News on Access IT Automation

See You at AppManagEvent 2026 – It’s Going to Be a Good One

Thu, 24 Sep 2026 11:55:40 +0100

AppManagEvent is always a highlight on the endpoint management calendar. Access IT Automation is a Gold Partner of the event, and it’s always fantastic to catch up with old friends, hear from leading thinkers in the industry, and meet new people. While every year is great, we think this one is going to be better than ever as we have some new products to unveil.

Access IT Automation Partners with Microsoft to Validate Access Symphony on ARM64

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 16:50:29 +0100

As of July 2026, Access Symphony is now natively supported on ARM64-powered Windows 11 devices with no emulation required.

Enterprise applications written for X64 can run on ARM devices, but they do so via the built-in emulation in Windows. While they technically work, running through this transition layer means they are typically slower and can sometimes be buggy.

Stop Reporting. Start Interrogating Your IT Estate.

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 13:19:40 +0100

Most IT reporting tells you what happened. Symphony Insights asks the harder question: What exactly should you do next?

Symphony Insights cuts through passive dashboards and turns endpoint data into something far more useful: a live, drillable intelligence layer across people, applications, and endpoints. It does not ask endpoints to change. It does not interfere. It simply takes what the agent has already collected and makes the truth impossible to ignore.

What Does a Successful SCCM to Intune Migration Actually Look Like?

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 10:12:54 +0100

Every organisation wants to modernise its endpoint management.

Few, however, want the disruption that large-scale migration projects are often associated with.

The good news is that successful migrations don’t happen by chance, they happen through careful planning, automation, and expertise.

Why More Organisations Are Moving from SCCM to Intune

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 10:11:08 +0100

There’s no question that SCCM has been one of Microsoft’s most successful enterprise management platforms.

It remains an incredibly capable solution for organisations with complex Windows environments, offering deep control over software deployment, operating system imaging, patch management, compliance, and reporting. For many enterprises, it continues to perform exactly as intended.

Is Your Endpoint Management Strategy Ready for What’s Next?

Sun, 26 Jul 2026 10:07:41 +0100

For many years, endpoint management was considered an operational function, something that simply kept desktops patched, applications deployed, and devices compliant. Today, that mindset has changed dramatically.

Modern organisations rely on a growing ecosystem of endpoints that extends far beyond desktop PCs. Laptops, smartphones, tablets, virtual desktops, cloud PCs, and remote devices have all become part of the corporate environment. As organisations embrace hybrid working and cloud technologies, managing these endpoints efficiently has become a strategic priority rather than simply an IT housekeeping task.

How We Use AI to Develop Customer-Focused Solutions Without Sacrificing Governance

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 09:51:22 +0100

Using AI to build faster is no longer a differentiator. So, let’s start with taking that as a given. This blog isn’t a framework for AI-powered development either. Instead, we’re going to outline what we do as a company that develops software products for enterprise customers.

AI-Supercharged In-House Devs vs. Enterprise Operational Maturity

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 09:38:36 +0100

AI-generated whatever is everywhere these days. So what?

The real story isn’t happening on Instagram and TikTok. Where AI is having the biggest impact is inside enterprises.

With corporate licenses for platforms like Claude and ChatGPT, highly skilled, sophisticated, and well-resourced internal development teams are now supercharged.

What is Mythos? And Why You Need to Be Aware of Software Vulnerabilities

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 09:14:29 +0100

“That which destroys the old mythos becomes the new mythos.”

That’s a quote from the 1974 philosophical novel Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig. It argues that it is essential to integrate human judgement and craftsmanship into technical systems to achieve sustainable, high-quality innovation.

Going Beyond the “Wireframe on Steroids” to Get from AI Promise to Production Proof

Sat, 20 Jun 2026 08:51:28 +0100

It’s quite the buzz. Even if you are not a programmer, all you need is a Claude or ChatGPT license, and you can spin up a functional dashboard or a working script over the weekend. It’s all based on data and logic, of course, but the speed and relative simplicity feel like magic.

Clarity. Control. Confidence. How Capture Shift Completes Your SCCM to Intune Migration

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 08:21:52 +0100

SCCM to Intune migrations are messy and complex, so the first blog in this series demonstrated how you can get clarity – being able to see your full app estate in one place.

In SCCM to Intune Migrations, Clarity Shows You the Estate. Control Is What You Do with It

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:37:16 +0100

We all know that SCCM to Intune migrations are complex. In fact, we opened with that very point in the first blog in this series. That blog focused on the importance of clarity, i.e., being able to see your full SCCM app estate in one place. But what happens next? You can see your SCCM app estate, but what do you do with it? For that, you need control.

Clarity is What’s Missing from Your SCCM to Intune Migration – Here’s How to Get It

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 17:48:33 +0100

SCCM to Intune migrations are notoriously messy. That’s not great news if you are planning a migration project or in the middle of one. But messy they are.

Access Capture Joins the Omnissa Solution Exchange, Elevating Enterprise Application Management

Thu, 28 May 2026 12:21:11 +0100

Access Capture is now officially listed on the Omnissa Solution Exchange.

Omnissa is a global leader in modern digital workspaces with best-in-class solutions that include Workspace ONE and Horizon. The Omnissa Solution Exchange connects IT leaders with third-party solution integrations that are validated by Omnissa as being optimised for the digital workspace. As such, it is a highly curated marketplace that Access IT Automation is proud to be a part of.

Psst… Something Big Is Dropping at the EUC Forum Spring Meeting – Spread the Word

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 16:53:18 +0100

As long-running sponsors and participants at various EUC Forum events, we’re always excited ahead of the next meeting. The Spring Meeting is on another level, though, as we get to take the covers off an exciting new product we have been working on – Access Capture Shift.

Introducing Access Capture Shift: SCCM to Intune Migrations Made Simple

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 10:16:33 +0100

We are delighted to announce a new Access Capture module: Capture Shift. Capture Shift is a single, graphics-based command centre to assess, plan, and execute application migrations from SCCM to Intune. With Capture Shift, transitioning to modern, cloud-first application management and delivery has never been as easy, controlled, and cost-effective.

WinGet Vs Chocolatey for Evergreen Application Management

Thu, 08 Jan 2026 15:06:24 +0100

One of the (many) challenges to overcome with evergreen application management is where to source application files. The Evergreen AI feature of our Access Capture product enables evergreen application management, i.e., the automated identification, download, packaging, and testing of applications ready for publishing and deployment. This is usually applications that are commonly used and frequently updated.

Case Study: Government Agency Uses Symphony for GDPR-Compliant Internal Messaging at Scale

Tue, 06 Jan 2026 11:40:33 +0100

Introduction

The average worker receives 117 emails and 153 Teams messages each day. Statistics like that open up a whole range of issues (including productivity!), but for this case study, we are going to focus on one – internal communication.

How you send internal communications matters, as you don’t want company messages relaying important information to be buried under the almost 300 emails/messages that the average employee receives each day. This is especially true in critical situations where information needs to be distributed quickly, and you need to be sure messages are read and acted upon.

9 App Management Trends Enterprises Should be Aware of in 2026

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 10:40:42 +0100

Application management never stands still as technologies, processes, strategies, and priorities continuously evolve. In this blog, we are exploring the main app management trends for 2026, especially those that apply to enterprise organizations.

Automation First Approach

Automation has been a feature of the app management landscape for some time now. At Access IT Automation, for example, we have been helping enterprises automate application management tasks for over 10 years.

Access IT Automation CEO Looking Ahead to 2026 – Building the Next Chapter of Innovation

Mon, 22 Dec 2025 12:12:48 +0100

As another year draws to a close, I find myself reflecting on what matters most. Health and family remain at the forefront of my mind, but business has also been a defining part of my life for more than 50 years. To still be contributing, especially at a time when automation and AI are reshaping how organisations operate, is something I feel genuinely grateful for.

ReadyWorks Plus Access IT Automation: Taking Application Management to a Whole New Level

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 11:54:33 +0100

Most large organisations and enterprises have complex IT environments that have evolved over time. Different bits do different things. Some elements are cutting-edge while others are firmly in the legacy category. And there are many, many vendors, systems, endpoints, and applications involved.

Mass Messaging in Minutes for Critical Internal Communications

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 11:45:26 +0100

Internal communication in large enterprise organizations is a challenge. Those challenges are amplified in outages and other critical situations.

In outages and other critical situations, tens of thousands of staff might start looking for answers at the same time. This can overload IT teams with a deluge of support tickets that can’t be responded to.

Evergreen AI has Arrived – Your Apps, Your Rules from Access Capture

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 12:26:32 +0100

What do you get when you combine about 200 technology leaders, the latest application management technologies, and a fantastic location in the Netherlands? AppManagEvent 2025 is the answer, and this year it was bigger and better than ever.

The Access IT Automation team was in Utrecht, the Netherlands, for 2025’s edition of the widely respected industry event focused on application management. It was great making new connections as well as catching up with friends and colleagues.

Automated Driver Patching at Enterprise Scale – The Future is Now, and the Benefits Are Enormous

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 17:35:07 +0100

Keeping drivers patched and up to date across all endpoints in a large enterprise organisation is a notoriously difficult and resource-intensive challenge. It’s a task that is essential, but it is also risk-enhancing, time-consuming, and highly inefficient. But there is an alternative – automated, evergreen driver patching at enterprise scale.

Live from Microsoft Ignite: Let’s Redefine Endpoint Automation Together

Sat, 15 Nov 2025 16:14:58 +0100

Microsoft Ignite 2025 is here, and we want to focus on one of the most important topics facing enterprises today – endpoint automation. The role of endpoint management in efficient business operations is increasing, and automation is the only way to achieve optimisation at scale in enterprise organisations.

Access IT Automation Looking Forward to the EUC Forum Winter Meeting in London

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 12:10:44 +0100

It’s only a few weeks to go until the EUC Forum Winter Meeting in London. It is one of the most anticipated events in the end-user computing field, and the Access IT Automation team is looking forward to attending.

This will be the third EUC Forum meeting of 2025. Both the spring and summer meetings were excellent events for knowledge sharing and networking, and we expect the winter meeting in November to be no different.

Countdown to Ignite: Why Symphony Is the Platform Banks & Enterprises Are Talking About?

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 13:52:27 +0100

With just one month to go until Microsoft Ignite, it’s impossible to miss the topic that will be the main focus of conversation, presentation, and persuasion – Artificial Intelligence. On the Ignite homepage, for example, AI is mentioned in five of the eight key topics Microsoft wants to explore during the four-day event.

RIP Windows 10… Or Is It!

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 13:21:12 +0100

October 14, 2025, the official Windows 10 end-of-life (EOL) date, is finally here.

But it’s not dead as millions of devices are still running on Windows 10. What does today’s EOL date mean, does it matter, and how does it impact this long-running Microsoft operating system saga?

See You at AppManagEvent 2025

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 11:41:05 +0100

With only a couple of days to go, the Access IT Automation team is looking forward to AppManagEvent 2025. As Gold Partners of this essential event on the Application Management calendar, we are getting ready to head to Utrecht, The Netherlands, to meet with other professionals in the industry, discuss the latest developments, and showcase our trusted product, Access Capture.

No More Trade-Offs: Automating App Management Without Sacrificing RBAC or Compliance

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 12:05:53 +0100

Role-based access control (RBAC) is essential in almost all enterprise organisations. This especially applies in highly regulated organisations such as companies in the financial services sector. Even when tightly defined, RBAC takes time and effort to both set up and manage. Tools like Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory) make RBAC easier through robust identity and access management (IAM). It does this while also enhancing the user experience.

Using Symphony’s Automation Capabilities to Rapidly Migrate Users to Windows 11

Thu, 25 Sep 2025 11:34:13 +0100

Modern enterprises rely on technologies for business success, and they often have complex IT infrastructures. There is also a continuing push for digital transformation in most industries. As a result, large-scale IT projects are an inevitable feature and regular occurrence.

Access IT Automation Heads to Microsoft Ignite: Let’s Talk DEX at Scale

Thu, 18 Sep 2025 13:58:39 +0100

Two months out from one of the largest technology events on the global calendar, Microsoft Ignite, DEX remains a top priority for tech executives and leaders. As it’s a Microsoft event, there is a heavy emphasis on AI and cloud technologies on the Ignite agenda. But just about every technology or innovation that will be discussed, debated, and demonstrated at Ignite will impact DEX.

The Rise of Intune as the De Facto Endpoint Management Solution

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 11:02:39 +0100

When it comes to endpoint management, there are two options available in the Microsoft stable of products – SCCM and Intune. SCCM is the older, trailblazing, and incredibly sticky version of the two. Intune is the younger, more agile, and impatient heir.

SCCM – Legacy Devices and Business as Usual

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 11:12:55 +0100

Walking into the office of an executive in a large, global corporation, you are likely to find multiple screens connected to an advanced enterprise desktop environment, a smartphone also hooked into the company’s IT infrastructure, and a laptop giving the executive full connectivity to the apps and data she needs when outside the office.

Are Your Users Happy With Their HARDWARE and SOFTWARE? Put Them in Control!

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 11:20:05 +0100

Putting users in control of their hardware and software in a large enterprise organisation? Heaven forfend! Even if users could get their heads around the massive array of choices available, they’d make the wrong decision anyway. It took years for IT teams to gain precise control over specifying desktops, allocating VDI resources, and deciding which apps get installed where. Now is not the time to go backwards.

To Deploy or Not to Deploy – How Do You Update Your Desktop Software?

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 14:58:10 +0100

There is a famous joke by the late, great Irish comedian Dave Allen about the Irish skill of giving directions:

“I suppose Ireland is the best place in the world for directions. People will say to you, ‘I wouldn’t start from here if I were you’.”

What Hardware Does Your Next Desktop Refresh Contain?

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 08:38:15 +0100

In enterprise organisations, choosing the right hardware strategy for end users during a desktop refresh cycle can feel a bit like playing a game of Monopoly. This is especially the case when the desktop refresh is part of a major migration project (such as a Windows migration), but it can also be the case when no large-scale migration is involved.

Case Study: Global Bank Cuts IT Tickets by 65% Across 120k Devices

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 15:50:14 +0100

Introduction

Businesses across all industries are becoming more digitalised, with organisations seeking to take advantage of the performance gains that can be achieved with deeper levels of integration, enhanced automation, and better use of data. The problem is that traditional challenges can hold back digital transformation initiatives. IT ticketing is one of those challenges.

A Guide to Building a Scalable Digital Employee Experience (DEX) Strategy

Thu, 21 Aug 2025 10:16:00 +0100

Optimising DEX (digital employee experience) in large enterprise organisations requires a strategic approach. Scalability is where the real challenges arise. After all, it can be relatively straightforward to optimise DEX for a specific cohort of users. Problems arise when you try to scale across the organisation, as different users and cohorts of users will have different requirements, responsibilities, and digital expectations.

