In the IT department 11 permanent employees provide user support and ensure that the systems operate perfectly. They support the complete IT infrastructure comprising 720 computers (laptops, tablets and PCs), eight physical and 50 virtual servers.
Simple but effective:
Thomas Schubaur, head of the information and communication department at Augsburg District administration states:
“With Deskcenter Management Suite we are using effective software to complete daily tasks. It fulfils all of our functional requirements and has an impressive helpdesk and mobile device management integration.”
Schubaur considers the fact that the tool can be adapted to their own needs and is intuitive to use as an added benefit. The latter was especially important for use in the citizen service. The IT department now uses the suite for inventorisation, software distribution and OS deployment as well as for managing mobile devices.
At the beginning of the project all of the IT assets including the virtual servers were automatically inventorised and entered into the system. The hardware and software used is now clearly assigned to the users. Windows 10 was rolled out to 200 computers in May 2016 via the Deskcenter OS deployment. The IT department could define by themselves whether the re-installation of the operating system should take place unsupervised or via an image. Windows 7 and 8 continue to be used in parallel with Windows 10.
For the secure operation of three operating system versions, the IT department is supported by the integrated patch and upgrade management.
The IT department stipulates the type of installation such as re-installation, update, repair or de-installation and defines the conditions for executing these.
Since working with Deskcenter Helpdesk, we have already significantly improved the turnaround times and the department is very satisfied with the time saved and simplification of workflows. Software distribution and OS deployment are now central, information on IT assets is easier to maintain and quickly to hand when required.
Thomas Schubaur
head of information and communication division
Challenge
- Windows 10 for all systems
- Existing inventory method is reaching its limits
- Helpdesk system for citizen service planned
Solution
- Automated OS deployment on Windows 10
- Extension of service by the use of Deskcenter Helpdesk and the authority’s knowledge base
- Costumized Software, License & Patch Management
To record the hardware and software inventory as well as the licences, the local authority relied on a self-programmed inventory tool. But this had reached its limits over time: the volume of information could no longer be managed reliably and clearly managed. In parallel to the search for a new inventorisation solution, the specialist departments worked on introducing the citizen service helpdesk system. The aim was to pass on the incoming queries from citizens quickly and in a targeted way to the relevant departments. The aim was to accelerate the processes and improve the service. This is why Augsburg District administration evaluated various solutions for IT infrastructure and lifecycle management that equally met the requirements of the IT department and citizen service.
Better service for citizens of the Augsburg district administration
Five employees are available by phone and email in the citizen service to answer residents’ queries. For clarification the employees access a knowledge database that is partially available to residents via the website. If there are still questions, they are forwarded to the responsible department. The key criterion for introducing the Deskcenter Helpdesk was its web API, using which, the knowledge database could be integrated easily. This ensures that the Augsburg District Office can now provide a high immediate resolution rate on the phone as well as a direct and structured forwarding of questions to the specialist departments.
Helpdesk tickets can be directed to individuals or a central departmental email address. The extended citizen service was initially introduced in May 2016 for cars & traffic as this generated the most telephone queries. The other departments will be added successively in the coming months.
Finally, Schubaur declares:
“I see a big advantage in the functionality and handling of Deskcenter Management Suite because you can implement complex issues with it if you wish – but you don’t have to!”