, Chief Information Officer, Indiana Office of Technology
State agencies in Indiana were managing their own desktop
computers independently—and depriving the state and taxpayers
of optimal return on IT spending. So the state centralized desktop
computer management with the help of Microsoft® Desktop
Optimization Pack for Software Assurance and its SoftGrid
Application Virtualization technology, along with Microsoft System
Center Configuration Manager. The result boosts productivity 2500
percent by enabling the central IT office to go from managing 900
desktop computers to managing 25,000 computers without a
significant staff increase. The solution also helps save U.S.$14
million and paves the way for a smooth upgrade to the Windows
Vista® operating system.
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SituationThe state of Indiana wasn’t satisfied with the
state of its desktop technology management.
State agencies were spending large amounts
of time and money to manage thousands of
desktop computers—taking away from the
time and money that they wanted to spend
on innovative solutions to improve the ser-
vices available to citizens.
At fault was a highly decentralized desktop
infrastructure. Most agencies managed their
own desktop computers with their own IT
staffs. “Everybody was managing their
desktops differently,” says Brian Arrowood,
Director of Service Operations, Indiana Office
of Technology. “They were running different
versions of operating systems. There was no
consistency or centralization.”
Complicating matters was the enormous
range of services that the state provided—
from public safety and social welfare to
employment services and motor vehicle
registration—and the hundreds of line-of-
business applications for those services that
it had to support across approximately
25,000 desktop computers.
Desktop images varied not just among agen-
cies, but also from desktop to desktop. Given
the challenges of managing a diverse collec-
tion of desktop computers, the state could
not afford a decentralized approach that
multiplied those challenges.
Meanwhile, Governor Mitch Daniels and
his administration wanted to tackle issues
including childcare, education, public health,
and state finances. “The governor asked us
to take a look at IT across the state and
dramatically improve service levels, and also
reduce cost,” says Gerry Weaver, Chief Information Officer, Indiana Office of
Technology.
The IT team couldn’t begin to do so effectively
without a technology infrastructure that facil-
itated innovative solutions, rather than one
that threw up obstacles to those solutions.
SolutionTo provide hundreds of line-of-business
desktop applications to relatively limited
numbers of users, and to create a more
optimized desktop experience for them, thestate of Indiana adopted Microsoft® Desktop
Optimization Pack for Software Assurance, a
set of technologies that help reduce applica-
tion deployment costs, enable delivery of
applications as services, and allow for better
management and control of enterprise
desktop environments.
“We chose the Microsoft desktop optimi-
zation solution because it allowed us, in our
heterogeneous environment, to provide good
service to all users across the board,” says
Paul Baltzell, Distributed Services Manager,
Indiana Office of Technology.
In particular, the state took advantage of
Microsoft SoftGrid Application Virtualization,
which it uses to deploy virtual versions of
applications. The state can virtualize an
application, create a protected “sandbox”
space on a target computer running SoftGrid,
and then download the virtual software with-
out having to grant users administrative
rights and without changing the underlying
configuration settings of the computer. The
state controls authorization to the virtual
software through its updated Active
Directory® service.
With SoftGrid, the state does not have to put
applications through costly compatibility test-
ing, maintain them on desktop computers, or
troubleshoot configuration issues or otherproblems arising from unique collections of
applications on user desktops. “SoftGrid and
application virtualization give us the
capability to essentially manage all the
“We chose the Microsoft
desktop optimization
solution because it
allowed us, in our
heterogeneous
environment, to provide
good service to allusers.”
Paul Baltzell, Distributed Services Manager,
Indiana Office of Technology
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desktops as if they’re exactly the same,”
says Arrowood.
The virtualization technology eliminates
incompatibilities between older applications
and the 2007 Microsoft Office system soft-
ware that the state uses. Further, SoftGrid is
helping reduce the number—and expense—of
software licenses; the state deploys software
only when and to whom it is needed, rather than maintaining hundreds of unused appli-
cations on user desktops.
The state government is in the midst of its
adoption of SoftGrid. The state refreshes
desktop computers on a four-year cycle,
replacing 6,000 computers each year. The
new computers receive the SoftGrid software
as part of the imaging process, eliminating
the need for any action on the part of tech-
nicians to install SoftGrid on the desktops.
The state also adopted Microsoft System
Center Configuration Manager 2007, which
has enabled the state to not only manage its
desktops more easily and with better security,
but also scale to support its 25,000 users.
