IT Lifecycle Management Client- and Software Management Business-Processes

IT Lifecycle Management

Client- and Software Management

Business-Processes

Kantonsspital St.Gallen

The configuration and maintenance of modern IT infrastruc-tures require a complex interaction of different technologies and people. For the planning, execution and control of these operations, both the people involved and their superiors constantly rely on detailed information in order to make de-cisions.

To which location should a device be delivered?

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What software must be installed on the computer and how

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should it be configured?

To which cost center should a device be charged?

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Is the existing hardware still under warranty? Is it already

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depreciated?

How many repairs relate to a certain hardware type?

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Are we correctly licensed? Which upgrades are allowed?

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These few questions can often only be answered after com-plex research in different systems or even on paper.

In recent years, a clear trend has emerged in favor of using ITIL (IT Infrastructure Library). ITIL supports companies in struc-turing their IT and configuring their processes with compre-hensive recommendations for processes, data management and interfaces. However, since ITIL should be regarded rather as a recommendation than a standard, the actual implemen-tation and therefore the selection of the supporting tools remains the responsibility of the organization..

At this point, our product line Columbus comes into play. All relevant aspects of the IT Lifecycle Management were organizationally and technically implemented based on ITIL recommendations. The modular design and the integrated interfaces allow the customer to select exactly the modules that are currently needed. The system is scalable and offers a real operational benefit within a short time.

Professional and fast introduction

Modern IT Lifecycle Management is an everyday working in-strument for administrators, service desks, management and finance. It provides for the automation of complex processes, a reliable and effective system configuration and an up-to-date overview of the status and costs of the IT investment. Introducing innovative solutions is often in contrast to ease of use, short implementation periods and smooth integration. However, these are basic requirements in order to obtain be-nefits from an investment within a short term.

Based on the importance of these features, we have paid spe-cial attention to these user groups in the design of Columbus. We focused on the data which form the basis for the corre-sponding modules and their reporting. Both the ease of use and the guarantee of user-oriented safety mechanisms have been consequently implemented and the smooth integration with third-party systems has been ensured.

Servicedesk & Reporting

Carry out all assignments effectively and help users quickly – workflow determines the success.

See information on page 12

clever solutions

Installation & Migration

Repair of existing computers or migration to Windows Vista – the next installation will surely come.

See information on page 8

Quality & Costs

Labour is expensive – Lifecycle Management reduces the phy-sical effort while enhancing productivity at the same time.

See information on page 6

Security & Compliance

Viruses, data theft and falsely licensed software – a lot de-pends on the system configuration and maintenance.

More performance despite higher cost pressure – unsolvable problem?

The challenges for IT performance increase constantly: Observance of a defined service level

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Higher system safety and availability

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Enhanced ease of use and performance

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These are some of the challenges the IT is facing daily. When adding the requirement of cost reduction with higher transparency at the same time, contradictions that seem unsolvable develop very quickly.

Allreal

«With the launch of Columbus we have decisively pushed the software

standardization to all clients. This in turn increases security and

simpli-fies our support tasks to a great extent.»

Comparison of the cost development

Windows Migration Windows Migration

Basic installation Basic installation

Operation Operation

Effectiveness through IT Lifecycle Management

Integrated solutions automate the installation operations and supply inventory data with busi-ness information such as costs, warranty and location. These again speed up the planning and decision-making of existing development and support jobs. A precondition for this is consistent solutions to reduce the interfaces in order to ensure the data quality.

Columbus operates on the basis of a central CMDB (Configuration Management Database). Thus all relevant technical and economic data are available at all times, either for real-time status or to verify historical performance.

The transparent IT becomes a reality. Operation and support have access to current system data at all times and the management can analyze, plan and budget comprehensively.

Automated Client Lifecycle Management reduces the costs – in migration periods as well as during operations. Traditional migration and administration

Installation, configuration and operation

Modern operating systems and software require much know-ledge and time for a correct installation and configuration. At the same time, the manual implementation of a consistent configuration of all systems is very complex and monotonous. Therefore, compliance to security and policies cannot always be ensured.

Through automation with Columbus, the usual time of seve-ral hours needed for these kind of installations decreases to almost zero. For individual installations and bulk rollouts, all jobs are recorded at the management console and are then processed unattended on the remote computers. It is the most efficient methodology, and SLA’s are consequently observed.

User productivity is the hallmark benefit of IT

The employees are the key to the company‘s success – conse-quently, IT must support their productivity as much as possible. Computer failures, missing applications or even the simple que-stion, how to use a certain function, are day-to-day tasks that must be quickly dealt with.

With Columbus, most of the repair and installation tasks are done with one click and require only minimal know-how. If direct interaction with the user is necessary, the screen can be taken over using remote control to solve the problem.

Aargauer Zeitung

«Today we can confirm that our IT

environ-ment is extremely stable and that expenses

for supporting client desktops have dropped

to a great extent.»

Information and reporting

IT officers are more and more frequently asked to provide in-formation to management. For this, not only technical data is of interest, but also their connection to other business efforts, such as:

Which devices are no longer under warranty until the end

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of the year?

How many software licenses have not been used in the last

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3 months?