Migrating from SCCM to Intune – A Step-By-Step Guide

Wed, 20 Aug 2025 11:37:28 +0100

Intune is the future of endpoint management, not just from a Microsoft perspective, but also from the perspective of enterprise organisations. SCCM might still be prevalent, but that is within a technology landscape where 81 percent of global enterprises have adopted Microsoft Azure.

Physical Desktop/Laptop First Strategy: A Cyclical Trend or the New Way Forward

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 10:21:55 +0100

We are technology innovators at Access IT Automation, but there is something associated with this label that has never sat well with me – the expectation to always be an advocate for the latest tech and digital approach.

“Upgrade, upgrade, upgrade – we have to!”

Evergreen – 3rd Party Application Version Updates

Sat, 16 Aug 2025 11:30:33 +0100

Keeping commonly used and frequently updated applications up to date in large enterprise organisations is like doing the washing in a household with multiple teenage children. Just as you load the overworked washing machine with the final batch from the laundry basket, in walks a teenager multitasking on their phone with an armful of clothes to start filling the basket up again.

Vendor Driver Updates – Automated Security Vulnerability Patching

Fri, 15 Aug 2025 11:00:45 +0100

When a device vendor provides a driver update, there is often an important and pressing security reason behind it. Every day that goes by without the update being applied across all the relevant endpoints in your estate increases your security risks. The level of increase varies depending on the nature of the risk, but it is elevated, nonetheless. Despite the importance of applying vendor driver updates as quickly as possible, especially those that are patching a security vulnerability, policies and procedures in enterprise organisations can be less than robust. The manual nature of the driver update process is one of the reasons, and there can often be a disconnect between product owners and security teams who request updates and production/operations teams who are responsible for actioning them. Automation is the solution. In this blog, we’ll explore the options for automating vendor driver updates, including the benefits, risks, flaws, and challenges.

The Death of the IT Ticket – How Self-Healing Endpoints Transform IT Support

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 10:55:32 +0100

Let’s be honest – IT ticketing is a pain. Nobody likes it on either side of the equation. Here’s the good news, though: self-healing endpoints can accelerate the end of IT ticketing as you know it in your organisation. It’s the death of the IT ticket, and it’s a loss that few people will mourn.

Catch-Up Summer Reading: Application Management, Endpoint Migration, EUC, and More

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 16:30:34 +0100

Are you ready for a break from the summer’s water activities, food indulgences, or airport waiting lounges? We’ve got just the thing – a catch-up blog covering the hottest topics of the year so far in application management, endpoint migration, EUC, and more.

Case Study: Intune Application Migration in a Large Financial Services Company

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 10:42:18 +0100

Introduction

This case study demonstrates how to successfully and cost-effectively migrate from SCCM to Intune. The company that is the subject of this case study is a large financial services company. The move from SCCM to Intune was a pivotal component of its strategy to migrate users from physical devices to the Microsoft virtual desktop solution, Windows 365.

Case Study: Automated Application Management Accelerates Cloud Desktop Migration By 12 Months

Thu, 24 Jul 2025 16:26:58 +0100

Introduction

Project dependencies are a significant challenge when working to achieve both corporate and technology objectives. This challenge of project dependencies was faced by our client, a large regional bank in the US. Its primary objectives, including reducing operating costs, were being held back because of the time-consuming and resource-intensive technical realities of the initiative, especially in relation to application management. Automation was the solution.

Self-Service: The Next Evolutionary Stage of Application Management Automation

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 14:14:28 +0100

Automation has been a key priority for organisations across all industries for decades, with adoption accelerating in recent years through the development of new technologies, including AI. It makes sense. Software applications and machines can work faster than people. They don’t make mistakes, they don’t need holidays, and they can operate 24/7 if required.

2025 is the Year of Application Package Format and Deployment Platform Choice. It’s Time to Invest AND Divest!

Wed, 21 May 2025 08:54:58 +0100

As the years tick by, enterprise businesses invest enormous amounts of money in software and the deployment solutions needed to get applications onto end-user devices. Many of these investments are made with the best of intentions, such as to enhance workplace productivity, facilitate innovation, and deliver on IT project objectives. However, these investment decisions are also often made without an overview of the bigger, enterprise-wide picture.

Software Asset Management – Why Companies Fail at Hygiene Controls with Application Version Updates

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 11:17:33 +0100

Famous statesman and one of the founding fathers of the United States, Benjamin Franklin, is famous for saying, “…in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes”. Had he lived in the 21st century rather than the 18th, he might have instead said: “…in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death, taxes, and software updates.”

Down to Business – Windows 10 End of Life is an Opportunity for Innovation, Not Maintenance

Tue, 22 Apr 2025 08:30:40 +0100

It’s just six months to go until one of the most talked about dates on the IT calendar for 2025 – Windows 10 End of Life (EOL). Anybody who has been following this story (which is probably everyone) will know that the EOL deadline has become considerably softer than initially thought. Still, now is the time to execute on Windows 10 EOL and similar programs with upcoming deadlines. It is also time to execute on supporting projects, such as application remediation.

The Rise of AI, Cloud PCs, and GPUs! What About Your Personas?

Thu, 17 Apr 2025 13:46:01 +0100

In large migration and IT infrastructure change projects (such as migrating users to Windows 11), strategy development and decision-making are often centred on technology.

Back in the technology olden days (i.e., a few years ago), it was all about checking system requirements and hardware compatibility when upgrading users and devices to a newer operating system version.

Demystifying UEM, EUC, and DEX – Understanding the Options, Differences, and Limitations

Thu, 03 Apr 2025 10:07:08 +0100

Unified Endpoint Management (UEM), End User Computing (EUC), and Digital Employee Experience (DEX) all exist in the same technology realm. While there are (many) crossovers and similarities between the three, there are differences. Those differences are important to understand to ensure you implement the products, platforms, and solutions that your business needs.

Will the VDI Market Play Out Like Apple and Android?

Tue, 25 Mar 2025 06:00:52 +0100

As the virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) market continues to mature, it is interesting to observe trends, predict customer preferences, and compare with other technology markets. One comparison that is growing in relevance is the mobile operating system market.

App-V Server Goes, App-V Remains, and the Headaches Stay the Same

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 12:57:58 +0100

Microsoft came out with a flurry of significant announcements at the end of 2024 covering application management and end-user computing (EUC). One of those announcements was that the previously announced end-of-life (EOL) date for App-V, Microsoft’s application virtualisation solution, was being scrapped. App-V will live on.

Is This Really the Year of VDI?!

Tue, 04 Mar 2025 12:00:56 +0100

Keen observers of the virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) segment of the technology sector will know it’s a world of false dawns, promises unfilled, and unreached potential. Latency issues, load times, resource inefficiencies, pricing, compatibility issues, and vendor perceptions have all pushed VDI forward and, equally, pulled it back. A reluctance to change is also a factor, especially in enterprises where risks are large in both scale and complexity, so decisions are taken slowly.

How Will the Battle of the VDI Super Giant Vendors Play Out in 2025

Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:03:00 +0100

VDI (virtual desktop infrastructure) has become one of the most fiercely competitive areas of technology. This is being driven by enterprises across all industries looking to reduce capital expenditure costs and IT infrastructure complexity while at the same time enhancing flexibility and organisational agility.

The Future of DEX – is this the Year of Digital Employee Self-Service?

Mon, 03 Feb 2025 10:47:51 +0100

Most people would give the same answer if asked about the main hype in technology at the moment. That answer would be AI – artificial intelligence. Companies of all sizes and in most industries are looking for ways to transfer that hype into something that can work and deliver tangible benefits.

Are You Part of the Windows 10 End-of-Life 62% Club?

Fri, 31 Jan 2025 09:39:11 +0100

It is a big number, 62 percent. It’s bigger than 35 percent and way bigger than was hoped for by Microsoft when developing its Windows 11 rollout strategy.

We are, of course, talking about the transition from Windows 10 to Windows 11, and when Microsoft wants everyone to complete that transition.

End-User Computing Trends for 2025

Tue, 28 Jan 2025 15:38:35 +0100

End-user computing (EUC) is one of the most exciting areas of technology to be involved in. It impacts almost every worker in every organisation, many of the world’s biggest technology companies are key players, and innovations are around every corner.

2024 Reflections and Looking Ahead to 2025

Mon, 30 Dec 2024 12:12:07 +0100

It is becoming a bit of a cliche to say technology is changing business faster than ever, but it is hard to come to any other conclusion in our areas of expertise at Access IT Automation: application management and end-user computing (EUC).

App-V Survives and App Attach Opens Up – The Implications

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 09:45:19 +0100

In the first blog of this two-part series, we described the landmark events that occurred in the application management space in November 2024. Full details are in our previous blog, but here is a summary:

App-V will continue as a supported product after Microsoft reversed a decision to timetable its end-of-life in 2026. App-V will now be available indefinitely with support and security updates, although there will be no further development of the product.

App attach has been opened up by Microsoft beyond MSIX. This means you can now use app attach for the deployment of other application packaging formats to Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD), including App-V as well as formats from Microsoft’s competitors Liquidware FlexApp, Numecent Cloudpaging, and Omnissa App Volumes.

These are big changes that will have real-world impacts on the strategies and decisions taken by technology leaders in the coming months and years. After all, for organisations with large application estates, delivery management is incredibly complex. Microsoft’s announcements and the adjacent announcements by Liquidware, Numecent, and Omnissa have, for some, reduced those complexities.

London Is the Place to Be this November for EUC and Application Automation

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 17:16:54 +0100

End User Computing (EUC) is a part of the technology sector that is innovative, vibrant, and fast-changing to meet the demands of users and businesses. These characteristics make collaboration and communication within the EUC space critically important. In the UK, the EUC Forum is central to fostering positive collaboration and communication. This November, all roads lead to London for the forum’s Winter Meeting.

Fearless App Management Automation in Action in the Netherlands!

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 12:26:31 +0100

Application management took centre stage in Utrecht in the Netherlands earlier this month, and it didn’t disappoint. AppManagEvent is unique in Europe as it is one of the only events focused primarily on application management. The Access IT Automation team described the experience as a “blast” with excellent management and a fantastic buzz the entire day.

The Challenges and Benefits of the Fully Optimised Approach to Enterprise Desktop Transformation

Sun, 27 Oct 2024 09:20:30 +0100

Desktop transformation is high on the agenda of many organisations for a variety of reasons including cybersecurity, optimising DEX (digital employee experience), and improving productivity. Ultimately desktop transformation is about ensuring your organisation is not only competitive today but remains competitive in the future. This is the third blog in our series on optimising how you achieve desktop transformation success in enterprise organisations:

Enterprise Desktop Transformation – the Fully Optimised Approach

Fri, 25 Oct 2024 06:00:42 +0100

How do you implement an effective end-to-end desktop transformation strategy that achieves all your technical and business objectives? That is the subject of this blog series as we explore the challenges, strategies, and best practices in enterprise desktop transformation.

This is the second blog in the series where we are going to explore a fully optimised approach to enterprise desktop transformation.

A Desktop Transformation Storm in a Teacup? Or a Perfect Storm?

Thu, 24 Oct 2024 12:15:41 +0100

Desktop transformation projects are becoming increasingly critical to the success of wider digital transformation strategies. Desktop transformation is also essential for continued DEX optimisation and ensuring employees at all levels of the business have the devices, applications, and levels of performance they need.

See You at AppManagEvent in the Netherlands in October!

Tue, 24 Sep 2024 09:48:19 +0100

AppManagEvent is taking place on 11 October and Access IT Automation will be there. AppManagEvent is one of the only industry events in Europe where the primary focus is on application management, making it one of the most important events on the application management calendar.

App Packaging in Modern Formats – the Final Piece of the CI/CD Software Development Puzzle

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 07:33:11 +0100

CI/CD (continuous integration and continuous delivery) is a software development approach that automates app building, testing, and deployment to accelerate the delivery of incremental code changes and speed up release cycles. It works well in a wide range of circumstances, but there are inefficiencies in the process when it comes to packaging applications in modern formats such as AppV, MSIX, app attach, App Volumes, Cloudpaging, and FlexApp.

Is It Time to Converge Application Management With DEX?

Mon, 05 Aug 2024 07:48:59 +0100

Application packaging and testing is a resource-intensive headache, especially if you are a large organisation with thousands of applications across your IT estate. Therefore, when looking at automation solutions like Access Capture, the focus is largely on the massive resource savings that can be made. And rightly so, as individual tasks that take several hours to complete manually can be done in a few minutes with a solution like Access Capture. Multiply that over thousands of applications, and your application management headaches will become a thing of the past.

We Just Got VDI to Work with GPUs – Now We Have to Get on Top of NPUs

Tue, 30 Jul 2024 08:01:56 +0100

AI is changing technology everywhere you look. AI tools and functionality are being incorporated into apps and platforms of all types and sizes, with Microsoft arguably leading the charge. We are even getting a new key on our keyboards – the AI key. Processors are also changing as manufacturers are increasingly offering AI-focused machines that come with NPUs (neural processing units). What are NPUs, do users in your organisation need them, and what impact will NPUs have on virtual environments?

What the Future Holds for Application Management

Thu, 18 Jul 2024 11:18:33 +0100

Application management processes are constantly evolving as companies migrate to new technologies, application management platforms change, packaging formats mature, and automation becomes more commonplace with products like Access IT Automation’s Access Capture.

What does the future hold for application management? Which packaging formats will dominate, what are the main drivers for change, and what impact will AI have on the application management space?

How Automation Can Enable Your Organisation’s Transition to Modern Application Platforms

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 09:10:34 +0100

Being frustrated with the status quo is never fun, but frustrations can lead to great things. Entrepreneur and businessman Richard Branson, for example, has said in the past that the best businesses come from people’s bad personal experiences.

Another example is Stripe, the online payment processor. Its founders have said they started the company after being frustrated with the technologies that were available at the time to allow businesses to trade online.

Is MSIX a Suitable Application Format for Your Organisation?

Thu, 11 Jul 2024 08:28:29 +0100

MSIX is a Windows application packaging format from Microsoft. It is Microsoft’s newest app packaging format and when it was released in 2018, the tech giant had high hopes it would replace MSI (released way back in 1999) and App-V, Microsoft’s application virtualisation and streaming solution (a technology that dates its origins back to 2006).

Calculating ROI from Automated Application Packaging and Management

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 07:09:33 +0100

The business landscape is constantly changing, never more so than after our collective experience over the last four to five years. Therefore, it is more important than ever to understand the potential return on investment (ROI) of any project or initiative you are considering. What about the ROI you can expect from automated application packaging and management?