“System Center Configuration Manager gives
us the capability to manage updates and the
security of the desktops and servers in a way
that we would never be able to do with other
products,” Arrowood says.
BenefitsThe moves to Microsoft Desktop Optimization
Pack and its SoftGrid Application Virtualiza-
tion component, along with System Center
Configuration Manager, have been a key part
of Indiana’s desktop optimization and a key
contributor to several benefits of that opti-
mization: boosting the productivity of IT pro-
fessionals, paving the way for a smooth
upgrade to the Windows Vista® operating system, reducing the cost of managing
computers by U.S.$14 million.
Boosts IT Productivity
With the new desktop optimization solution,
many of the tasks that formerly consumed
the time of IT professionals are automated or
unnecessary. The technologies help the IT
team deploy desktop applications more
quickly, while reducing downtime for the
users waiting for those applications. The
ability to virtualize all key components of a
Windows®-based application allows admin-istrators to accelerate each step of the appli-
cation management process by compressing
the time necessary for packaging and pre-
paring applications, deployment, update
management, support, and termination.
A single, consistent desktop image across the
state has made it possible for the Indiana
Office of Technology, the central IT organi-
zation, to go from managing just 900 desk-
tops to managing all 25,000 desktops
without significantly increasing staff—an
increase of more than 2,500 percent.
“One of the best things we see now is that
we have a common desktop that can be
managed not only remotely but also
securely,” says Weaver. “We’ve increased
the number of desktops we manage by a
factor of 25 while increasing staff by only 10
or 15 percent. We were able to consolidate
what was done by about 400 people into
something that’s now done by about 200
people much more effectively. That’s an
extraordinary increase in IT productivity, and
Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack was
essential to that.”
Enables Smooth Upgrade to New
Operating System
By creating a streamlined, consistent desktop
environment, the state is well positioned for a
smooth upgrade to the Windows Vista oper-ating system.
Application virtualization eliminates the
dependency between the operating system
“SoftGrid and
application virtualization
give us the capability to
essentially manage all
the desktops as if
they’re exactly the
same.”Brian Arrowood, Director of Service
Operations, Indiana Office of Technology
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and applications, thereby eliminating appli-
cation incompatibilities experienced while
moving to a new operating system like
Windows Vista. The IT team can minimize
application compatibility testing, reduce
resource demands, and accelerate the
operating system upgrade and application
deployments. The use of System Center
software combined with a common image
format with Windows Vista Enterprise willhelp streamline deployments.
Cuts Costs $14 Million
That productivity increase, in turn, has helped
significantly reduce the per-computer cost of
desktop computer management. “The idea of
application incompatibility is virtually nonex-
istent,” explains Dewand Wilson, Senior
Systems Administrator, Indiana Office of
Technology. That reduces the computer
failures that come from such incompatibility,
likewise reducing the time and expense of
troubleshooting to get computers back up
and running. The state estimates that it has
saved $6 million in reduced support costs.
All told, the desktop optimization effort has
saved the state $14 million in taxpayer funds.
That’s time and money that have been
invested in new services from the unem-
ployment benefits program and motor
vehicles bureau.
Infrastructure Optimization With infrastructure optimization, you can
build a secure, well-managed, and dynamic
core IT infrastructure that can reduce overall
IT costs, make better use of resources, and
become a strategic asset for the business.
The Infrastructure Optimization Model—with
basic, standardized, rationalized, and
dynamic levels—was developed by Microsoft
using industry best practices and Microsoft’sown experiences with enterprise customers.
The Infrastructure Optimization Model
provides a maturity framework that is flexible
and easily used as a benchmark for technical
capability and business value.
For more information about infrastructure
optimization, go to:
www.microsoft.com/io
For More InformationFor more information about Microsoft
products and services, call the Microsoft
Sales Information Center at (800) 426-
9400. In Canada, call the Microsoft
Canada Information Centre at (877) 568-
2495. Customers who are deaf or hard-of-
hearing can reach Microsoft text telephone
(TTY/TDD) services at (800) 892-5234 in
the United States or (905) 568-9641 inCanada. Outside the 50 United States and
Canada, please contact your local
Microsoft subsidiary. To access information
using the World Wide Web, go to:
www.microsoft.com
For more information about the state of
Indiana, visit the Web site at:
www.indiana.gov
This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFTMAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THISSUMMARY.
