Reducing numbers of images
Drowning in Images
Many corporations have an image for desktops, for laptops, for shared computers, for shop floor computers -- for all types of computers. And, it's also definitely common to see "derivative" images from these original images. That is, images that set specific applications with specific settings. So, even though everyone in the company gets Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat Reader, there's a special image for the Nurse Stations because they have their own special application settings embedded within those images.
It's the rare organization that can get it down to just one or two. But even if you are in that lucky top few who only have one or two images, are you really "done" configuring the machine once it's on the desktop?
Likely not.
Sure, you've embedded the actual applications into the image (or deployed your applications using a Change and Configuration Management, CCM tool.) But does your process, imaging tool or CCM tool configure the "last mile" for the user? Do you currently have a solution in place to manage the end-user's application settings? With 2, 10, 20, or 50 applications on the desktop -- once you deploy that image, what's still "left over" to be done?
And what then, if the corporate standard should change for an application's settings? Are you going to modify the "gold image" and update the one application, then re-image each machine based upon the new settings? And then do this all over again when the next corporate standard changes?
If you're drowning in images to handle your application configuration settings, or if you have a low number of images, but no process to manipulate the end-user's application settings, then you're going to love PolicyPak.With PolicyPak you no longer have to embed applications' settings within your images. Nor will you have to "walk around" and manually configure application's settings once the image is deployed. With PolicyPak, you'll deploy the application in the same way you always have (with an imaging tool or CCM.) But then the application's settings will be delivered using Active Directory Group Policy the first time the user logs on. The user's pre-configured settings will just be "waiting there" for the user. You don't need to spend any extra time after the image is put on the desktop to configure the 2, 10, 20 or 50 desktop applications inside the image.
Image-Reduction Next Steps
Get out of the messy business of multiple images and configuring the desktop and the applications after deployment or re-imaging.
Get cost-effective, simple, and manageable solutions to configure your applications today. For more information on our PolicyPak versions, click here.
You can contact PolicyPak directly at 1-800-883-8002 or send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
For the whole Inside Administration article in REDMOND Magazine, click here.
