Why Users Don't Use Their Business PC
Define Desktop & Notebook PCs for Employee Productivity

Article from Processor Magazine (1/5/2007)

For small to midsized enterprises, desktop PCs are all about being a productivity tool, and PC standards are a best practice for effectively managing and securing PCs across the enterprise. However, it’s typical to come across users who believe they can be an exception to the PC standard an organization has in place.

Steve Bulling, product manager for desktop PCs at Gateway Computers (www.gateway.com), stresses the importance of standards, especially as a business grows, because you can centralize PC security and apply operating system and software updates on the network level.

Nick Pegley, vice president of marketing for Redwood Shores, Calif.,-based All Covered (www.allcovered.com), an IT services firm targeting SMEs, is also a strong proponent of a standardized approach to buying and deploying PCs.

Problems With Nonstandard PCs
However, not all PCs fit the same mold. Nonstandard PCs in a corporate environment can bring a whole raft of problems, including inconsistent security and higher support costs because of more time spent supporting nonstandard PC configurations.

“Look at support costs because they are lower with standardized PCs,” says Pegley. Nonstandard PCs require more time on task. He notes, “You have the ability to swap PC parts and get increased buying power because you are buying in bulk.”

If you haven’t been keeping to a corporate PC standard, there is still hope because you can take advantage of your PC refresh cycle to introduce PC standards into your SME. Pegley advises that you look at the costs, your need to replace the system, and how to best establish a formal policy to set PC standards around your refresh schedule.

Going Beyond Standardized PCs
With your PCs standardized, Bulling says to “put the end user first. You need to truly understand what the workers do going forward.” His next bit of advice also should ring true for many SMEs: “Take a look at where you want the business to grow and consider both expansions and contractions.”

When and if you run into cases for going beyond standardized PCs, it is going to take some upfront requirements gathering and analysis. Bulling advises looking at tailored PC solutions for your SME based on the specialized needs of particular departments and use-case scenarios to put in some structure. He says, “Understand what the department’s needs are now and their needs for future growth.”

Pegley and All Covered also advocate a department-level approach to PC standardization. He advises that you look at the application in use at the department level. Like Bulling, he cites high-end and specialized applications as reasons to adapt PC standards to the department level. For example, the marketing department uses Macintosh PCs to create marketing collateral, and the engineering department uses CAD (computer-aided drafting) tools to design products. CAD software has a reputation for being processor intensive and probably will require a PC with specifications that exceed a typical corporate PC standard.

Bulling also stresses looking at the specialized applications in use by the department and factoring those applications into department-level system requirements. “Manageability is the key moving forward,” says Bulling. This manageability needs to consider security and regular maintenance/support. Even if you are facing multiple PC requirements, you can still get a rein on them. Offering your internal customers some leeway in requirements doesn’t mean PC configurations have to get out of scope. Pegley advises that an IT department should define a short list of PCs it will support, including desktops and notebook PCs.

You can offer leeway in PC requirements through traditional corporate PC purchasing arrangements or by offering employees reimbursement for PC purchases. If you go the reimbursement route, it’s best to set up a formal approval process and still control the list of brands and configurations.

The launch of Microsoft Windows Vista may even contribute to better PC standardization as early adopters (often SMEs) need to upgrade their hardware to take advantage of Vista’s new features. According to Pegley, “Microsoft Windows Vista creates another window into the PC refresh cycle.”

Users & Their PC Requirements
Integrating corporate-wide discipline on PC standards requires upfront planning, requirements, and analysis. Communications with your internal customers is also a crucial component to implementing PC standards across your enterprise.