Document published March 2008
Software and Services Microsoft System Center
− Microsoft System Center Configuration
Manager 2007
Technologies
− Active Directory
− Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack for
Software Assurance
− Microsoft SoftGrid ApplicationVirtualization
Field Code Changed
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Windows Vista
Customer Solution Case Study
State Agency Upgrades Operating System for
More Reliable Customer Service
“We want to do all that we can to make the public’s
experience a positive one. Upgrading to Windows
Vista helps us maximize our ability to provide
excellent customer service to the citizens of
Washington.”
Jim Henly, Chief Technology Officer, Washington Department of Licensing
The Washington Department of Licensing is upgrading to the
Windows Vista® operating system on all its Automated Testing
System (ATS) computers. These computers are used by citizens
taking driver knowledge tests. The ATS, administrative computers,
and automated lobby management system computers have
enhanced reliability and security, making it possible for thedepartment to deliver better customer service.
Business NeedsThe Washington Department of Licensing
strives to deliver the best possible service to
the citizens of Washington State while
making smart use of taxpayer dollars. There
are two primary functions of the department.
One is to test and authorize drivers at 63
field offices. The other is to provide new
vehicle registration tags and plates at 185
field offices.
To qualify for new driver licenses, citizens
must take knowledge tests using Automated
Testing System (ATS) computers. Other
computers are responsible for the
automated lobby management system,
which helps personnel serve citizens in order
of arrival. Until recently, both the ATS and
automated lobby management system
computers ran the Microsoft® Windows®
2000 operating system.
Unfortunately, lack of reliability was a
persistent problem. “It wasn’t uncommon for
our computers to stop responding or close
the application during a test,” says Michael
Childs, Data Center Facilities Manager for
the Washington Department of Licensing. “A
citizen who was trying to get a license to
drive a commercial vehicle could have
invested 45 minutes in taking a test and
have to start over because of a computer
Customer: Washington Department of
Licensing
Web Site: www.dol.wa.gov
Customer Size: 2,200 employees and
contractorsCountry or Region: United States
Industry: Government—Regional/state
Customer Profile
The Washington Department of Licensing
licenses drivers, registers vehicles, issues
professional certifications, and provides
other licensing-related information to
citizens of Washington State.
Software and Services
Windows Vista®
For more information about other Microsoft
customer successes, please visit:
www.microsoft.com/casestudies
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This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.
Document published June 2007
crash. That’s a frustrating experience. We
needed to do something about it.”
The department has approximately 2,200
employees and contractors, spread across
more than 250 sites. Most of those workers
used computers that ran the Windows 2000
operating system. “Upgrading our desktop
and portable computers is significant because
of our small IT staff and distributed environ-
ment,” says Jim Henly, Chief Technology
Officer for the Washington Department
of Licensing. “Therefore, we wanted to
make sure that our next operating system
could bring us enough benefit to make an
upgrade worthwhile.”
SolutionThe Washington Department of Licensing
chose to move to the Windows Vista®
operating system to increase the reliability
and manageability of its environment. The
department elected to start by upgrading its
239 publicly available ATS testing computers
and 34 computers running the automatedlobby management queuing system because
they run a limited number of applications and
thus require less compatibility testing.
Before conducting the upgrade, IT staff
considered using deployment and
management tools, such as Microsoft
Systems Management Server 2003 and the
Microsoft Solution Accelerator for Business
Desktop Deployment 2007. In the end, the
department decided to use its disk-imaging
methodology to deploy the operating system
upgrade. “We were worried that using
deployment tools would adversely affect the
network bandwidth of some remote sites and
would cause the upgrade process delays,”
explains Mark Kennedy, Windows Vista
Project Technical Lead for the Washington
Department of Licensing. “However, we plan
to use those tools to streamline the
deployment process when we upgrade our
internal administrative computers. These are
mostly at sites with high-speed network
connections.”
Even without the advantage of an automated
deployment, the department has found the
Windows Vista upgrade process to be
smooth. “Our IT personnel are flying through
it,” says Kennedy. “They upgrade all the ATS
computers at a location in less than two
hours—it takes just eight minutes to load the
image and restart the computers.”
As of May 2007, the department had
upgraded 150 ATS and 30 automated lobby
management system computers, and it adds
approximately 20 computers each day. The
department also is planning the operating
system upgrade of 2,500 desktop and
portable computers. As part of planning,
the department is using the Microsoft
Application Compatibility Toolkit as a
repository for information about necessary
steps to take before the upgrade is deployed to a group of computers.
