Free Edition Industry: Engineering Supply Chain | Case Study
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Managing desktops across geographical boundaries was a challenging task for Gerab National Enterprises; a company that carries their operations at seven different locations. "It was a really tough job to manage and troubleshoot the 250 desktops that were spread across our seven branches. With a limited number of technicians in hand, we were finding it difficult to support our users' desktops", said Akhtar Zaman, System Administrator, Gerab National Enterprises. With each location holding less than a 50 computers, stationing a dedicated IT staff at every location was not only unfeasible but also quite impractical. Eventually, deployment of a Desktop Management tool that supported WAN Architecture was recognized as the only means to overcome the problems that prevailed at Gerab's IT department. The core competencies that were expected from the software solution included,
With a clear set of requirements in hand, Gerab National Enterprises began their hunt for a tool that offered WAN architecture support; their real need of the hour. Their search ended with the identification of Endpoint Central - A Windows Desktop Management Solution from the ManageEngine product family. IT administrators at Gerab analyzed upon the competencies of Endpoint Central to satisfy their WAN Architecture requirements. Their analysis put forth a clear picture about Endpoint Central's ability to resolve their issues and aid them in the following ways,
Troubleshooting desktops across seven locations was a painstaking activity for Gerab's IT staff, without a proper tool in hand. Every moment of delay on the IT front, to resolve tickets, directly impacted on their users' productivity. Gerab's IT staff found the Remote Desktop Sharing ability of Endpoint Central to be a perfect solution to this problem. The provision aided them to quickly and easily troubleshoot desktops irrespective of their location. Also, the staff found it absolutely simple to participate from different locations and resolve issues on a collaborative basis.
Trainings for employees was carried out on a regular basis at Gerab. Making the staff travel to the head office during each and every training session was not quite practical. IT staff at Gerab found the Remote Desktop Sharing tool of Endpoint Central ideal for this activity."During Training Sessions, we no more require the participants to be in our conference hall. We just share the trainer's desktop using Desktop Central (now Endpoint Central). It is now become a easy and hassle-free affair.", said Akhtar, System Administrator, Gerab National Enterprises. Options to restrict users to access shared desktops aided Gerab to easily foster compliance during the process.
Installing software on desktops scattered across the WAN was a challenging activity for Gerab's IT staff. They wanted to simplify their job with the help of a tool that would automate the software installation process for them. Gerab's IT administrators were quite impressed with the the Remote Software Installation capabilities of Endpoint Central. Using this tool, they could easily install the desired software on selected desktops, both in their LAN and WAN.
Bandwidth was yet another issue of concern for IT administrators at Gerab. Deploying software on desktops during business hours retarded the speed of operations and increased the costs.Administrators at Gerab utilized the scheduling options of Endpoint Central to deploy software after business hours inorder to overcome this problem. "The web-based interface of Desktop Central (now Endpoint Central) allowed us to install software from a central location, without user intervention. Since everything was automated, we hardly needed to spend time on these otherwise time consuming activities." Gerab's IT staff also found the uninstall options of Endpoint Central quite useful to clean up the older versions of software residing in their desktops.
With a network spread over seven locations, Gerab's IT administrators were experiencing the difficulty of tracking theassets in their enterprise. It was especially difficult at times of audits, when every desktop in the network had to be manually verified for its assets. Gerab wanted to implement a stringent asset tracking system to closely monitor assets and thereby avoid penalties due to the presence of unlicensed software. Gerab found the Asset Management capabilities of Endpoint Central as a real boon at this juncture. Scanning the desktopsand tracking the assets almost became an effortless activity for the IT staff. "Keeping inventory of hardware and software has become simple using Desktop Central (now Endpoint Central)", said Akhtar." With Desktop Central (now Endpoint Central) in action, Gerab's IT staff gained better control over software license management, prohibited software detection/removal and software metering activities. The comprehensive list of reports gave perfect information about the assets in the network; ensuring a smooth sail during audits.
Endpoint Central offered a one-stop solution to all the remote desktop administration needs of Gerab. Using the Remote Desktop Sharing tool, Gerab could troubleshoot remote desktops instantly and set up a common platform to conduct trainings. Remote Software installation options helped automate and schedule installation after business hours, thereby helping IT staff to overcome bandwidth related issues. With an efficient asset tracking mechanism, Gerab could keep a check on software licenses and prohibited software and therefore maintain a clean chit for audits. Along with these, the responses received from the Endpoint Central Support was an added delight for Gerab. "Support from Desktop Central (now Endpoint Central) support team is outstanding. Really GREAT JOB - Nothing is impossible!" exclaimed a really satisfied Akhtar. Endpoint Central is now a part and parcel of Gerab National Enterprises' everyday routine. Distance does not bother Gerab's IT staff any more; they have Endpoint Central) handy to bridge the gap.
Founded more than 30 years ago in 1977, Gerab National Enterprises has established themselves as a reliable supplier and an outstanding service provider to their world-wide client base. They are suppliers of Pipes, Fittings, Flanges, Bolts and Gaskets in Dubai & Saudi Arabia. Gerab's hub is in the Jebel Ali Free Zone, which places them in a unique position to ship material world-wide at very short notice. Additionally, Gerab has stocking facilities in Saudi Arabia, which has a significantly large oil, gas, power and petro-chemical industries. Gerab is structured to be close to the main end-users, engineering companies, and construction companies.In this regard, Gerab has set up offices in Houston, Dammam, Muscat, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha, Kuwait, and Hyderabad, which puts them in a unique position to serve its customers better than ever.
Endpoint Central is a complete Desktop Management Software that provides Software Deployment, Patch Management, Service Pack Installation, Asset Management, Remote Control, Configurations, System Tools, User Logon Reports and Active Directory Reports. It is a network-neutral solution that can be used to manage desktops in Active Directory, Workgroups and Novell eDirectory. It can manage computers in multiple domains and can also manage computers across WAN (branch offices). Endpoint Central helps achieve compliance with standards like SOX, HIPAA, PCI, etc, and provides a bundle of useful reports to meet compliance audits.