The Benefits of Unlimited Application Packaging and Management

Thu, 04 Jul 2024 08:20:53 +0100

There are lots of different ways to bundle and charge for software applications, products, and platforms. At Access IT Automation, we are in the business of simplifying and speeding up complex, time-consuming, and mundane processes. This is what our products do, but why stop there? We also make working with us and using our products as straightforward and friction-free as possible through our unlimited model.

How to Consolidate App Management Technologies, Reduce Complexity, and Improve DEX

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 10:56:01 +0100

The modern workplace is changing in a number of different ways. One of those changes is where employees work and how they use technology. In the past, most users would access one device, usually a computer with a box under the desk connected to a server in the same building. Today’s workplace is completely different.

Access IT Automation Becomes a Leading Sponsor of the EUC Forum

Wed, 19 Jun 2024 15:42:10 +0100

Access IT Automation has become a Platinum Sponsor of the EUC Forum, the leading community for End User Computing in the UK. The EUC Forum brings together professionals from across the EUC space to discuss issues, explore new technologies, and build closer relationships. The EUC Forum hosts several events throughout the year across the UK, from formal meetings to more informal meet-up events. The free-to-attend events are vendor-agnostic and feature presentations from industry leaders as well as networking opportunities. The EUC Forum is also an advocate for EUC technologies and innovations, with over 2,000 members, a growing online audience, and well-attended in-person events.

Proud to Be Part of the EUC Ecosystem

The Cost of Upgrading Hardware Vs Moving to the Cloud

Fri, 03 May 2024 11:50:37 +0100

Decisions on whether to upgrade hardware or move to the cloud are accelerated by various considerations. You might need to make a decision to facilitate your organisation’s digital transformation strategy or for another strategic reason. There might also be technical issues that are forcing your hand, from reliability and performance issues to growing compatibility challenges.

Are We Witnessing the Rise of the Planet of the EUC Giants?

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 14:55:17 +0100

In the movie Rise of the Planet of the Apes, primates benefitted from the actions of humans. Those actions had unintended consequences that saw primates rise in prominence and humans dwindle to a haggard and struggling few. Is that what we are seeing now in the world of end user computing (EUC)? Are the actions of historically major players in the EUC space creating a situation where the planet is taken over by the EUC giants?

The Difference Between Application Packages and Deployment Objects and Why It Matters

Mon, 08 Apr 2024 14:01:33 +0100

What is an application package and what is the difference between it and an application deployment object? This is a question that often causes confusion, including with technically minded people. One of the reasons is that the terms are often mashed together as “application packaging” for speed and brevity reasons. We may even be guilty of this ourselves on occasion.

LOB, COTS, and MOTS Application Packages – What the Heck’s the Difference?

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 09:12:07 +0100

An application is an application, right, and an application package is an application package. Not exactly, as your organisation probably has LOB apps, COTS apps, and MOTS apps. This means you will also have LOB app packages, COTS app packages, and MOTS app packages. Packaging engineers know the differences, but it is also important for technology staff and others to know their LOBs from their COTS from their MOTS.

Access IT Automation’s Partnership With TLUX

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 11:16:30 +0100

Establishing strong partnerships with companies who have a similar vision to ours is a core priority for us at Access IT Automation. That is why we are delighted to announce a partnership with TLUX.

Access IT Automation Announces Partnership with Liquit

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 09:40:25 +0100

Enhancing the user experience and driving IT efficiency and cost savings is what we are about at Access IT Automation, so we are delighted to announce a new partnership with Liquit. Liquit, which was acquired by US based Recast Software, offers an application management platform that gives technology staff greater control while improving the experience of users.

New Partnership Announcement – Liquidware FlexApp is Now Integrated with Access Capture

Tue, 19 Mar 2024 17:33:32 +0100

There is a revolution happening in the corporate IT environment that is changing the way users interact with their devices and applications. The days of a box under a desk connected to a server are all but gone, with new, innovative, and productivity-enhancing approaches to digital workspace management now becoming the norm. At the forefront of this revolution is Liquidware and its FlexApp platform. Today, we are delighted to announce that Liquidware FlexApp is now integrated with Access Capture.

The Next Step in Your Windows 11 Migration? Getting Out of the Ground

Wed, 14 Feb 2024 11:38:52 +0100

Planning and implementing a Windows 11 migration project is a big undertaking, with the level of complexity increasing the more users, endpoints, and applications that exist in your IT estate. Even being clear on the next steps can be complex – both what those steps are and how you should approach them.

Ring Deployment Model for Apps – Advantages and Best Practices for Enterprises

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 19:37:55 +0100

The ring deployment model is common practice in the world of software development. In simple terms, instead of rolling out an upgrade or new version of your application, you start small, initially restricting the rollout to a small group of users. If this is successful (or once you’ve fixed the main issues,) you then gradually increase the rollout in stages to wider groups of users (rings) until everyone is included.

2024 Enterprise Technology and IT Modernisation Trends

Wed, 03 Jan 2024 09:30:13 +0100

2024 Enterprise Technology and IT Modernisation Trends

Technology never stands still, but the pace of change is accelerating, presenting both risks and opportunities to enterprises and other organisations with large IT infrastructures. We are also seeing technology trends and their impact increasingly moving beyond traditional IT and into the fields of ethics and societal responsibility.

Cloud Migration and IT Modernisation in 2024 – Reflections of a CEO

Tue, 02 Jan 2024 08:14:18 +0100

There are a lot of unknowns in the world as we head into 2024, but the continuing push for digital transformation is undeniably one of them. The pace at which digital transformation strategies are being updated and implemented will, if anything, increase as organisations large and small deal with the buffeting winds of challenging economic conditions, cybersecurity threats, ongoing geopolitical upheaval, skills shortages, and the uncertainty that is inevitable with so many big elections on the horizon for the coming year.

The Secret Sauce to DEX Optimisation and Continuous Improvement

Fri, 08 Dec 2023 09:35:45 +0100

With trends like remote working and digital transformation, our workplaces are becoming increasingly digital. This digitalisation of work is putting DEX (digital employee experience) high on the priority list for organisations to consider, not least because DEX helps attract, retain, and engage the best talent. Good DEX also improves productivity and can facilitate innovation, collaboration, and creativity.

Testing Applications with No Shortcuts? Yes, This Can Be Automated Too

Thu, 30 Nov 2023 11:41:40 +0100

The application estate is one of the most diverse entities that exist in corporations and large organisations. You will have everything from the world’s most commonly used software programmes to niche applications to apps that have been developed specifically for your organisation. You will also have applications that don’t have shortcuts.

Don’t Just Automate Application Management Tasks – Automate Complete Workflows

Tue, 28 Nov 2023 11:13:37 +0100

Anyone who has been involved in the packaging and testing of applications will understand how laborious the task can be. Automation tools have a transformational impact on the process, as substantial productivity gains are made through automated application packaging, testing, and deployment. That said, fully optimised improvements are only possible when the entire process or workflow is covered rather than tasks in isolation.

Guide to App Volumes User Acceptance Testing in Access Capture with Enhanced Automation

Thu, 09 Nov 2023 14:54:49 +0100

App Volumes UAT (user acceptance testing) is an essential part of application packaging and management. It requires the involvement of users because, as the name of the process indicates, it involves looking at the application as a person. The problem is there are elements of the App Volumes UAT process that are repetitive and time-consuming. That’s where Access Capture can bring enhanced levels of automation.

How to Automate App Volumes Application Packaging with Dynamic Environment Manager Integration

Wed, 08 Nov 2023 16:27:14 +0100

App Volumes is an efficient and powerful application delivery platform while Dynamic Environment Manager (DEM) makes the configuration and deployment of personalised desktops easier, faster, and more efficient. Access Capture, the industry-leading product from Access IT Automation, allows you to take these innovative VMware platforms and solutions to another level with enhanced automation.

Migrating from SCCM to Intune – Why Identifying the Right Expertise is the Key to Success

Tue, 07 Nov 2023 17:12:12 +0100

Migrating from SCCM (System Center Configuration Manager, also referred to as Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager) to Intune is a significant undertaking. There are benefits from migrating that make the scale and complexity worth the effort. However, your organisation is likely to need expert help at both project and specific task levels. That means identifying the right expertise to ensure success.

Windows 365 vs Azure Virtual Desktop: Which DaaS Option Should You Choose?

Thu, 26 Oct 2023 14:56:37 +0100

Windows 365 Cloud PC and Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) are both popular and increasingly deployed cloud-based solutions. Both are Microsoft products, leading to many similarities but also significant differences.

So, which option should you choose – Windows 365 or AVD?

Getting a Grip: The Consequences of AI

Mon, 23 Oct 2023 09:13:05 +0100

AI continues to be one of the biggest topic areas in technology after ChatGPT and other consumer-friendly AI tools became widely available around the start of 2023. The nature of the discussions around AI ranges from over-excited technology enthusiasts claiming that AI will solve all humanity’s problems to doomsday prophets predicting we are on a path to artificially intelligent entities taking over the earth.

Using Access Capture for App Discovery and UAT Processes in ServiceNow

Fri, 20 Oct 2023 11:42:43 +0100

Investing time and money into a platform like ServiceNow is a considerable commitment for any organisation. To get the most out of your investment and achieve the best possible outcomes, your team must use the ServiceNow platform for as many tasks, processes, and workflows as possible. What happens if ServiceNow doesn’t have the native functionality that you need?

Why Self-Service is the Future of App Packaging and Testing

Tue, 17 Oct 2023 09:45:27 +0100

Application packaging and testing are essential processes in enterprises and large organisations to streamline and standardise the deployment of apps on user devices. The question of how app packaging and testing processes are completed is becoming more and more important. There are several options, including sticking with the same manual processes that have been used for decades. Semi-automation is another option, as is automated self-service.

How Smoke Testing on Multiple Operating Systems Reduces Application Failure Risks

Wed, 04 Oct 2023 11:43:14 +0100

Moving users to a new operating system (OS) presents a range of challenges and risks, including application failure risks, i.e., where an application fails to install or launch on the new OS build. It is crucial to identify and rectify these issues long before the new OS build gets anywhere near users. Smoke testing is the solution.

Deploy Access Capture Via Azure Marketplace to Minimise Complexity and Reduce Costs

Fri, 22 Sep 2023 10:21:51 +0100

If you use Azure Marketplace, you will know it simplifies the process of finding, trying, and buying cloud software and services. It is a convenient and efficient way to extend the capabilities of your environment, including giving your organisation the automation and application management capabilities of Access Capture.

ServiceNow and Access Capture Integration – Automating Application Requests

Wed, 06 Sep 2023 20:31:51 +0100

ServiceNow is an essential tool in many organisations for the management and optimisation of IT services. The platform facilitates incident management, change requests, asset management, ordering, technical support, and much more. While it is a powerful tool, integrations with third-party solution providers are essential to fill automation gaps in your processes. The solution for application packaging and testing is Access Capture’s integration with ServiceNow.

Partnerships and Why They are Important to Us – A Message from Our CEO

Thu, 24 Aug 2023 12:24:58 +0100

There is a well-known idiom that says no man (or woman) is an island. Our belief at Access IT Automation is that this also applies in the world of business. Businesses cannot be successful as self-sufficient or isolated entities, and having business-to-customer and business-to-supplier relationships is not enough. Partnership arrangements are also crucial.

Summer Holidays, Large Technology Projects, and Ancient Greek Philosophy

Fri, 04 Aug 2023 09:51:17 +0100

You’re on your summer holidays, so it’s as good a time as ever to talk about ancient Greek philosophy and large technology projects.

What has ancient Greek philosophy got to do with your summer holiday or the large technology projects that are ongoing (or not) while you are away? Here’s the TL:DR summary – there’s a lot we can learn from some of the best ancient Greek philosophers about how we should operate today, including getting large technology projects to successful completion.

Are Your Assets Near Deprecation? Should You Consider DaaS?

Thu, 20 Jul 2023 15:01:00 +0100

When your on-premises assets are near deprecation, it is an ideal time to consider alternative options, including DaaS (desktop as a service). In other words, should you replace your deprecated on-premises VDI or physical desktop infrastructure, or should you move to DaaS?

4 Examples of Why Measuring App Performance on VDI Matters

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 13:39:55 +0100

While VDI can bring substantial IT and business benefits, it is also becoming more complex. Whether implementing the initial deployment, making a significant change, or managing the day-to-day, it is important to be proactive. This includes measuring app performance on VDI.

Windows 11 Planning Guide – Are You Ready?

Tue, 27 Jun 2023 11:49:51 +0100

Many businesses are now at an inflection point when it comes to Windows, Microsoft’s widely used operating system. Microsoft’s product lifecycle policy means only the latest versions of Windows 10 are still supported, and even those versions are coming to their end-of-support deadlines. There are also functionality and business considerations that are bringing Windows 11 migration projects into sharper focus.

SCCM to Intune Migration – Why It’s Important to Normalise Your Operational Controls

Thu, 22 Jun 2023 11:22:58 +0100

If you currently use SCCM (System Centre Configuration Manager), you will be familiar with the decision of if and when you should migrate to Intune. In this blog, we are going to make the case for migrating to Intune now.

4 Ways to Boost Digital Employee Experience (DEX) in Your Organisation

Fri, 02 Jun 2023 10:49:56 +0100

If there is one thing the technology industry likes it is buzzwords. Hey, we’re guilty of it ourselves as you’ll not get too far in a conversation with an Access IT Automation employee before EUC is brought up (EUC is end-user computing). One of the buzzwords of the moment in the industry is DEX – digital employee experience.

Windows Package Manager & WinGet Applications – Is This the End for Application Packaging?

Wed, 17 May 2023 11:45:28 +0100

Windows Package Manager & WinGet Applications – Is This the End for Application Packaging?

Windows Package Manager is a Microsoft tool that makes it easy to manage software applications. You simply use the winget command line tool to find and install the applications you need. You can also manage applications using the winget command line tool in Windows Package Manager, including upgrading, configuring, and removing apps. So, is this the end of application packaging? Not quite yet – and probably not any time soon.

Think App Package and Delivery Formats FIRST Before You Choose Your VDI Strategy

Mon, 15 May 2023 09:17:09 +0100

There are lots of decisions that need to be taken when planning and executing a VDI, DaaS, or similar large-scale migration project. The problem is the very first decision that should be taken – the app package and delivery format you will use – is often the decision that is neglected until deep into the project. It is then often too late to fully optimise the project, so the order of your decision-making process is important.

Integrating ChatGPT to Enhance User Experience

Wed, 10 May 2023 09:23:51 +0100

Full disclosure – this is yet another blog about ChatGPT. There has been a lot written about and talked about this ground-breaking technology, much of it agonising over whether the good elements outweigh the bad.