BenefitsThe operating system upgrade at the
Washington Department of Licensing has
yielded significant reliability, security, and
manageability improvements. “We want to
do all we can to make the public’s
experience a positive one,” says Henly.
“Upgrading to Windows Vista helps us
maximize our ability to provide excellent
customer service to the citizens of
Washington.”
Increased uptime. The department found
that its computers running the Windows
Vista operating system are far more
reliable than those on earlier operating
systems. “The stability improvements
we’ve already experienced are
tremendous,” says Childs. “For instance,
we had nine ATS computers in one field
office freeze three or four times per week.
In the months since the upgrade, that
office has had only one incident with one
computer—that’s a 95 percent change for
the better.”
Enhanced security management. The
department looks forward to the added
protection of a local firewall as part of its
Windows Vista upgrade. It also plans to
make the most of Windows User Account
Control to prevent users from
unintentionally introducing malicious
software into the environment. “Several
users have ‘local administrator’ status,”
says Kennedy. “With Windows User
Account Control, they’ll be prompted when
there’s suspicious activity, which helps
them to better avoid malware.”
Improved customer service. Windows
Vista already is having a positive effect on
the department’s ability to provide faster,better service to the public. “With these
more reliable systems, citizens are less
likely to encounter interruptions and can
complete the testing process more
quickly,” says Childs. “Thanks to things
like Windows Vista Instant Search
capabilities, our employees will be able to
do their jobs more efficiently, which
ultimately means better service
throughout the Department of Licensing.”
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Forward-Thinking County GovernmentEnhances IT Security and Manageability
“We have reduced help-desk calls from an averageof 20 per day for a user group of similar size downto just 5 per day—a 75 percent improvement.”
Robert E. Taylor, CIO/Director of Information Technology, Fulton County
The Fulton County IT department is responsible for thousands of
computers across dozens of government departments. Having
faced network disruptions in the past due to noncompliant
computers, the county needed a new security solution. In
response, it is deploying Windows Server ® 2008 to take
advantage of Network Access Protection (NAP). After an initial
deployment, help-desk call volume decreased by 75 percent, for
a projected annual savings of more than U.S.$150,000 in maintenance costs.
Business NeedsThe government of Fulton County serves a
population of nearly one million in
northwest Georgia. Its IT department
supports 5,000 employees in 400 buildings,
dozens of agencies, airports, fire stations,
police stations, courts, public-health clinics,
and libraries. Its mixed IT infrastructure
includes mainframes, clustered servers,
workstations, desktop computers, multipleoperating systems, dozens of vertical
applications, and a sophisticated network
encompassing multiple topologies and
protocols.
For Fulton County IT executives, such an
infrastructure poses major challenges in
terms of security and standards
compliance. IT security was complicated by
the sensitive nature of public-health and
court documents, and was especially
difficult within the libraries, whose 600-
plus Internet-facing computers were
vulnerable to outside attack. Even with a
desktop firewall enabled, the county
needed greater protection, as evidencedby virus attacks in 2003 spread via county-
owned mobile computers.
“The Blaster virus brought the network to
its knees,” according to Robert E. Taylor,
CIO/Director of Information Technology,
Company: Fulton County, State of
Georgia
Web Site: www.co.fulton.ga.us
Customer Size: 5,000 employees
Country or Region: United StatesIndustry: Government
Company Profile
Through a workforce of 5,000 people in
agencies, airports, fire stations, police
stations, courts, and libraries, Fulton
County serves nearly one million people
in northwest Georgia.
Software and Services
Windows Server® 2008
Windows Vista®
Windows® XP Professional SP3 Microsoft® System Center Operations
Manager 2007
Microsoft System Center Configuration
Manager 2007
Hardware
HP ProLiant DL340 servers
Dual-Core Intel Xeon processors
For more information about other
Microsoft customer successes, please
visit:
www.microsoft.com/casestudies
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This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.
Document published January 2008
Fulton County. “For four days nobody could
get any work done, including jail
administrators, who were unable to book or
release prisoners. This led to a serious PR
situation and the threat of a major lawsuit.”
Standards compliance was also a problem
because Fulton County relied on a paper
policy. “Standards enforcement and policy
compliance were practically impossible
without tying them into the larger
administration of systems,” Taylor explains.
