Zero-Touch configuration is a game changer for IT modernization

When the U.S. Census Bureau needed new devices for its employees to survey people across the country, the organization’s IT leaders wanted to make sure the process of acquiring those tablets would go smoothly for tens of thousands of employees.

IT staff did not have the resources to install the software and configure profiles for each device, and this was not the best use of their time. They needed enumerators who had the devices in their hands to be able to take to the streets.

That’s why the office turned to CDW: to establish a so-called zero-touch setup, an IT service that more agencies should consider at a time when most want to get the most out of every dollar.

For years, agencies ordered equipment from one supplier, received it, and then shipped it to another supplier, who configured it and then shipped it back to the agency’s headquarters. That’s a lot of extra costs and work that IT departments don’t always want to do or don’t always have the physical space to do.

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Zero-Touch makes devices as close to ready as possible

A zero-touch setup can help IT professionals run their agencies more efficiently and allow another vendor like CDW to act as an extension of their team. The goal is to create a zero-touch solution for agencies so that when the end user receives the device for the first time, it is as ready as possible.

This may mean that your device is set up with an internet connection with minimal prompts, or it may mean that you quickly download the appropriate software and updates necessary for a specific profile. As soon as a user logs in for the first time, they can be up and running – sometimes within minutes.

Perhaps most importantly, the IT team can spend time strategizing for the next big initiative, rather than getting bogged down with the daily tasks of installing software or setting permissions.

By outsourcing the configuration process to CDW, which has a rigorous quality control process, the agency also ensures standardized configurations of its devices. Here’s what we recently did with the Department of Agriculture: Team members have the same version of the software, making it easier to share files and resources and resolve support issues faster.

Partnerships are key when modernizing IT

When I talk to clients who have worked with us on zero-touch setups, they regularly say they wouldn’t be able to tackle these types of projects without a partner. They couldn’t cope with the size and scale. They are also amazed by the speed with which the project was completed.

Federal budgets are limited. IT resources can’t reach that far, but agencies may want to leverage their team to tackle challenging, strategic projects that change the way they interact with citizens.

IT leaders in the early stages of modernization – whether they are determining what equipment they have in-house, what needs to be refreshed or what their desired end state looks like – should consider an external partner. Their agencies may need assistance with relocation, device provisioning, supply chain security, configuration, deployment and subsequent management.

Zero-touch configuration services may be the answer.

Jonathan D. Reinfurt