Long Live the King of Package Formats – the MSI Installer

Fri, 05 May 2023 09:19:38 +0100

This weekend London will be full of celebration as the UK witnesses the coronation of King Charles III. The Mall and Whitehall will be packed with people looking to get a glimpse of the new King, and the day will feature golden carriages, a 700-year-old chair, orbs, sceptres, and, of course, a 360-year-old gold crown. Amid this pomp and ceremony, the King of Package Formats – MSI – will be quietly getting on with installing applications on countless desktops and servers around the world.

7 Ways a Centralised Technology Portal Streamlines Modern Technology

Fri, 21 Apr 2023 15:38:25 +0100

There is a lot of focus currently on automating business processes and tasks to improve productivity, achieve efficiency savings, and make the best possible use of resources. There are lots of automation options available, many of which are highly complex. One option that can be regarded as the lowest of low-hanging fruit is implementing a centralised technology portal.

Automating and Semi-Automating Tasks with a Centralised Technology Portal

Fri, 21 Apr 2023 15:12:08 +0100

When you hear the word portal in connection with technology, the perception that comes to mind is often a repository of information, i.e., a place people can go to read the latest updates or download a document. That functionality alone delivers substantial business benefits, but it only scratches the surface of what modern technology portals can do. It is the automation and semi-automation capabilities that deliver the biggest returns on investment.

Why Has App-V’s End of Life Been Extended to 2026 and What Should You Do to Prepare?

Tue, 04 Apr 2023 10:35:37 +0100

App-V has been the app packaging format of choice for many IT professionals for many years. It has also been in the twilight stages of its lifecycle for many years and originally had an end-of-life date set for earlier this year, 10 January 2023. That was extended by Microsoft, so you can still use the App-V format for the time being.

Supporting the End User Computing Ecosystem in a Changing Business Environment

Mon, 27 Mar 2023 13:53:38 +0100

Businesses across all sectors are facing changes in the business environment and potentially disruptive challenges. These changes and challenges require new approaches and innovative thinking in a number of different areas, including end-user computing (EUC). As a result, the EUC ecosystem has never been more important.

Shakespeare, Failed New Year’s Resolutions, and Getting Technology Projects Back on Track

Wed, 15 Mar 2023 12:33:57 +0100

The end of February / beginning of March is a time when the meteorological winter ends, and spring begins. For most of us, it is also a time when our New Year’s Resolutions are firmly on the rubbish heap, with the hope and energy of a new-year-new-you now a distant memory.

3 Main Use Cases for Symphony Signal and How They Improve EUX

Thu, 16 Feb 2023 17:06:30 +0100

Effective internal communication is essential in all companies, but it is particularly important in large organisations and those with a dispersed workforce. Without effective communication, mistakes are made, opportunities are missed, productivity goes down, and employees feel disconnected.

7 Ways Smoke Testing Helps Your Operating System and/or VDI Migration

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 15:15:44 +0100

There are several essential steps in operating system or VDI migration projects. Examples of these essential steps include planning and getting end-users on board. Another is testing. Without an effective testing strategy, the migration project is more likely to fail. Smoke testing is one type of test that is crucial to the process.

Access Symphony – 6 Key Metrics We Monitor for User TX Score

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 12:15:08 +0100

Access Symphony offers the IT function in your business, as well as users, a range of tools and features. One of them is performance monitoring. The aim of performance monitoring is to improve the user experience by maximising user TX scores. The user TX score is a benchmark to determine the optimisation level of each user in your organisation.

Microsoft Endpoint Manager: The Future of Device Management

Wed, 08 Feb 2023 14:38:04 +0100

In organisations across most industries, the end user IT landscape is more complex now than ever before. This level of complexity has been increasing for many years, but the pandemic has accelerated the changes taking place.

Windows 11 Migrations Made Easy – an Overview of the Essential Steps

Fri, 03 Feb 2023 15:12:23 +0100

All Windows versions eventually come to the end of their life when Microsoft stops providing updates. Of course, there are performance, security, and feature benefits to migrating to a newer Windows operating system. That said, it is also a technical reality that updating must take place at some point.

7 Reasons Why It’s Important to Collect Hardware and Application Performance Data

Thu, 26 Jan 2023 13:57:38 +0100

Hardware and application monitoring is one thing – collecting, processing, analysing, and using hardware and application performance data is on a whole other level.

Is Desktop as a Service Adoption Hype or Reality

Mon, 23 Jan 2023 17:32:04 +0100

Is Desktop as a Service (DaaS) really the future for large enterprises or SMEs? Is it being adopted on a scale that will have a significant impact on business performance, IT team productivity, or cybersecurity? Is DaaS adoption hype or reality?

Understanding The Performance Conundrum in VDI Migration Projects

Wed, 11 Jan 2023 15:32:22 +0100

Performance issues are among the main challenges that occur during VDI (virtual desktop infrastructure) migration projects. The challenge arises when users experience a drop in performance with their new virtual desktop compared to the performance they had when using a desktop PC.

6 Essential Dashboards for Monitoring Users, Assets, and Apps

Tue, 10 Jan 2023 11:25:54 +0100

The users, assets, and apps that make up your IT infrastructure produce a huge amount of data. However, data is only valuable if it is usable. This includes usable for automated processes, as well as usable for management oversight and decision-making – day-to-day decision-making through to the highest levels of strategic decision-making. This is where dashboards come in.

3-Step strategy to Win a World Cup or deliver VDI Migration Success

Mon, 09 Jan 2023 10:53:32 +0100

A bit of context first for readers who are not from football (aka soccer) loving countries – the subject of winning a World Cup is one of perpetual pain and anguish for the long-suffering English fan. What does that have to do with VDI migrations in large enterprises? The steps required to set your football team up for World Cup success have parallels with successfully delivering a VDI migration project.

Cloud PC or AVD? Managed or Unmanaged? These Are the Questions

Fri, 06 Jan 2023 10:35:52 +0100

The debate about whether to migrate to a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) took on a new dimension when Microsoft introduced Windows 365 Cloud PC. What is the difference between Windows 365 Cloud PC and the traditional VDI offering from Microsoft, AVD – Azure Virtual Desktop (previously known as Windows Virtual Desktop)?

Enterprise IT in 2023 – Trends, Challenges, and Building on Success

Wed, 28 Dec 2022 12:37:28 +0100

As we move into a new year, we asked members of the Access IT Automation senior leadership team for their reflections on 2022 and where they see the IT automation industry going in 2023. Here are their thoughts on the current trends in enterprise IT, the challenges that exist, and how we can build on success.

5 Essential Engineering Considerations for Your VDI Migration Project

Thu, 15 Dec 2022 12:41:36 +0100

There are a lot of steps involved in a VDI migration project, including planning the migration, developing a business case, and monitoring performance and user experience post-migration. There are also technical and engineering steps that you need to progress through to ensure your VDI migration project is successful.

Dos and Don’ts When Planning a VDI Migration

Thu, 08 Dec 2022 18:03:07 +0100

What are the best practices you should follow when planning a VDI migration? How can you avoid the pitfalls before you begin, during the implementation, and post-migration? The following dos and don’ts of a VDI migration project will help.

Do Properly Plan the Project

Planning is essential in all VDI migration projects. This is true in organisations of any size, but it is even more important when there are thousands, or tens of thousands, of users potentially involved. You need to plan everything from the technical resources that will be required to your application strategy to how you will provide end-user support.

6 Common Mistakes When Migrating to Windows 11 and How to Overcome Them

Tue, 29 Nov 2022 15:29:04 +0100

There are lots of compelling reasons for migrating your enterprise to Windows 11. As with any project of this scale and impact, there are things that can go wrong. Here are six of the most common mistakes when migrating to Windows 11, as well as tips on how you can avoid them.

VDI Migration Soft Landings – What They Are and Why They Are Important

Tue, 22 Nov 2022 15:12:24 +0100

The success of a VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure) migration project largely rests on user experience. If users are happy with their new virtual desktops, the project is more likely to be a success. At the very least, a happy user is a user that has experienced no significant drop in performance and is able to complete all their tasks with a minimum amount of friction.

The Secret to Enterprise VDI Migration Success: Getting Individual Users On-Board

Fri, 18 Nov 2022 13:27:30 +0100

A VDI migration can deliver significant immediate and long-term benefits for your enterprise. Now for the bad news: your users will make or break the migration, regardless of the technical resources or tools that you throw at the project. Without the support of users, your VDI migration project will stutter, stumble, and fall. So, the secret to success is getting those users on board.

How to Create a Business Case for Your VDI Migration Project

Mon, 14 Nov 2022 17:22:38 +0100

A substantial proportion of unsuccessful VDI migration projects fail because the business case for the project is either non-existent or inadequate. Instead of having a clear business case, the motivations for implementing a VDI project often come down to costs. It is cheaper to operate with Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) than it is to operate with physical infrastructure.

Why is it Important to Get Your Application Delivery Strategy Right?

Wed, 12 Oct 2022 12:07:04 +0100

The IT infrastructure in many organisations is changing as enterprises move to DaaS or VDI models. These modern workplace models offer a range of benefits, including being more suitable for hybrid working arrangements as well as being more agile and cost-effective.
However, they also present a challenge for the IT team responsible for your application delivery strategy, as many of the applications that exist throughout your IT landscape will need to be converted or repackaged.

8 Reasons to Move 20% of Your Users to DaaS

Thu, 06 Oct 2022 13:05:09 +0100

Desktop as a Service (DaaS) is an IT strategy where your desktop infrastructure is virtualised and delivered via a third-party provider. It is an alternative to the traditional IT management strategy where servers, desktops, and storage are all on-premises.

Moving your users to DaaS can deliver a range of benefits. What about starting with 20 percent of your users? Why is this an effective DaaS migration approach?

Here are eight reasons for moving 20 percent of your users to DaaS.

Reason 1

Reduces and Simplifies IT Management and Infrastructure Costs

Managing on-premises IT infrastructure is costly and resource-intensive. Moving to DaaS significantly reduces the amount of IT equipment and infrastructure that you need on-site, reducing capital expenditure.

Your DaaS provider will also take over a lot of the IT management tasks that are currently looked after by your in-house team. This also reduces costs while simplifying IT management.

Reason 2

Reduces Pressures on IT Staff

If DaaS reduces costs, simplifies IT management, and delivers other benefits, why are we only focusing on 20 percent of users? Why not all users or a higher percentage?

The figure of 20 percent is a guide. The concept behind it is to focus only on those users in your organisation that have the lowest app and performance needs. These users will be the easiest to migrate, reducing the pressures and workload of your IT staff and support teams during the DaaS project.

In fact, using tools like Access Capture, you will be able to automate large parts of the migration process, as you will only be focusing on apps and users that are easier to migrate.

Reason 3

Optimises DaaS Migration Processes and Workflows

The initial batch of users that you migrate to DaaS will also provide a foundation for adding more in the future. This includes giving you an opportunity to streamline the process before you start migrating a larger and/or more difficult batch of users, as well as ensuring your app delivery strategy is aligned with your DaaS goals.

In other words, you can use the experience of migrating easier users to make sure you are ready for a more widescale DaaS deployment.

Reason 4

Facilitates Secure Remote Working

On-premises IT infrastructure makes it more difficult for your teams to work remotely. DaaS, on the other hand, makes anywhere, anytime working seamless. So long as your users have an internet connection and a device, they will be able to access their work desktop and everything they need to remain productive, including apps and data. This could be in the office, on-site with a customer on the other side of the world, at home, or anywhere else.

Reason 5

Simplifies IT Infrastructure Management and Enhances Flexibility

We’ve already touched on the point that DaaS simplifies IT management. One of the ways it does this is that DaaS also simplifies your IT infrastructure. Rather than having different equipment from different vendors at varying stages of maturity, you will have a single service level agreement with a DaaS provider.

This simplified IT infrastructure also enhances flexibility, as you can scale as you need to by simply updating the service you have with your DaaS provider. This is much simpler than, for example, facilitating the addition of users by adding new hardware to increase VDI (virtual desktop infrastructure) capacity.

Reason 6

Frees Up IT Resources

There are two main areas to highlight with this point:

• As already mentioned, by focusing first on the easiest 20 percent of users, your IT team won’t be stretched to capacity with the DaaS migration project. Instead, they will have the time they need to focus on other tasks, including planning for additional DaaS migration phases.

• Over the longer term, simplified IT infrastructure and management processes will also free up your IT team, as they won’t need to focus on day-to-day management tasks such as updating Windows. Your DaaS provider will look after those jobs while your IT team gets on with tasks that are more value-adding to the business.

Reason 7

Improves Data Management and Storage

With a traditional IT infrastructure where there are physical desktops on-prem, data management and storage can be a headache. For example, users might save important files locally on their desktop rather than on the network, making it difficult to retrieve the data in the future. It’s also much harder to secure and back up data when it is being stored in multiple locations.

Switching to DaaS eliminates these headaches for the 20 percent of users that you migrate. For those users, all the data they create, update, and use will be stored in one location – a location that is easier to secure.

Reason 8

Improves Backup and Disaster Recovery Processes

Following on from the point above, backup and disaster recovery processes are more streamlined with a DaaS strategy. Backups will be stored offsite, while users can continue to log into their desktops on any device, even in disaster situations.

Starting the Process

You may have looked at DaaS in the past and can see the benefits. The challenge is to complete a DaaS migration project smoothly and with as little impact on business operations as possible. Starting with the easiest 20 percent of users is the answer.

There will be minimal friction or challenges with those 20 percent of users, and you can use the experience to inform future decisions and planning.

In other words, starting with a small group of the easiest users means you can launch a DaaS migration project almost immediately, putting your organisation on a path to lower-cost IT that is easier to manage.

How AI is Making Endpoint Management Easier

Fri, 06 May 2022 07:14:55 +0100

There is something a little odd happening in many companies right now when it comes to AI technologies.

We can use the example of a typical employee in a large corporation. In the morning over breakfast, AI technologies power the facial recognition feature that unlocks her phone. A different AI-powered algorithm then decides what she sees as she scrolls through LinkedIn, and yet another one gives her recommendations about what to watch later in the evening when she powers up her Netflix app.

5 Items that Explain Total Experience (TX)

Wed, 04 May 2022 16:03:22 +0100

Total Experience (TX) is a concept that many business and technology leaders continue to grapple with. What does it mean in relation to your business, how can you assess TX in your organisation, and how do you measure successful TX progress?

User-To-Device Affinity Explained

Sun, 03 Apr 2022 09:29:58 +0100

For an organization to understand and properly apply user-to-device affinity — since this affinity is crucial to many aspects of the company, from budgets to IT planning — it is imperative to know who the owner of a machine is. However, ownership is defined differently by every organization, and multiple factors come into play, such as the quantity and quality of data gathered.