SolutionFulton County IT executives researched a
more effective way to enforce client security
and compliance policies, and found the
Network Access Protection (NAP) solution.
They saw that with NAP, administrators
could tackle three vital challenges: One,
they could customize health policies to
validate computers’ health before allowing
them to access the network. Two, they could
automatically update policy-compliant
computers. Three, they could confinenoncompliant computers to a restricted
network until they become compliant.
Once they decided to investigate a NAP
solution, Fulton County IT executives
needed to evaluate the technologies that
can be used to enforce NAP. They started by
evaluating NAP with Dynamic Host
Configuration Protocol (DHCP) – based
enforcement, because they were using a
DHCP server to manage their IP addresses.
But DHCP enforcement did not meet the
security requirements of the networkbecause of the possible use of static IP
addressing, which can bypass a DHCP
deployment. They also evaluated 802.1X-
based enforcement, but decided against it
as well.
Then they evaluated NAP with IPsec
enforcement, a solution that is built into
the Windows Server® 2008 operating
system. They liked the support of IPsec for
isolation of problematic clients and for
encryption that is compliant with HIPAA
regulations. Fulton County decided to
deploy NAP to all clients on its IT
infrastructure. To support NAP, the County
is deploying Windows Server 2008 on its
servers, and the Windows Vista® or
Windows® XP SP3 operating systems on
desktop and notebook computers.
As part of the project, Taylor and his team
developed and deployed a Domain
Isolation solution that put all clients into a
single logical network domain. Next, they
deployed Windows Server 2008 and
Windows Vista to a test bed of three
servers and 300 client systems,
respectively. Taylor and his colleagues
intend to deploy Windows Server 2008 to
all the county’s 200 servers by the second
quarter of fiscal year 2009. They also willdeploy Windows XP SP3, to the 90 percent
of clients that run Windows XP SP3.
To help enforce security updates on the
Windows XP SP3 clients, they will use
Microsoft® System Center Operations
Manager 2007 management packs and
System Center Configuration Manager
2007 reporting tools. As Taylor says, “We
anticipate that System Center
Configuration Manager will help us
implement NAP very smoothly.”
BenefitsAfter six months of the test deployment of
NAP, Windows Server 2008, and Windows
Vista, Taylor and his colleagues have
observed an improvement in security
standards compliance, an easier approach
to standards enforcement, and an increase
in system uptime that helps to maintain
their focus on business deliverables.
Stability up, help-desk calls down.
Among client users, stability is noticeably
higher, with fewer problems caused by
malware attacks. “We have reduced help-
desk calls from an average of 20 per day
for a user group of similar size down to
just 5 per day—a 75 percent
improvement,” says Taylor.
Automated compliance. Instead of the
cumbersome, paper-based policy of the
past, Fulton County is using NAP to
enforce standards, policy, and system-
health compliance. As a result, the county
has been able to reassign two full-time
maintenance staff members to new
technology initiatives, resulting in IT
maintenance cost avoidance of
U.S.$157,000 annually.
Real-time reporting. The county will
further automate compliance with the
reporting tools in System CenterOperations Manager 2007, which will be
built on top of the NAP platform. “Using
System Center Operations Manager 2007
reporting tools, we will know immediately
whether a client is in compliance,” Taylor
says. “This will help us save money and
improve the level of service we can offer to
users and citizens.”
A powerful and agile platform. For
Taylor and his team, the impressive gains
of the NAP test deployment mark the start
of something much, much bigger. “WithWindows Server 2008 and the integrated
System Center technologies, we will
achieve a more integrated, manageable,
and available infrastructure,” Taylor says.
“This will bring us not only cost-control
and productivity advantages, but also the
agility necessary for building innovative
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This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.
Document published January 2008
solutions, such as a countywide migration to
VoIP that is already underway.”
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DESKTOP OPTIMIZATI
P a g
Enhancing State & Local Government
through Desktop OptimizationState and local governments are under constant pressure to improve service
to citizens while at the same time maximizing efficiencies within budgetconstraints. IT departments, in particular, feel the squeeze between being
asked to do more with the same or fewer resources.
With PCs now the primary tool for a host of citizen-facing applications and
services, the efficient use and management of desktops and laptops can makea major contribution to the quality of an agency’s constituent services and to
its overall cost-effectiveness.
