Business Situation

In 2004, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) re-evaluated its current and future desktop platform needs and decided to update and replace the desktop system in its entirety to achieve:

• improved security,
• expanded functionality
• hardware replacement.

A central focus was desktop and patch management. The MHRA’s needed to implementat a system that enabled problems to be both identified and resolved quickly and efficiently, in the most resource effective way.

Solution

• The MHRA took the decision to implement Microsoft® Windows® XP throughout the organisation.
• To address the desktop and patch management issues faced by the MHRA, Avanade implemented an accelerated process called Automated Build Framework (ABF), which generates a deployable operating system via Windows XP. The ABF framework provides a consistent platform across the system, so that changes can be made rapidly.
• Avanade also developed and implemented a bespoke Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) solution to allow applications to be delivered to this framework. The solution offers state of the art technology that not only delivers security upgrades and desktop updates via SMS, but also identifies the exact machines that need them and which specific updates are required. Updates are then delivered automatically by the IT Manager at the push of a button, with the result that machines or regional sites no longer needed to be physically visited.

Results

• The bespoke SMS solution automated the MHRA’s IT Infrastructure System, therefore optimising its effectiveness.
• The desktop management system has become more economical to run, as fewer man-hours are needed to install and support applications. For example, the SMS solution allows all of the MHRA PCs to be updated overnight and for PCs to receive updates as required, a fraction of the time taken before.
• In addition, the centrally managed automated system creates consistency and enables the remote installation of new machines and delivery of required applications.