Symphony Integrates With ServiceNow

Thu, 31 Mar 2022 17:32:56 +0100

As part of our efforts to constantly improve and update our products, we are pleased to announce that Access Symphony (along with SignOff and Fix Engine ) is able to be fully integrated with ServiceNow. In our blog, we have discussed in the past the advantages of Symphony, SignOff, and Fix Engine , but today we will focus on how Symphony works with ServiceNow.

How To Save $1.5 Million A Year Per 10,000 Users On Password Resets With Access Symphony

Tue, 29 Mar 2022 17:33:45 +0100

META Group estimates that IT help desks on average receive 21 calls for help per user per year! If you have 10,000 users, that is 210,000 IT support tickets a year. Gartner estimates that 40% of IT help desk tickets are related to passwords, e.g., requests to reset a forgotten or lost password. Given that the cost of an L1 support ticket is between $8 and $18, an organization handling 210,000 support tickets a year could spend anywhere between $672,000 and $1,512,000 just to reset passwords!

Finally, An Employee-Facing Modern Workplace Experience Portal That Brings It All Together

Thu, 17 Mar 2022 15:12:53 +0100

Employee portals are nothing new. They have been around for the past two decades, but they are always somewhat cobbled-together, custom-coded mammoths that take months to develop and are incredibly rigid. Most of the time, they still don’t include the level of technical detail and self-service capacities required by today’s Modern Workplace employees who are looking to manage their devices and applications much more independently.

New Capture Release Now Features Guacamole Daemon Alternative

Mon, 14 Mar 2022 11:41:13 +0100

Since the last time we officially published Capture release notes, we have made a lot of other new features, bug fixes, and updates available. This includes our new capability of automatically converting App-V source files to MSIX as well as the ability to launch and load App Volumes containers. We will write up more details on that last one very soon, but today we wanted to definitely tell you about a nifty little feature that will make things easier for a lot of our customers: an option that replaces the use of GUAC (Remote Desktop Gateway/RDP in a browser) in WinTel environments.

10 Modern App Management Terms You Need To Know

Fri, 04 Mar 2022 14:25:07 +0100

When it comes to modern app management, a lot has changed in the last few years with the release of Windows 10 and the proliferation of cloud services. With the rapid pace of updates from Microsoft, app testing and deployment has never been more important to keep an enterprise running smoothly. Without keeping your apps up to date, you risk running an insecure IT environment, leaving the door wide open to cyber attacks. On the flip side, if you rush updates to mitigate security issues, you risk having line of business apps suddenly stop working properly, causing major delays and inefficiencies in your organization.

3 Surprising Symphony Sign-Off & Fix Engine Uses For Large Organizations

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 17:42:03 +0100

If you have been following our blog, you will have read many posts about how our products can help you by taking mundane, repetitive daily tasks and automating them rather than having employees do them. Automation undoubtedly saves your organization time, money, resources, and a lot of headaches. So although we designed our products with the specific needs of our clients in mind, sometimes there are unexpected uses that our products are suited for as well.

What Is Modern Workplace Experience?

Fri, 18 Feb 2022 10:44:40 +0100

Over the past few years, Access IT Automation has grown from being a provider of application packaging and testing automation solutions (Access Capture) and automated endpoint management tools (such as Access Symphony and Access Fix Engine ) to creating a holistic platform that allows enterprise-size organizations to not only enable Modern Desktops, but to also constantly fine-tune their environment to walk the fine line between optimizing for user performance/experience and keeping costs as low as possible. We call this balancing act Modern Workplace Experience.

5 Common Enterprise Windows 11 Migration Mistakes You Need To Avoid

Tue, 15 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0100

While the vast majority of large organizations are still in the trenches with Windows 10 Servicing updates and only starting to evaluate Windows 11 for a migration project later this year or (more likely) early next year, there are a few major pitfalls you can get trapped in early on that heavily impact the success of your project down the road.

How to Decide Between Stateful and Stateless VDI

Fri, 11 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0100

When companies are considering moving to a VDI framework, they’ll have to think about whether to utilize stateful or stateless VDI designs. Companies can get massive efficiencies by moving machines to VDI. Sometimes this is done in conjunction with moving to a new operating system, or in the context of other legacy migration projects. However, in the process of planning, the company will have to figure out whether it’s best to incorporate a stateful or “persistent” model, or a stateless or “non-persistent” one.

Upgrading to Windows 11 and Its Impact on Application Testing

Fri, 04 Feb 2022 17:49:07 +0100

Remember that time Microsoft told us Windows 10 was going to be the last Windows ever? It was a claim that was more than a bit over-hyped, but the reality today is that you probably have thousands of machines in your organization running a version of Windows 10 that isn’t going to be supported in a few years’ time. That puts upgrading to Windows 11 very much in the frame.

5 Massive Advantages API-Driven App Management Provides Agile IT Organizations

Wed, 02 Feb 2022 12:42:50 +0100

Traditionally, application packaging and testing solutions required an organization to work its application management workflows around the platform’s requirements. And for some organizations that have what I call a sausage-factory-type process — meaning feed the to-be-packaged and tested applications in at the front, go through a pretty linear workflow, and receive the desired outcome at the end — this works pretty well.

Modern Desktop Optimization Hurdles & Challenges To Expect

Mon, 31 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0100

Transforming all or most of your IT environment from a traditional setup to a modern desktop is something we have been talking about for a long time now. Looking at our past posts, you can see the advantages of being on a modern desktop, and we believe this is where enterprises that move the fastest and adopt it quickly will have the best competitive advantage. However, embracing the modern desktop comes with a set of challenges, and today we will discuss five key ones.

Major Milestones Of 2021

Fri, 28 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0100

I am sure your inbox has been flooded with end-of-year recap and/or look-ahead-in-2022 posts in the last month, so I hope this finds its way to the top of your inbox. Like 2020, 2021 was a year that did not go as originally planned, as the world was still dealing with the pandemic. However, the changes and challenges did not weaken our resolve. One of the primary goals of our company is (and always has been) to make businesses run more smoothly and efficiently by using automation to reduce mundane, repetitive IT tasks. To meet this goal, we are always adapting our offerings to suit the needs of our clients.

Better Connected – Access IT Automation Launches Technical Partnership with ReadyWorks

Fri, 14 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0100

Access IT Automation has partnered with industry leader ReadyWorks to automatically reduce IT cost and risks associated with Windows servicing.

Access IT Automation, an industry leader in automated application packaging and testing, endpoint management, and IT visualization is thrilled to announce its latest technological partnership with, ReadyWorks, a digital platform conductor (DPC) that leverages AI and intelligent automation to reduce the risk and cost of IT infrastructure transformation.

CIO & CTO Priorities in 2022 & Beyond

Mon, 10 Jan 2022 17:45:27 +0100

If there has been one common struggle over the last few years for CIOs and CTOs, it has been the constant need to do more — from OS migrations and SaaS implementations to the management of ever-increasing cybersecurity threats — and to accomplish these tasks with either stagnant or reduced resources, including budget and qualified staffing. Then when the pandemic and work-at-home orders hit, many enterprises pivoted, shifting their priorities and putting projects on hold while focusing on taking care of immediate needs until they could go back to “normal”. With it now being almost two years into the “new normal”, and with the constant changing of regulations for essential and non-essential businesses, the priorities for 2022 and beyond are more important than ever before.

New Version Of Symphony Prepares Your Enterprise For Modern Desktop

Thu, 16 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +0100

With Windows 10 updates slowing down to once a year and going end-of-life in 2025 plus Windows 11 being in full swing with it already taking ten percent of the market share since its launch, adapting to the Modern Desktop world is more important than ever. That is why we are constantly adding functionality and upgrading our product lineup so that you can continue to seamlessly automate your IT tasks, such as migrating to a new/updated OS, fixing issues, etc.

Get To Know … David Halfteck | Chief Technology Officer

Mon, 06 Dec 2021 17:46:08 +0100

In our latest series, we will be getting to know some of the influential figures that contribute to Access IT Automations growth and development and find out with the company and what IT automation means to them. #WeEnableModern Desktop

Get To Know … Craig Franklin | Sr. Vice President

Tue, 30 Nov 2021 17:46:48 +0100

In our latest series, we will be meeting some of the influential figures that contribute to Access IT Automation’s growth and development and find out what the company, industry, and IT automation means to them. #WeEnableModernDesktop.

With 35 years of experience providing technology consulting, systems integration and advisory services to large and medium-sized enterprises, Craig Franklin, Access IT Automation’s (AITA) SVP of Business Development for the USA has been helping our clients respond to the challenges of a changing business environment, harnessing it for the benefit of their business and customers. Craig has a focus on individual client needs as well as partnerships.

Access Capture Showcases Exceptional Performance Testing & Monitoring Capabilities

Tue, 16 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0100

Is your application performance making your end-users less productive and costing you money? Recently, over a 24 hour period, our Access Symphony client was run from an Access Capture managed VM (Virtual Machine) with automated performance metrics captured. Access Capture showed exceptional automated performance testing results, which we believe, could be the answer to your productivity issues.

3 Stats That Prove That Modern Desktop Is Now More Important Than Ever

Tue, 09 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0100

We recently discussed what Modern Desktop Enablement is. We touched on the subject of why it is now more important than ever to enable and manage Modern Desktop in your organization, but today, we take a closer look at how this will be influenced by and have an impact on IT spending, remote work environments, and cyber security.

Automate Your App-V To MSIX Conversion With Access Capture

Tue, 02 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0100

Many enterprises are currently in the process of modernizing their application estates by converting their existing MSI apps and EXE files into MSIX packages. This is done to take advantage of the many benefits that come with MSIX like, for example, increased security as app packages remain current and up-to-date as they are easier to maintain, which leads to a reduction in the cost of ownership per application.

What You Should Know About Windows 11 & Microsoft 365 App Compatibility

Tue, 26 Oct 2021 17:48:07 +0100

Application compatibility has always been a huge obstacle when it comes to larger IT Transformation projects, such as an enterprise desktop migration. However, if you go by Microsoft’s communication, application compatibility is a core tenet of Windows 10 and the software giant is continuing to invest in it. In fact, in a recent article, Microsoft claimed that it is simply a perceived problem as their App Assure team has tested hundreds of thousands of applications and 99.6% are compatible.

10 Modern Desktop KPIs You Need To Monitor Now

Tue, 19 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0100

If you asked someone 10 years ago to name the most important requirements for a Modern Desktop experience, the answers would most likely have been more RAM, faster processors, and stronger graphic cards. Today, however, although making sure your PC has enough computing power to handle all of your tasks without lagging is still important, the ubiquitousness of as-a-Service applications and cloud proliferation has significantly changed what constitutes a Modern Desktop.

What Is Modern Desktop Enablement?

Fri, 15 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0100

Little did Microsoft know how much the world would need to rely on something they, in 2015, coined the “Modern Desktop” to describe a Microsoft 365, Windows 10, and Office 365 ProPlus based desktop. Its purpose is to let employees work from anywhere productively as they collaborate with their teammates while always staying up-to-date, secure, and compliant.

The Great Resignation: What You Need To Know & How To Minimize Its Impact

Wed, 13 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0100

I heard about “The Great Resignation”, a term coined by Anthony Klotz, a business professor at Texas A&M University, only a few weeks ago. Here in the United Kingdom, we also have other issues we have to deal with right now, like the fallout of Brexit, the lorry driver visa debacle, and now the resulting fuel shortage. So I wasn’t paying close attention to the US job market. At first, I couldn’t make sense of the two happening simultaneously. But the more I read about it, the more I worry about how enterprises and large organizations will manage their IT in the coming two to three years.

How Will The EOL Of IE 11 In June 2022 Impact Your IT Strategy?

Tue, 31 Aug 2021 00:00:00 +0100

Internet Explorer, the web browser you either love or hate or both, is being retired by Microsoft (and relatively quickly at that) in favor of Edge, the Chromium-based browser. While most consumers won’t feel any discomfort from this, the impact on businesses ranges from security threats to LOB web applications and critical shortcuts not working. This is yet another major IT initiative organizations have to contend with, just like hardware refreshes and migrating to/updating versions of Windows 10, Office/Microsoft 365, etc., not to mention Microsoft’s other recent major announcements of Windows 11 and Cloud PC.

Large Financial Bank Cuts UAT Time By 90% With Automated Testing

Thu, 19 Aug 2021 00:00:00 +0100

We all know that automating the often tedious, lengthy, and expensive user acceptance testing (UAT) is going to result in a much faster process — but how much acceleration can you realistically expect? Today, I want to answer that question by walking you through the real-world results we achieved with a very large international investment bank.

The Difference Between VDI and Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop

Wed, 11 Aug 2021 00:00:00 +0100

Ever since the introduction of Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD), also formerly known as Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD), we often get asked what the main differences between this solution and Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) are.

While a variety of vendors have implementations of Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI), we are going to compare Microsoft’s VDI solution (Azure Virtual Desktop) to Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops (CVAD) as this is what people commonly refer to when they say VDI.

Windows Virtual Desktop Is Now Azure Virtual Desktop

Tue, 03 Aug 2021 00:00:00 +0100

Windows Virtual Desktop, which was first announced back in September of 2018 and was GA in September of 2019, was introduced to provide a virtual desktop/app experience using cloud technology. This service enables users to login to a virtual machine from anywhere and have a desktop experience that would feel the same to them as if they were sitting in the office. Enterprises offering Windows Virtual Desktop services would realize savings in licensing, software, and hardware costs.

Windows 10 vs. Windows 11 Lifecycle Support

Thu, 08 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +0100

Most people know that Microsoft had announced that Windows 10 was going to be the last Windows ever released, but what most don’t know is that even Windows 10 has had an End-of-Life date from the very beginning. As it says on Microsoft’s Windows 10 Enterprise and Education Modern Lifecycle page, “Microsoft will continue to support at least one release of Windows 10 Semi-Annual Channel until October 14, 2025. The below table reflects the released versions to date.”

Creating App-Volumes With Access Capture

Mon, 28 Jun 2021 00:00:00 +0100

In November 2020, we showed you how you use Access Capture, our automated application packaging and testing solution, to automate your MSIX and app attach creation in order to accelerate your application modernization journey, and with it, enable your Modern Desktop including Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD).

Using IT Automation To Measure & Improve Customer Satisfaction In Your Next IT Transformation

Thu, 17 Jun 2021 00:00:00 +0100

When an enterprise goes through a major IT migration project, or is trying to properly implement/keep pace with Evergreen IT initiatives, the IT department is really squeezed on all sides. With so much pressure on IT, it is easy to lose focus and forget who it is that IT is serving and who is being directly affected by the migration project — the users. Even though the users aren’t performing the migration, having them onboard and happy about the process is just as important for your organization’s success. That’s why getting their input and involvement is so valuable.

