Salzburg University of Applied Sciences represents a wide range of modern future-oriented courses and is growing strongly. Dr. Ralf Mitteregger, who was once a student at the University, is responsible for the IT, from the data centre to the lecture theatres across a total of three locations. In the interview Dr. Ralf Mitteregger reports on his experience with Deskcenter Management Suite.
Dr. Mitteregger, you and your colleagues support nearly 1,000 systems with the most varied of requirements. What characterises your work at Salzburg University of Applied Sciences?
“We ensure the seamless operation of the IT for 330 employees and 620 teaching staff at the university. They are divided over three different locations where the IT is managed centrally from the Urstein Campus. In addition to the common PC workstations, many devices are also located in laboratories and lecture rooms and are used by professors, external teaching staff and students. It goes without saying that this needs to be managed and updated constantly.”
And how does Deskcenter support this work at the Salzburg University?
“With Deskcenter we have found a solution that clearly depicts this heterogeneous infrastructure and we can use it to automatically manage the dynamic system requirements and various devices with different configurations. These result from the different, sometimes extremely specific, applications for the 27 courses offered.”
The automated software management saves us a lot of time. With Deskcenter we are able to roll out patches and updates to systems that are not directly on the network.
Dr. Ralf Mittereger
Head of Information Services Department, Salzburg University
Challenge
- Rapid growth of the entire campus
- Various system requirements of the teaching staff in the laboraties
Solution
- Flexible use of the existing infrastructure for the various study programs
- New evaluation and OS-installation every new semester to keep system performances
- Fast, automated deployment across three locations
- Migration to Windows 10 & selective license management
How do you get an overview of the infrastructure at the Salzburg University?
“Since using Deskcenter we have been able to clearly and centrally depict the hardware and software used in a program. With the inventorisation solution we can immediately detect where the system is on the campus, what is installed on it and all of the details. We can also identify software that has expired or is no longer required and respond quickly if necessary. This data then forms the basis for asset management, software distribution and licence management.”
How did you hear about Deskcenter? Why did you choose the solution?
“There was a time when the tool we were using no longer met the requirements. The University is growing strongly and the IT infrastructure is getting ever more complex. Our technical partner and supplier for many years, ACP Salzburg, recommended Deskcenter to us. We were convinced not only by the solution’s functions but also by its ideal value for money. As a result of the reliable technical support from the manufacturer, which was excellent in the test phase, we were able to work productively with it very quickly. Today the support is still important and valuable for us, if for example questions arise about new features when a new release is issued.”
What do you see as the main benefits of Deskcenter? What at the Salzburg University could you no longer do without?
“Particularly in terms of deployment, we can now move much quicker and use automated methods. We distribute software, operating systems and patches very quickly and with virtually no notice periods. If a particular application must be available in a lecture room during an unplanned lecture, we are able to provide it within the shortest possible time. In addition, all systems are reset at the start of each semester to keep them as thin as possible. Impossible without Deskcenter. We almost never have to go out on foot to do administration and my employees can focus on their key tasks.”
That’s surely an important issue since you have three different locations and devices that are used externally?
“Of course, the automated software management saves us a lot of time. With Deskcenter we are able to roll out patches and updates to systems that are not directly on the network. Using the dynamic software distributor, we can provide users with critical patches quickly and without additional VPN connections. Deskcenter means we can respond to security updates more quickly.”
Are there other areas where Deskcenter also makes your life at the Salzburg University easier?
“We also rely on Deskcenter for licence management. We use the solution to manage all of the licences, contracts, maintenance sessions and domains. Each campus has separate licences and is considered individually. Deskcenter also provided very good support when we migrated to Windows 10. We did not do in-place upgrades but rather re-installed the complete operating system. At the end of the day it’s the combination of inventorisation, IT asset management, deployment and licence management that convinced us about Deskcenter and helps us to use hardware and software efficiently as well as ensure our IT compliance.”
The Salzburg University of Applied Sciences — practical, research-intensive and full of opportunities — offers its 2700 students the best academic education in the disciplines of engineering, social sciences, economics, design, media, art and health sciences all with high practical relevance. With the focus on innovation in research and teaching as well as its international orientation, Salzburg Univeristy of Applied Sciences is the initiator of future-oriented solutions for business and society; particularly in the dynamic fields of technology, health and media. The univeristy has managed its IT at three different locations and just under 1,000 systems using Deskcenter Management Suite since 2012.