Microsoft’s Desktop Optimization strategy can help government agenciesmeet their objectives of improved services and greater cost-efficiency bysimplifying PC management, improving access to information, supportinggreater collaboration, increasing the reliability and usability of devices such as
desktop PCs, laptops and mobile devices, and expanding the use of productivity-enhancing applications.
DESKTOP OPTIMIZATIONThe goal of Desktop Optimization is to help agencies realize the value of their investments in IT infrastructure bymaking that infrastructure a strategic asset that increases agility and enables workers to achieve more. TheDesktop Optimization strategy is built upon five practices that have been identified as critical to moving IT
infrastructure toward the goal of optimization. These best practices – which help drive down total cost of
ownership (TCO), improve service levels and increase agility – are:
Standardize desktop strategy and minimize images
Implement comprehensive security and compliance tools
Automate software distribution
Centrally manage PC configurations and settings
Virtualize applications and deliver as streaming on-demand services
Government agencies that adopt these practices may be able to reduce complexity in their IT infrastructure, and
free up IT staff to perform higher-value activities.
Microsoft offers a comprehensive set of solutions for Desktop Optimization
to help enterprises implement these five best practices. These solutions are:
Microsoft Windows Vista Enterprise
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/enterprise/default.mspx
Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP)
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/enterprise/benefits/tools.mspx
Microsoft System Center http://www.microsoft.com/systemcenter/default.mspx
Microsoft Office 2007 http://www.microsoft.com/office
Microsoft Forefront Client Security http://www.microsoft.com/clientsecurity
Benefits of Desktop Optimization
state & local government can incl
Streamlined document hand
Enhanced communication w
and between agencies
Improved constituent servic
Greater data security
Lower costs for PC managem
Better use of IT staff
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DESKTOP OPTIMIZATI
P a g
IMPACT OF DESKTOP OPTIMIZATION ON STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT
The various elements of a Desktop Optimization strategy can benefit state and local governments in several ways.Among them are these:
Working More Efficiently
Windows Vista® and Microsoft® Office 2007 canhelp achieve several important benefits in thedocument-management process, such as time savedin searching for documents, coordinating andorganizing group work, categorizing documents bysecurity level, and managing documents with bothstructured and unstructured information. With the
increased capabilities in Microsoft Office 2007,
employees spend less time looking for the right dataand more time creating value-added information.Employees are able to store requests for informationthrough InfoPath forms and easily reuse theresponses when needed. Office Groove® 2007,Windows Meeting Space, and the enhanced file-
sharing capabilities in Windows Vista streamline thesharing of information between government,business and the public through effectivecollaboration. Office InfoPath® 2007 helps controlgovernment spending and reduce the cost of doingbusiness with the government by the use of
electronic forms offered through websites orinformation kiosks.
Improved Inter-Agency Communication
Windows Meeting Space improves collaborationamong small groups of Windows Vista users virtuallyanytime, anywhere. Office Communicator 2007provides easy access to rich presence, IM, and otherreal-time communications capabilities to enable
workers to communicate more easily.
Improving Document Security
Microsoft Office 2007 improves document security
by enabling access controls, a classification system,and Information Rights Management. Users can
increase document security based on the sensitivity
of the information contained and provide access to a
selected set of reviewers or readers depending onthe group or management level to which theybelong. Microsoft Office 2007 also offers theDocument Inspector functionality to detect andremove unwanted comments, hidden text, orpersonally identifiable. Office SharePoint® Server2007 helps improve document security with features
that help define document management and
compliance policies through access rights at a per-item level.
Simplified Software Management Windows Vista Enterprise, Microsoft DesktopOptimization Pack (MDOP) and Microsoft SystemCenter can make it easier for central IT staffs todeploy and manage software, enabling employees to
use them more easily and effectively.
Strengthened Data Security Agencies must closely protect citizen privacy and
government data, and be constantly on guard
against outside threats. Windows Vista Enterprise hasnumerous security enhancements, includingBitLocker Drive Encryption and Windows SecurityCenter. Data security is also strengthened throughfeatures in Microsoft Forefront™ Client Security,
Microsoft Office 2007 and MDOP.
Centrally Managed PC Settings Centralized management of desktop PCs and otherdevices leads to greater stability, faster problem
resolution and fewer issues with softwaredeployments. Features such as User Account Control
in Windows Vista and Advanced Group PolicyManagement in MDOP support consistent policy
enforcement throughout an agency.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
The Microsoft Desktop Optimization Strategy
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/infrastructure/default.aspx