What Microsoft’s Next Gen OS (Windows 11?) Could Look Like

Thu, 10 Jun 2021 00:00:00 +0100

A few days ago, Microsoft announced that on June 24th, 2021, at 11 am EST, it is hosting a special event called “What’s Next For Windows.” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Chief Product Officer Panos Panay are expected to talk about next-generation Windows.

Access Capture Is Now Hosted On Azure & What It Means For You

Wed, 09 Jun 2021 00:00:00 +0100

Access IT Automation’s premise for 2021 and beyond is to enable Modern Desktops for enterprises everywhere and anywhere. This means that with Access IT Automation you will be able to enable all applications, all users, and all devices, whether you are utilizing our solutions on-promise, in a hybrid solution, or hosted in the cloud.

New Access Capture Feature Round-Up H1/2021

Tue, 01 Jun 2021 00:00:00 +0100

So much has happened in the last six months! We have been incredibly busy behind the scenes building and improving extremely useful features, but we haven’t publicly talked about them. For example, we have built the ability to:

Bulk create automated launch testing jobs by simply uploading them from a spreadsheet,
Create app attach at the same time as you create your MSIX packages,
Create snapshots before jobs,
Create CimFS file systems,
Support multi-session for Windows Server,
and much more.

Today, I want to highlight a few features that deserve a little more explanation: the ability to create MSIX packages from loose files directly through our API, how Access Capture can be used to create App Volumes, VMDKs, VHDs, and the ability to run Access Capture directly on Azure.

Standard & Bespoke Fixes During & After Migrations

Wed, 05 May 2021 00:00:00 +0100

We are often asked this two-fold question: How do our IT Automation products address the currently known issues that exist in a client’s IT environment, and what happens when new issues are discovered, new apps or updates come into play, etc.? As an answer, this post will discuss, from a high level, our process for providing our clients with IT Automation that will take them into their target platform (i.e., Windows 10, Office 365, etc.) and explain how we use both standard and tailored fixes.

Access Capture Now Offers Multi-Session Support For Windows Server

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0100

In the past few product-oriented blog posts, we have talked a lot about getting your estate ready for the Modern Desktop using Access Capture for application packaging and testing. For example, we’ve discussed ways to help you migrate onto Windows 10 and Office 365 or manage your environment using Evergreen IT in order to keep up with the pace of updates for those products. But it is equally important to have the ability to check if your applications work in a variety of different Windows environments. Thanks to some new features, this is now easier than ever.

The Real Evergreen IT Dilemma Is Interdependency

Mon, 26 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0100

The real problem of Evergreen IT Management isn’t figuring out how to efficiently (and, let’s face it — fast enough) migrate your entire estate from one version of Windows 10 to a newer version. It also isn’t the volume of change if you are managing your Windows 10 OS lifecycle in conjunction with Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise in addition to a continuous hardware refresh. That all can be managed very well with the right tooling and automation. The real dilemma goes much deeper.

MSIX App Attach Is Now Generally Available

Fri, 16 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0100

If you have been following our blog for the last couple of years, you have seen that we have posted about MSIX and, in particular, MSIX app attach several times — from showing how to enable app attach for your organization to a video demo of creating an app attach using our tool, Access Capture.

Your Remote Workers’ Activity Is Crucial For Sizing New Virtual Workplace Offerings (WVD)

Mon, 12 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0100

As some regions are opening up around the world, companies like Google and Microsoft are already implementing long-term hybrid or Work-From-Anywhere (WFA) models for when employees are able to return to the office. In fact, one study finds that 22% of Americans will be remote by 2025 due to the resulting cost-savings (i.e. less office space) and higher employee satisfaction (i.e. less commuting) when working remotely.

3 Things You Need To Do Now To Fend Off COVID-19-Induced Windows 10 Complacency

Fri, 02 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0100

There is a new worrisome (even if short-term) problem enterprises are currently struggling with. I call it COVID-19-induced Windows 10 Complacency. Today, I want to explain what this made-up term means and what you can do immediately to minimize or eliminate the problem. Let’s have a look.

IaaS, PaaS, SaaS — How Do They All Fit Together?

Mon, 29 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0100

The technology industry is notorious for its love of acronyms, particularly when it comes to cloud computing. With cloud-based solutions becoming increasingly essential for every company and industry worldwide, three key cloud service models have emerged as the backbone of the cloud revolution: Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). The phrase “as-a-Service” refers to a wide variety of technology services delivered to companies or individuals via the internet by a third-party service provider.

Fixing Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD) Issues With Access Symphony

Mon, 08 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0100

Microsoft’s Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD), a relatively new technology released in late 2019, has proven to be a vital solution for many enterprises. During the pandemic and subsequent stay-at-home orders, companies found themselves needing to provide their employees overnight with an in-office experience at their home. Powered by Azure, this cloud-based application virtualization service provides users with a complete desktop experience with top level security and compliance — in the office, at home, or anywhere in the world. In addition, Windows Virtual Desktop has also saved companies time and money by eliminating issues that employees would face in an on-premise environment, and by creating a better user experience.

5 Challenges To Expect When Embracing Modern Application Management

Mon, 22 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0100

Last week, we highlighted all the advantages you are bound to benefit from as you start your modern application management journey. And while there are many reasons why you should pursue this path as soon as possible, it isn’t all “puppies and rainbows”. We have to be realistic about our expectations and be aware of any potential speed bumps and pitfalls along the road. Today, I want to walk you through five very common, but often ignored challenges, namely:

Benefits of Modern App Management

Wed, 17 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0100

When an enterprise does any kind of IT migration, such as an OS upgrade, it has to touch hundreds and sometimes even thousands of apps. Each app needs to be tested, repackaged, and tested again. Each application and version can take anywhere from a few hours to days to be tested. Then the entire process gets repeated every 6-12 months with each new Windows version release, depending on your chosen branch, it becomes quickly and painfully obvious that the time and manpower needed is a huge strain on IT.

Introducing IT Automation For Employees, Developers, Ops, and Technology Teams

Mon, 21 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0100

Traditionally, application packaging and testing was a relatively siloed process done almost entirely by specialized teams. The application owners would submit a packaging or testing request and be available to supply further information, files, or data if needed. Other than that, they had to sit tight and wait. Also developers and technology and operations teams had to rely on the application packaging and testing teams — a process that could take weeks and hold up the development process or entire IT transformation projects.

Quiz: Is End-to-End or API-Driven App Packaging & Testing Right For You?

Thu, 17 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0100

Application packaging and testing isn’t the same as it was 10 years ago. Traditionally, a somewhat siloed-off team took care of the actual process, but it would take days and sometimes weeks to find the right app owner, gather all the files and install instructions, and then cycle back with them again for UAT and sign-off. Now, with agile development and DevOps, this approach is impractical. For example, an internal developer might push out a new version of code three times a week and they cannot wait days every time to simply test it. Depending on what your development, packaging, testing, and release process looks like, you will need to choose a specific automation approach that is right for you.

COVID, BREXIT, And IR35 Create UK’s IT Skill Shortage Superstorm

Tue, 15 Dec 2020 08:28:08 +0100

According to a recent McKinsey study, 94% of the UK workforce lack the skills that will be required in 2030: “Without concerted action by employers, two-thirds of the UK workforce could lack basic digital skills by 2030, while more than 10 million people could be under-skilled in leadership, communication, and decision-making,” the report said.

Access Capture’s Top 5 Most Impressive Features in 2020

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0100

In the past 11 months, we have released a lot of new and exciting features and sometimes it is hard to keep track of them all. To make it easier for you, we have created an Access Capture Release Notes page. You can subscribe to it and always get the latest updates sent to your inbox as soon as they are posted. But we also wanted to take the opportunity today to highlight some of the most valuable and impressive features in a dedicated blog post. Our development team, headed up by Nik Maloney, has gone above and beyond and I am very proud of the outcome.

How To Create An MSIX With App Attach Using Access Capture [Video]

Thu, 19 Nov 2020 00:00:00 +0100

Over the past couple of months we have written several articles about MSIX, and for good reason. Not only has MSIX replaced MSI as Microsoft’s app packaging format, but it is also materially better than MSI. By using MSIX with App Attach, Windows Virtual Desktop, and FSLogix, the process of migrating, upgrading, and keeping your apps up-to-date, in a timely and efficient manner and without productivity loss, has never been easier or more achievable.

5 Secrets To Pulling Off A 95,000 Seat Migration Modern Desktop / Office 365 Project Successfully

Wed, 21 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0100

In my 30+ years of experience in technology, I have migrated Windows 95 to XP, Windows NT to Windows 7, and now Windows 7 to Windows 10. And they all had one thing in common: I had to come in and rescue the migration projects many times because, initially, in peoples’ heads — even if they are technologists — OS migrations are simply thought of as clicking “Next” a few times.

5 Things To Keep In Mind When Finalizing Your IT Budget This Year

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0100

2020 has been a crazy year — there is no question about that. Suddenly having to switch to all of your employees working from home sent the vast majority of organizations scrambling, causing utter chaos. In fact, “companies spent an additional $15 billion a week on technology during the first wave of the pandemic, to ensure that employees could work from home safely,” according to TechRepublic.

3 Trends That Will Impact Your Evergreen IT Management Strategy In 2021 & Beyond

Fri, 09 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0100

For the past five years (since the introduction of Windows-as-a-Service in 2015), we have talked about the necessity and benefits of Evergreen IT Management for enterprises. While both of those are still as relevant and crucial as before, there are new prevalent trends that will have a long-term impact on your Evergreen IT strategy. Today, I want to discuss the three most impactful ones: COVID-19 and the wide-spread adoption of remote work, Everything as Code (EaC), and Microsoft’s Windows Virtual Desktop.

Case Study: Global Investment Bank Adopts Modern Desktop & Office 365

Wed, 30 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0100

In one of the largest IT Transformation projects ever awarded to a single vendor, Accessplc, the IT consulting and IT talent recruitment sister company of Access IT Automation, enabled a large Swiss investment bank and financial institution to drive Digital Transformation by adopting Modern Desktop, Office 365, and Microsoft Cloud services.

Work From Anywhere (WFA) – Endpoint Management Considerations

Wed, 02 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0100

“Work-From-Home” (WFH) or “Work-From-Anywhere” (WFA) quickly became the new standard when countries went on lockdown in March due to the global pandemic of COVID-19. Despite an initial scrambling to get employees set up for remote work, companies are now starting to question the amount of physical office space and business trips needed in the future as employees were still productive at home.

What Is Windows Virtual Desktop & How Does It Fit Into My Organization?

Thu, 13 Aug 2020 00:00:00 +0100

Since its release last year, Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD) has been gaining traction across multiple organizations, mainly those looking to provide a better user experience for their employees, have the latest security and feature updates, and reduce costs across their IT environment. Especially since March, WVD has become a solution that organizations started looking at for their company’s needs as most of the global workforce had to suddenly work from home.

How To Enable MSIX App Attach For Your Organization

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 00:00:00 +0100

Despite improving app compatibility, application packaging is still a time-consuming, manual labor-intensive, and expensive obstacle organizations have to overcome. One reason is the ever-increasing number and complexity of applications within organizations, but more and more, the pace at which apps have to be packaged, tested, and deployed to keep pace with the velocity of change within the organization is becoming a huge roadblock.

Modern App Packaging 101: Quick Must-Know MSIX Core Basics

Tue, 23 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0100

With the release of Windows 10 2004 a few weeks ago and with MSIX AppAttach in public preview, Microsoft will soon start to incentivize customers to move to its new installer technology for Windows, MSIX. MSIX is set to replace the very popular Windows Installer (MSI) and the APPX packaging format that were previously used for Microsoft Store apps.

New Features: Smoke Testing and Automated Performance Testing

Mon, 25 May 2020 00:00:00 +0100

As technology changes at an ever increasing rate, being able to quickly, efficiently, and cost-effectively test your applications is fundamental to keeping up with the pace. Depending on your testing strategy, this could include all of your apps or just specific core applications.

Top 10 Benefits Of Evergreen IT Management

Mon, 06 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0100

Most IT executives and IT project managers instinctively know that Evergreen IT is the only way forward for managing increasingly complex IT landscapes that change faster than ever before. And while they also know this new management approach comes with numerous benefits, they often cannot place their finger on what exactly they can expect to gain. This is not surprising, as this is a new concept without many real-world results and insights publicly available.

To Management: As Migration Team Leaves, Your BAU Team Is Left Hanging

Fri, 27 Mar 2020 00:00:00 +0100

Almost every organization is scrambling right now to get employees set up to work from home — bringing many Windows 10 migration projects temporarily to a halt. While the current pandemic might possibly result in support deadline extensions from Microsoft down the road, it is important to be aware of an emerging problem that almost every company will encounter: what happens when your migration is over?

The Basics Of Evergreen IT Management — A 101 Crash Course

Tue, 25 Feb 2020 00:00:00 +0100

If I would take the conversations I have with our clients, prospects, and partners as an indication, I would say that about 90% of enterprise IT teams are interested in Evergreen IT, but maybe only about 20% of them fully grasp the concept enough to know how to practically implement it. And it is an ambiguous concept unless you take the time to research it. This is made harder by the fact that, besides very few information sources, there isn’t much information out there.

Why Your Modern IT Strategy Needs XLAs (No, NOT The Excel Add-in)

Fri, 21 Feb 2020 00:00:00 +0100

Lately, there is a lot of talk about XLAs! No, not the Excel add-in but rather Experience Level Agreements between a service provider and a customer with the goal of providing the best employee experience with said provider’s services.

Traditionally, software vendors had service-level agreements, or SLAs, which described expected minimum service levels that the service provider guaranteed (e.g., minimum uptimes or time to respond/repair issues) for the price someone would pay. Until now, SLAs were seen as the crucial measurement for a successful relationship between a software vendor and an enterprise IT department.

Windows 10/Office 365: One Before The Other Or Both In Parallel?

Fri, 14 Feb 2020 00:00:00 +0100

By now, I am sure you are aware that Windows 7 has gone end-of-life, with the decade-old OS having received two “final” updates.

If you are still running Windows 7 and want to have security and critical updates that Microsoft deems necessary, you need to be signed up for paid extended support called Extended Security Updates (ESU). While ESU can give you another three years of support at price levels that are easy to budget for, there are other associated risks with staying on Windows 7.

5 High-Impact IT Automation Use Cases Every Enterprise Needs To Implement Now [Webinar]

Mon, 03 Feb 2020 00:00:00 +0100

By now, most enterprises are using some form of IT Automation to create repeatable processes that minimize or avoid human interaction with IT systems with the goal of realizing potential cost reductions, process improvements, and efficiency gains.

However, almost always, IT automation is done in bits and pieces — without a central repository or the ability to manage them. As a result, enterprises often have dozens of unused or underutilized agents which, of course, then hinders the organization in achieving their automation goals.