Whether it involves the depreciation value of actual systems, the contractual status of hardware and software or the security of certain devices – the ability to give information is now an obligation in order to determine risks and ensure compliance.

Systems must be secure

Hardly a subject in IT is as important now as system security. The constant stream of security weaknesses in operating systems and applications represent as much a risk as is the often inconsistent system configuration done by manual installations.

Columbus combines inventory with the automated manage-ment of security patches and hardening scripts. This ensures the maximum possible security for each device. Security re-ports allow a quick overview of the status of different systems, which helps to detect risks and correctly establish priorities. In order to reduce efforts and further minimize the risks, Brainware has its own security team, which detects and tests current manufacturer patches.

Is the licensing correct?

Integration of hardware and software inventory data with the economic data of license and contract management, is fundamental to managing computing assets.

Such information can relate to the licensing or leasing status as well as how often a device had to be repaired. This data also allows management to ensure comprehensive compliance regarding budget optimization planning, monitoring of re-gulatory compliance to applicable legislation and adherence to service levels. More, the systems also proactively notify the need for action, helping to avoid costs and risks.

Processes move into focus

IT offers a wide range of solution methods and products for each problem. However, the chal-lenge lies no longer in the functions of individual tools, but in the coordination of teams and priorities, in order to complete tasks timely and in a measurable quality.

The key lies in the use of ITIL-conforming processes that combine the interaction of tools and people and at the same time create transparency on the corresponding status of a task.

Workflows determine the results

Hiring an employee or purchasing a new computer – there is hardly a business task that does not involve several people.

It is no longer possible to imagine modern business applications without workflows. In spite of that, only a few technical applications are designed around these principles.

Columbus addresses this problem and divides the tasks into proposal, approval and processing. These can be assigned to different participants in the process, e.g. ordering new software. The employee carries out the requisition tasks independently and the installation takes place au-tomatically as soon as the manager approves the requisition. In this way, processing is not only

Service Desk & Reporting

Columbus covers all areas of the asset life cycle and exposes opportunities for cost reduction through higher productivity and extended added value.

Planning depends on information

Decisions in IT depend on many kinds of information: Which systems must be replaced for Windows Vista?

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Is it worth repairing this computer?

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Does this device have the necessary minimum configuration?

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Support and management constantly rely on information based on a mixture of technical and economic data.

Asset-Lifecycle with Columbus

Purchase / Registration Productivity maximize Migration Life cycle extend Operation / Maintenance Productivity accelerate Disposal Traditional administration

Lifecycle Management with Columbus

Columbus combines such data in a CMDB, allowing for reports that exactly match these requirements. This database can be supplemented at all times with information from third-party applications, e.g. SAP, and can function as the perfect platform for support and budgeting.

The «Made in Switzerland» label means much more to us than just the simple speci-fication of the place of manufacture. Living up to such a label motivates us every day to arouse enthusiasm among our clients through innovation, flexibility and quality. As a modern manufacturer, we do not restrict ourselves to merely programming software, but we also offer in this context comprehensive goods and services for our customers and integration partners.

Many international manufacturers focus their business only on large customers. As a Swiss company, we offer highly scalable and linguistically flexible solutions that are affordable and optimally practical for both small and large customers. We can look back on a successful business history of more than 15 years and will continue our success story in the future.

Our commitment

«Working for big customers

should not result in neglecting

the small customer!»

Made in Switzerland

1996

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1989

A great deal of experience is required to conceive all aspects of the Client Lifecycle Management and understand the customer needs. As long as Brainware has been around, much emphasis has been put on a low employee turnover in order to ensure the best possible qualification of trainers and consultants to the client.

Especially difficult projects with integration of terminal servers, third-party systems, Asian languages and aggressive deadlines? You will barely find a challenge that we have not already successfully mastered. Our consultants look forward to such special assignments and are glad to pass on their experiences through projects and training courses.

Experience counts

Columbus came into existence as customer solution for a large Swiss bank in the early 90s, when there were still no such products available for purchase. From the beginning, Columbus was developed predominantly based on customer‘s needs. Even today, most of the new func-tionality originates from direct conversations with customers, ensuring our product relates to reality and provides real benefit. As a result, customers are the ones to drive the best possible solution for their requirements. Devotion to our customers led us to gain their loyalty and made us number 1 in Switzerland. Columbus 6 Database „ New inventory „ Remote console „ Columbus Lifecycle Management Columbus 7 Network friendly „ Vista Design „ Unicode „

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Brainware Solutions AG Sumpfstrasse 15 CH – 6300 Zug Tel. +41 41 748 22 00 Fax +41 41 748 22 01 www.brainware.ch info@brainware.ch Columbus-Brainware GmbH An der Bleiche 12 DE – 60437 Frankfurt/Main Tel. +49 800 748 22 00 Fax +49 800 748 22 00 www.columbus-brainware.de info@columbus-brainware.de

Brainware Japan, Inc.

Anzen Building Residence 2006 1-6-2 Motoakasaka, Minato-ku Tokyo 107-0051, Japan Tel. +81 3 5775 0208 Fax +81 3 5775 0209 www.brainware.co.jp sales@brainware.co.jp