By Mike Jager
June 30, 2011
Expenses associated with running hundreds or thousands of PCs in a business environment unfortunately do not stop after they are deployed. Not only does the hardware need to be maintained, but also the software running on the system needs to be regularly updated. Finding the time to install and upgrade individual applications on all existing PCs, especially in light of the release of Windows 7, may not be possible for many businesses. Following through with such a task may take up more time than a company’s IT Department has to offer. Adding to this challenge is the need to have different sets of applications for separate groups or departments. With this said, it becomes most effective to find a methodology for automated application deployment in a safe manner regardless of the number of PCs and supported applications.
Before coming up with a packaging methodology, you have to ask yourself a few important questions. How many applications does your IT department install either on a one-off basis or scheduled deployments/upgrades? Will your IT department be disciplined enough to ensure the staff assigned to packaging maintain that role full time indefinitely? Does your company have the manpower and resources to package these apps on its own? Once these questions have been answered, consider the following two options; building an internal packaging ninja team or working with a third party professional packaging organization. Before you make a decision as to which is best suited for your business, it is important to evaluate which option is more cost effective by knowing if your company will need more than one option, and if staff will be tasked with this role on a temporary or permanent basis. Typically speaking, partnering with an outsourced professional packaging organization will save you time and money while also reducing the inherent risks in the world of application packaging.
Application packaging is the bundling of installation media files into an industry standard MSI format deployable medium, which makes for an easy installation on any user’s PC. With application packaging, it becomes easy to improve consistency, and standardize deployment processes quicker than ever before. It is also important to note that while some applications do not lend themselves to being packaged the vast majority of today’s applications (both COTS & proprietary) can be packaged successfully.
One key benefit of outsourcing includes not adding the packaging process on the plate of existing IT staff, enabling them to maintain focus on current business. Another added benefit is not having the responsibility of covering internal costs, such as the expensive toolset, hardware requirements and significant startup training. That does not even include salaries and benefits of the dedicated packaging IT staff hired to carry out the process internally. With the ability to quickly install packaged applications on multiple PCs in multiple locations, businesses will also save on administration costs, as well as minimize the burden of support thanks to clean, safe, error-free packages.