5 IT Challenges Enterprise IT Teams Will Struggle Most With In 2020

Fri, 31 Jan 2020 08:28:08 +0100

2020 is going to be a big year for enterprise IT teams, with Windows 7 support having ended on January 14th. Even though the expense of paid extended support can easily be budgeted for by most enterprises, there is still a ticking clock counting down to the day when paid support runs out, not to mention other serious risk factors.

Access Capture 2020 Roadmap (Part 1: Smoke Testing, MSIX Packaging & More In H1/2020)

Thu, 23 Jan 2020 00:00:00 +0100

Over the past years, Access Capture has helped organizations around the world package and test applications faster, safer, more accurately, and more efficiently in an enterprise environment by automating much of the labor-intensive, costly, and tedious process.

In October 2019, we released Access Capture Version 3 which included many feature and platform improvements. We were thrilled how well it was received so we cannot wait to share with you some details on our jam-packed development calendar for 2020.

Staying On Windows 7 ESU Will Be Much More Costly Than You Might Realize

Tue, 14 Jan 2020 00:00:00 +0100

Today is the day — Windows 7 is officially at the end of its life. From now on, any organization still running Windows 7 has to go on extended support, called Extended Security Updates (ESU). At this point, if your organization hasn’t migrated to Windows 10, you will have no choice but to go on the first year of support.

App Performance Testing Is Now More Important Than Ever With Evergreen IT

Mon, 06 Jan 2020 00:00:00 +0100

When I started application packaging twenty years ago, Microsoft had only just released its installer called MSIEXEC.EXE. The primary goal of Microsoft Installer was to create a generic way to install and uninstall applications on Windows while allowing you to manage and version-control in a structured way.

How A Great Employee Technology Experience Can Help You Hire & Retain Top IT Talent

Mon, 30 Dec 2019 00:00:00 +0100

For years, enterprises have struggled to hire and retain outstanding talent. According to the Wall Street Journal, there were 918,000 open IT jobs to fill in the last three months in the United States. In the United Kingdom, things are just as dire and are expected to increase in intensity as the new UK’s IR35 legislation takes effect. This is expected to result in a furious scramble to scoop up the best IT talent before any competitors can sign them up.

Evergreen IT: A Definition In Less Than 100 Words

Mon, 16 Dec 2019 00:00:00 +0100

The term “Evergreen IT” has been around for some years. It has been defined multiple times in many different ways, but when talking to enterprise IT organizations around the world, more often than not, IT managers and executives complain that they still don’t really understand what it means.

How To Survive End-of-Life Of Office 2010 Without Breaking Your Macros

Wed, 11 Dec 2019 00:00:00 +0100

If your organization is running Office 2010 and has LOB critical macros or apps, you have a hard deadline of October 13, 2020 to migrate, or you risk continuing to use those apps and macros while running a vulnerable, unsupported version of Office.

5 IT Management Budget Tips You Probably Don’t Want To Hear

Mon, 25 Nov 2019 00:00:00 +0100

Most enterprise IT teams are currently breathing a sigh of relief as budget rounds are completed or at least about to be. According to a Spiceworks survey, on average, 44% of enterprises (5000+ seats) say they will increase their IT budgets while 47% remain the same as last year. The better-than-last-year outlook on budgets is primarily due to an increased priority on IT projects (62%), the need to upgrade outdated infrastructure (57%), and increased security concerns (47%).

Access Capture V3: A Must-Have For Your 2020 IT Tool Stack [Webinar]

Fri, 08 Nov 2019 00:00:00 +0100

After a bit of a rough year, things are starting to look up: Gartner predicts that IT spending will bounce back to a healthy growth rate of 3.7% in 2020 — largely due to enterprise software spending.

John-David Lovelock, research vice president at Gartner, said: “The slowdown in IT spending in 2019 is not expected to stretch as far into 2020 despite concerns over a recession and companies cutting back on discretionary IT spending. […] Most companies are caught trying to either cut costs or invest for growth, but the top-performing enterprises are doing both. A core challenge facing the industry is how organizations can operate as both a traditional company and a technology company at the same time. These ‘and’ dilemmas will drive future IT spending trends.”

Windows Virtual Desktop & Its Impact On Your IT Planning

Thu, 24 Oct 2019 00:00:00 +0100

On September 30th, 2019, Microsoft’s Brad Anderson announced that Windows Virtual Desktop, Microsoft’s new cloud-based desktop and app virtualization service, is now generally available worldwide. It has been in public preview since March 2019.

The promise of Windows Virtual Desktop is to “deploy and scale your Windows desktops and apps on Azure in minutes” by delivering “simplified management, multi-session Windows 10, optimizations for Office 365 ProPlus, and support for Remote Desktop Services (RDS) environments”, according to the statement.

Coming Soon: Access Capture Version 3 — What You Need To Know (Part 2)

Mon, 21 Oct 2019 00:00:00 +0100

As you might already know, Access Capture V3 will be launched on November 14th, 2019. The new release includes lots of new exciting features and platform improvements. Last week, we walked you through some of them already and today, as promised, I would like to highlight some additional nuggets, in particular:

State of the Union: Microsoft’s Windows 10 Upgrade Strategy

Mon, 14 Oct 2019 00:00:00 +0100

Since Windows 10 was released with much fanfare as the ‘last Windows’, Microsoft has made many changes to its servicing model, terminology, and support schedule — causing much confusion among its customers, IT admins, and C-level executives.

One could say that change is a constant with Windows-as-a-Service, and not only with its much smaller, continuous updates. In just over 4 years and 7 feature update releases, Microsoft has repeatedly changed the naming conventions for updates as well as how long they will be in service for, and has extended the EOL dates and support windows — which, initially, they said they wouldn’t do.

Coming Soon: Access Capture Version 3 — What You Need To Know (Part 1)

Mon, 07 Oct 2019 00:00:00 +0100

I am very excited to share with you that on November 14th, 2019, we are officially launching our new version (V3) of Access Capture, our enterprise application packaging and testing automation solution.

We have added some very exciting features, and there are significant platform changes. I cannot wait to share all the upgrades with you — so I am giving you a two-part preview of the most critical updates.

Reduce Your IT Support Tickets With Automated Self-Service

Thu, 19 Sep 2019 08:28:11 +0100

According to a Zendesk study, organizations receive an average of 492 tickets per month — 69% of which could be resolved with a single touch. On average, these tickets cost $15.56 per ticket and take more than 24 hours to first respond. Based on my experience, it could take an additional 2-3 days to get the ticket resolved after the initial response has been sent.

What Is An Automation Center of Excellence & Do You Need One?

Fri, 23 Aug 2019 00:00:00 +0100

The days when you could derive a competitive benefit by simply automating some process are long gone. It’s now a question of how effective the automation will be, rather than whether you should adopt it. In other words, the competitive advantage is realized through a holistic and strategic management of all bits and pieces of automation within an organization.

3 Types Of Automation You Need To Be Pursuing Now

Tue, 20 Aug 2019 00:00:00 +0100

IT departments are currently experiencing a dramatic increase in application requests, largely as the result of the transition to a completely mobile workforce. However, staffing has remained relatively constant, prompting many enterprises to adopt automation as a means of deploying applications more rapidly in addition to realizing other ways for IT to benefit from automation.

6 Simple, But Time-Consuming IT Tasks You Need To Automate Today

Mon, 12 Aug 2019 00:00:00 +0100

Between maintaining the current IT environment and driving innovation, IT departments have had to figure out how to manage their increasingly complex environments with fewer resources and less budget and time.

Automating otherwise time-consuming and labor-intensive tasks can not only enable you to chip away at your ever-growing workload faster, but can increase your ability to adapt to changes in your environment — two crucial success factors in today’s evergreen IT landscapes.

3 Tell-Tale Signs Self-Service Automation Will Improve Your End User Experience

Thu, 08 Aug 2019 00:00:00 +0100

In a world of Digital Transformation where “King Customer” rules, we can all agree that the experience a user has with a product is instrumental. In other words, today, success is about providing the best possible End User Experience (EUX).

Migrating To Office 365 — Plugins, Add-ins, & Macros Compatibility

Mon, 29 Jul 2019 00:00:00 +0100

There’s no denying it: If you are a Microsoft shop, it is very likely that your organization is going to migrate to Office 365 sooner rather than later. The SaaS version of the Office Suite has so much more to offer than the on-premise version, i.e., newer features, enhanced security, stability fixes, etc.

What Every IT Manager Should Know About Robotic Processing Automation

Wed, 24 Jul 2019 00:00:00 +0100

Digital technology has opened whole new vistas of success, profit, and agility in organizations across the globe. From the smallest startup to the vastest enterprise, Digital Transformation has forever changed the way we do business.

Agile IT Planning & Deployments To Drive Digital Transformation

Wed, 03 Jul 2019 00:00:00 +0100

According to Gartner, Digital Transformation is one of THE hottest topics right now.

In a recent Gartner survey, 62% of CEOs said they have an initiative in place to make their organizations more “digital.” To support their customer engagement, businesses need to primarily solve three issues:

How To Get Your Business Units On Board With IT Automation

Thu, 20 Jun 2019 00:00:00 +0100

The possibilities of automation are endless — and that scares many employees. And while enterprises today need to have a short- and long-term plan in place to retrain and reassign their resources whose jobs are now done through automation, IT Automation is aiming to make IT processes faster, more efficient, and ultimately more agile to provide the organizations with higher productivity, healthier and more stable IT environments, and faster turnaround times.

Technical Requirements Before Implementing Access Capture For App Packaging & Testing Automation

Tue, 28 May 2019 00:00:00 +0100

One of the biggest concerns enterprise IT teams voice when they see Access Capture, our application packaging and testing automation solution, in action for the first time is the amount of work that needs to be done as a prerequisite.

Access IT Automation and Microsoft Partner To Drive Early MSIX Adoption

Fri, 24 May 2019 08:28:08 +0100

Over the past couple of months, we have been talking a lot about how mature MSIX really is and laid out an enterprise roadmap to a smooth MSIX adoption over the next three years. And with good reason! We are thrilled to announce that we have just formally partnered with Microsoft to help drive early adoption for MSIX, Microsoft’s new application packaging format.

6 Steps To Ensure IT Readiness To Drive Digital Transformation

Thu, 16 May 2019 00:00:00 +0100

In the past 12 months, pressure to drive Digital Transformation has reached a new milestone. Alongside with growth, becoming a digital business is now one of the top priorities for CIOs. In fact, our clients and prospects are telling us that one of the biggest concerns right now is figuring out how to increase business agility and drive Digital Transformation to create a sustainable, long-term competitive advantage.

10 Questions To Ask Before Starting Any IT Automation Project

Mon, 06 May 2019 00:00:00 +0100

Do you rely on a series of repetitive, tedious, and labor-intensive tasks that could easily be automated? Do you need to figure out how to free up resources to drive innovation and Digital Transformation? Are you trying to dig yourself out from under a mountain of compounding IT debt? Or are you moving to an Evergreen IT management approach to increase your organizational agility? Are you trying to figure out how to continuously update your IT landscape?

SCCM 2007 Goes EoL In July 2019 — 5 Things You Have To Know Before Installing SCCM 1902

Thu, 02 May 2019 00:00:00 +0100

On July 9th, 2019, Microsoft’s iconic device management solution, System Center Configuration Manager 2007 — officially known as Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr) or affectionately referred to as SCCM within most IT departments — will be retired after 12 long years of support.

5 Reasons Why Service Integrators Should Embrace IT Automation, Rather Than Fear It

Thu, 18 Apr 2019 00:00:00 +0100

A few years ago before Access IT Automation was founded, I had a very insightful conversation with a Head of Client Services of one of the big service integrators in my role as the CEO of Access, our IT Managed Service Provider.

Application Packaging & Testing Automation: Expectations vs. Reality

Mon, 01 Apr 2019 00:00:00 +0100

When it comes to automation, there is often a big gap between expectation and reality — often in the sense of “all or nothing”. For example, doomsday scenarios have been painted and purport that automation is a direct replacement for human labor and will put hundreds of millions out of a job. In reality, only about 7.4% of jobs are actually at risk for being replaced through technology, algorithms, bots, or artificial intelligence.

It’s Make Or Break Decision Time Re: Windows 7 — Here Are Your Options

Mon, 25 Mar 2019 00:00:00 +0100

January 14th, 2020.

That is the date when Windows 7 goes end-of-life and a 10-year era ends — five years for Mainstream Support and five years for Extended Support. In addition, Office 2010 will lose support on October 23rd, 2020.

Why is Evergreen IT Important & What Does It Typically Look Like?

Wed, 20 Mar 2019 00:00:00 +0100

Are you using Evergreen IT the right way?

Long gone are the days when you migrated your entire user base to a new version of Windows as a huge, high-risk, big-bang project every few years. For most organizations, OS updates happen every 12-24 months and only take about 6 months to complete.

How Automated Endpoint Management Can Improve Your Security Culture

Tue, 19 Mar 2019 00:00:00 +0100

Last year was a record year for cybersecurity breaches, malware attacks, and data leaks — and if the first few months are any indication, this year will bring on a new slew of record-breaking incidents as well.

But it isn’t only the record-breaking headlines you should worry about. While massive data breaches, like last year’s Target and Equifax incidents, get the most media attention, it is easy to assume that smaller businesses or organizations that haven’t been targeted yet won’t be under attack soon.

IT Executives: 5 Ways To Boost Your IT Team’s Productivity Today

Mon, 11 Mar 2019 00:00:00 +0100

Productivity is often overlooked as a metric when measuring the performance of your IT team. While it may not be as measurable as other key performance indicators (KPIs), the productivity of your IT team is a significant factor in your bottom line.

Microsoft Desktop App Assure: Impact On Your Enterprise Application Packaging Strategy

Mon, 04 Mar 2019 00:00:00 +0100

If you purchased 150 or more seats of eligible Microsoft 365 services, such as Microsoft 365 E3, Microsoft 365 E5, or Microsoft 365 Business, you have access to a special Microsoft service called FastTrack. As part of this free service, FastTrack specialists (Microsoft employees, Microsoft-approved vendors, and Microsoft-approved partners) will assist you with free advisory and remediation guidance.

Forget App Compatibility — It’s Application Suitability You Should Worry About

Thu, 21 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +0100

Do you remember when Microsoft promised that application compatibility wasn’t an afterthought in the development of Windows XP as it was with its predecessor? Or when Microsoft’s number one ship criteria was that “applications will just work” even though, on average, more than one out of five (21%) applications weren’t compatible? Do you recall when moving to Windows 7 meant going from a 32 bit to 64 bit operating system?

Are You Impacted By The VMWare Version Upgrade To Support Credential Guard?

