This paper offers IDC's quantitative and qualitative research and perspective for examining the challenges and costs of PC deployment, as well as the benefits of automating deployment processes. The paper also looks at the Dell Deployment Optimization model and the role of the DAD solution in this important market.
W H I T E P A P E R T a m i n g t h e P C D e p l o y m e n t B e a s t : D e l l A u t o m a t e s D e p l o y m e n t P r o c e s s e s t o R e d u c e C o s t a n d S i m p l i f y I T O p e r a t i o n s Sponsored by: Dell, Inc. Matt Healey June 2008
mo I N T R O D U C T I O N c.cdi. Large-scale deployments of personal computers are complicated and time-consuming. The ww costs associated with deploying and maintaining fleets of computers have become a large w portion of many companies' overall information technology (IT) budget. IDC research reveals 510 that the average cost of deployment activities is $527 per PC, but often ranges as high as 4.53 $700 or more (IDC White Paper, Dell PC Deployment Optimization Model, January 2007), due 9.8 to time spent by IT staff and PC users. Moreover, IT executives and managers are under 05.F constant pressure to reduce labor costs while maintaining or improving staff productivity 002 The deployment of PCs carries with it hidden costs and inefficiencies that could be reduced 8.27 though better deployment practices. Dell, Inc., offers processes and patent-pending automated 8.8 deployment technologies, called Dell Automated Deployment (DAD), that can help reduce the 05. desk-side labor and logistics involved in deploying PCs. Dell's client-centric approach to P automated deployment, versus a network- or server-centric approach, offers particular ASU advantages, such as the ability to reduce network traffic and lower the dependency on 10 infrastructure (e.g., staging systems). 710 A This paper offers IDC's quantitative and qualitative research and perspective for examining the M ,m challenges and costs of PC deployment, as well as the benefits of automating deployment ahg processes. The paper also looks at the Dell Deployment Optimization model and the role of nim the DAD solution in this important market. arF teert I D C O P I N I O N S nee IDC has found that most companies could improve their deployment practices with automation pS and benefit from significant cost savings - mainly from less IT time spent, but also from less 5 :sr time lost by workers during the deployment process. In a large company with thousands of etra active PCs, reducing the costs of PC deployment can result in significant bottom-line savings, uq as process inefficiencies are mitigated or eliminated and large amounts of time and labor are dae saved and able to be redirected to more strategic IT projects. H labol IDC research has revealed that many companies can potentially save in the range of $250 - G $400 per PC by optimizing PC deployment practices with automation tools (IDC White Paper, Dell PC Deployment Optimization Model, January 2007). There is also the opportunity for more top-line, revenue-generating activity as IT resources can be shifted away from tactical maintenance and aligned with strategic business goals (e.g., e-commerce, transaction processing, etc.).
Aligned with these findings is the DAD solution. In addition to the benefits described above, the DAD solution provides advantages unique to a non-network-based, or desk-side, approach, including the following:
` Ability to maximize technician multitasking with unattended operating system and application installation, combined with automated PC data and settings migration, allowing the tech to move on to another PC
` Ability to customize PCs at final destination, simplifying logistics and increasing flexibility
` Ability to automate decisions and manual steps, enabling user self-service
` Ability to scale greater numbers of deployed PCs without the resource-requirement spikes typically caused by network-based deployment tools
The full range of advantages and benefits of the DAD solution are discussed in more detail in this White Paper. However, IDC believes that the practices and cost structure associated with PC deployment can be improved by using the DAD solution to streamline processes, reduce the time needed to deploy PCs and decrease total cost of ownership (TCO) without impacting service quality. By fully utilizing Dell's client migration services and tools, companies can maximize their potential for reducing costs while deploying faster and with le... [download for more]