Fri, 08 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +0100

With each new release of Windows 10, Microsoft adds new features and security enhancements — and with those come new issues for IT teams. With virtualization becoming the norm for organizations, from large enterprises down to mid-size businesses, interactions and dependencies on multiple systems within an IT landscape can become mission critical, having effects on security and digital innovation.

3 Inevitable Trends That Will Impact Your Application Packaging & Testing Strategy In 2019/2020

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +0100

For many, the next 12-24 months mark an important milestone for their application packaging and testing strategy as they move from traditional, manually-driven application packaging to a more automated and continuous process to satisfy the demands of their faster-than-ever evolving IT environment.

What Microsoft’s FSLogix Acquisition Means For You

Fri, 18 Jan 2019 00:00:00 +0100

On November 19th, 2018, Microsoft announced its acquisition of Atlanta, Georgia-based FSLogix for an undisclosed sum to extend the company’s virtualization capabilities and provide an even better virtualized Windows and Office experience delivered on Microsoft Azure — a mission that the start-up shared since its inception in 2012.

Strategic Roadmap: Your MSIX Adoption Path With Access Capture

Thu, 27 Dec 2018 00:00:00 +0100

A few days ago, we talked about how mature MSIX really is (18 months away) and how it make sense for some enterprises to do a double hop over App-V to ease the transition. Today, I want to take you on a little journey that will take us three years into the future.

MSIX Ready For Adoption? Not Yet!

Tue, 18 Dec 2018 00:00:00 +0100

You might have noticed a lot of vendors in the application packaging space shouting from the rooftops that they are supporting MSIX, Microsoft’s new packaging format. Anyone who can run an automated PowerShell command to create and convert an app could technically claim MSIX support.

IT Automation Business Case Template

Fri, 14 Dec 2018 08:28:11 +0100

4 Steps To Creating A Waterproof IT Automation Business Case (incl. PPT Template)

Thu, 13 Dec 2018 00:00:00 +0100

Everyone knows IT automation provides lots of perks for IT as well as the entire business. But when hard pressed for tangible benefits and real numbers — or writing a business case — most of us would be caught off guard. It doesn’t come naturally to most IT professionals.

Culture: The Single Biggest Roadblock on Your Way to Digital Transformation

Thu, 22 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0100

Last week, we talked about how the role of the CIO is changing in pursuit of Digital Transformation and with it the key performance indicators to measure their effectiveness and contributions to the company’s bottom line. But this tectonic shift isn’t happening in a vacuum — it requires an organizational change, or culture shift, to be successful.

CIOs Must Follow A New Set Of Rules To Achieve Digital Transformation

Mon, 19 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0100

As more organizations look to their CIO to lead the company’s Digital Transformation efforts, the traditional role continues to evolve to fill this growing responsibility.

To get a clearer picture of what this shift will look like, Gartner recently surveyed over 3,160 CIOs from 98 countries representing approximately $13 trillion in revenue/public sector budgets and $277 billion in IT spending.

4 Ways To Future-Proof Your Endpoint Management Automation Investment

Thu, 08 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0100

When considering endpoint management automation, it is hard to know what you are getting into. There are various solutions that all have a slightly different angle and focus. Oftentimes, it is only afterwards that you realize you should have paid more attention to a specific feature that turns out to be crucial or made a certain integration a must-have requirement in the Request-for-Proposal process.

4 Things You Should Know Before Investing Your Leftover IT Budget

Mon, 29 Oct 2018 08:28:08 +0100

Things are finally looking up on the IT budget horizon. According to the 2019 State of IT by Spiceworks, 56% of enterprises are planning to increase their IT budget in 2019 while 43% of organizations anticipate no change in their IT team’s monetary plan! The majority of enterprises increased their IT dollars to invest in technology that counters ever-growing security concerns (about time!), to increase priority on their IT projects (Windows 7 losing support soon), and to upgrade outdated IT infrastructure.

10 Modern Desktop Experts To Have On Your Radar

Wed, 10 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0100

The internet holds a wealth of information, but sometimes it is hard to discern which information sources are reputable, helpful, and contain new insights worth the time to read the entire article — and which are just regurgitating other people’s ideas to put out content.

16 Applications Packaging & Testing Terms Every Executive Should Know

Mon, 24 Sep 2018 00:00:00 +0100

Every line of business has its own unique lingo which often makes it hard for “outsiders” to follow a conversation. As an executive, whether you are a CEO, COO, CFO, or even a CIO, application packaging and testing terms can seem like a completely different language with their three and four letter acronyms.

What These IT Support KPI’s Are Telling You About Endpoint Management Automation

Mon, 17 Sep 2018 00:00:00 +0100

One of the biggest objections that IT professionals and executives face when trying to sell Endpoint Management Automation is: “WHY do we need it?” While the question from an executive management point of view is understandable, it can be frustrating as well. Deep down you are convinced of the benefits this will bring, but how can you convince them?

The Future Of The Universal Windows Platform & Its Impact On Your App Management Strategy

Wed, 29 Aug 2018 00:00:00 +0100

Since the introduction of Windows-as-a-Service, Microsoft has been actively promoting a way to create universal applications that could leverage Windows 10 platform capabilities across all Windows devices: the Universal Windows Platform. But in the past months, more and more voices declared this common application platform dead, or at least close to extinction.

How To Proactively Prepare For The End-of-Life of Windows 7 (And The Birth of Evergreen IT)

Mon, 20 Aug 2018 00:00:00 +0100

Believe it or not, there are still more than 385 million devices in enterprise environments that are running on Windows 7 — an operating system that has already lost its mainstream support on January 13, 2015 and will now finally get cut off from extended support on January 14, 2020!

How To Package, Deploy & Execute A Fix Using Access Fix Engine In 2 Minutes [Video]

Mon, 13 Aug 2018 00:00:00 +0100

How many times this month have you had users complain about a crashed Word session? I venture to guess, too many times! An important application like Word crashing is frustrating for any non-technical end user — but it also slows them down significantly, leading to hours of reduced if not completely stalled productivity.

Your Modern Application Testing Strategy: Big Bang vs. Parallel vs. Prioritized

Sun, 22 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0100

What drives you crazy at work? Is it your co-worker having every single call on speakerphone and later accusing you of eavesdropping? Cutting her fingernails during a conference call? Eating a smelly tuna sandwich at his desk — every single day without a fail?

5 Things To Consider Before Diving Head-First Into Application Virtualization

Thu, 12 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0100

According to a new SpiceWorks State of IT – Trends, Budgets, and Purchase Drivers study, the biggest driver for enterprises to embrace virtualization and cloud computing is to (1) reduce the support burden on IT staff (33%) — followed closely by (2) increase their flexibility and scalability, (3) enhance disaster recovery capabilities, (4) provide their users with access to data anywhere, and (5) reduce capital expenditure. Of course, these reasons aren’t going to be much of a surprise to anyone — after all, they are the major benefits of virtualization and cloud computing!

IT Help Desk: How To Nail Day 1 Of Your Windows 10 Migration Or Windows Servicing Rollout

Mon, 09 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0100

Getting end users bought in and excited about moving to Windows 10 isn’t always easy — not to speak of getting them on-board and actively engaged in a new Windows 10 version every six months!

However, for many organizations, active user engagement is the key to Windows-as-a-Service deployment success. Instead of forcing updates on their end users, these companies, these enterprises are turning the tables and deliberately giving the end user not only a say as to when he or she wants to upgrade, but also the opportunity to play an active role in ensuring that everything is done to their satisfaction.

5 IT Support Preparedness Lessons Learned From The DOD Windows 10 Migration

Thu, 05 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0100

Earlier this year, in April 2018, the US Department of Defense (DOD) reached a massive milestone that was a long, looong time coming: the (almost) completion of the Windows 10 migration!

Microsoft had announced in February 2016 that the DOD was committed to migrate all of its over four million devices to Windows 10 within one year (target deadline of January 2017) — “an unprecedented move for a customer with the size and complexity of the DoD”, as Microsoft called it.

5 Persistent Pitfalls To Avoid When Planning An IT Automation Investment

Mon, 02 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0100

There are certain “gotchas” you can have a laugh about afterwards — but not planning your IT automation implementation adequately, and implementing inefficient processes that might be adjusted or, even worse, redone later on probably isn’t one of those times. Today, we are going to explore five common pitfalls enterprise IT organizations often stumble over as they are planning their IT automation investments.

How Will The New Windows 10 Servicing Model Impact Your Application Management Strategy

Fri, 04 May 2018 00:00:00 +0100

According to the just released Adaptiva 2018 Windows 10 Enterprise Impact Survey, only 40% (instead of the expected 52%) of organizations have reached their half-way milestone in their initial Windows 10 migration by now.

The biggest hurdles they are experiencing are a lack of time, e.g., IT staff priorities, loss of employee productivity (61.9%), application compatibility (50.24%), as well as the cost of staff, hardware, application licensing, testing and packaging, and infrastructure related to the OS upgrade (41.7%).

No MSIs For Office 2019 — And Why You Should Care

Wed, 02 May 2018 00:00:00 +0100

Microsoft recently announced that Office 2019, the company’s next perpetual Office suite (including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Skype for Business applications as well as Exchange, SharePoint, and Skype for Business servers) will be released some time this fall, with previews beginning to ship in the second quarter of 2018.

Application Packaging In An Evergreen IT Context

Tue, 03 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +0100

Application Packaging in an Evergreen IT Context

According to a quick poll of 419 IT project managers and IT executives done by Juriba, 32% of respondents said they are most afraid of the potential business disruption caused by Windows-as-a-Service roll outs, while 22% fear potential application compatibility issues most.

How To Get Valuable VDI Performance Footprint Metrics Without Additional Workload/Cost

Mon, 26 Mar 2018 00:00:00 +0100

How To Get Valuable VDI Performance Footprint Metrics Without Additional Workload/Cost

Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to know with certainty the performance footprint impact of an application before deploying it into a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)? This way, you could decide whether it is suitable or not based on data rather than gut feel. However, most IT teams do not have this option.

Persistent vs. Non-Persistent VDI

Thu, 22 Mar 2018 00:00:00 +0100

Virtual desktop technologies are changing the ways companies do business. Instead of having individual on-premises hardware workstations running their resident desktops, planners can use something called Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) to offer end users the same sort of environment — without the same hardware framework.

12 Questions To Ask During Your Access Capture Demo

Wed, 14 Mar 2018 00:00:00 +0100

A few weeks ago, we walked you through the 15 most frequently asked questions during an Access Agent demo. Today, I would like to do the same for Access Capture, our IT automation solution for application packaging and testing solution.

The Benefits Of Automated App Packaging & Testing By Stakeholder Role

Mon, 12 Mar 2018 00:00:00 +0100

A recent Gartner survey shows that 80% of all enterprises will have started to migrate to Windows 10 by the end of 2018. By then, Windows 10 will be 3.5 years old and will have seen seven versions (namely 1507, 1511, 1609, 1703, 1709, 1803, 1809)!

How Do Application Owners Fit Into An Evergreen IT App Management Approach?

Tue, 27 Feb 2018 00:00:00 +0100

One of the most asked questions that I get when I talk to large global institutions, enterprises, healthcare or other larger organizations about managing their application testing process is: “What is the best way to organize my application owners? How do other businesses do it?”

Answered: The 15 Most Frequently Asked Questions During An Access Agent Demo

Tue, 06 Feb 2018 00:00:00 +0100

If you have been thinking about scheduling your Access Agent demo and seeing our endpoint management automation tool in action, you probably have a million questions. While some of those probably pertain to your company’s unique situation, a lot of questions are asked by almost everyone whom we give a product demo for.

5 IT Budget Trends & Stats Every IT Manager Must Know

Tue, 30 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0100

Whether you are gathering trends and statistics for a presentation or business case to convince your executive management, board of directors, or other key stakeholders to increase your IT budget, up your internal IT staff numbers, or invest in emerging technologies to power your Digital Transformation, pulling together reliable data to back up your arguments can be a pain in the neck.

3 Ways To Score Quick (And Big) Wins Early In Your Windows 10 Migration

Thu, 25 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0100

If you are planning on finally tackling that enterprise-wide Windows 10 migration in 2018, you might want to stop what you are doing and read this article first!

We have seen many enterprises head into this migration without adequate planning for application packaging and testing — wasting precious opportunities for immediate quick wins. In addition, with Windows-as-a-Service, you are facing another hurdle: you will have to update at least once, better yet twice, a year — so your update process has to run like a well-oiled machine.

How To Immediately Tighten Up Your Endpoint Security With IT Automation

Mon, 15 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0100

2018 started off with a big bang for the IT industry because the newly-discovered CPU flaws, Meltdown and Spectre, could affect almost any processors in computers and mobile devices made in the past 20 years.

This is especially scary since these flaws can be exploited to gain access to encryption keys, passwords and other sensitive information by breaking the critical operating system memory defenses and then bypassing fundamental isolation layers — including those used by virtualization and container technologies!

How To Prevent IT-Caused End User Productivity Loss

Mon, 01 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0100

Raise your hand if your organization experienced network slowdowns or even an outage in the past 12 months.

Now, what if I told you that every time this happens, it costs your business anywhere from $1 million (typical mid-size company) up to $60 million (large enterprises) a year? A recent IHS study found that the actual costs to fix the downtime issues amount to only about 5% of that cost — the other 95% are caused through loss of productivity (78%) and lost revenue (17%)!

The Impact Of IT Automation On Your IT Help Desk Employee Productivity & Motivation

Thu, 14 Dec 2017 00:00:00 +0100

As the digital age exits its infancy and enters full-scale saturation of business and personal environments, more and more workforces are experiencing the benefits of IT automation in dedicated IT departments or companies.

Others, however, remain suspicious that IT automation can help them. They wonder if this step might not create more harm than good, especially when it comes to accuracy or job security. “If we automate everything’, the thinking goes, ‘then what will be left for us to do? Plus, can we really trust software in place of human oversight? What happens if something goes wrong and only the robots are in charge?”

Application Discovery: Traditional Approach vs. Self Service Automation

Mon, 11 Dec 2017 00:00:00 +0100

Application Discovery is a vital part of the application packaging process and with the increasing frequency of application updates, the process has to be streamlined to be able to keep up the pace. Just think about it: You probably have Windows 10 (2 major updates a year), Office 365 (2 major updates a year), SCCM (3 major updates a year), and Bloomberg (monthly updates) — just to name a few!

Why Employees Would Rather Clean Toilets Than Contact IT Support & What You Can Do About It [Infographic]

Wed, 06 Dec 2017 00:00:00 +0100

Recently, I came across a rather shocking number: Every year, IT issues prevent employees from doing any work for up to 2 days a year and cause employees to be unproductive for a wopping 6 full work days — costing businesses an estimated £62.4 billion (or $84.21 billion) in salary! This is not including the loss of revenue the company could potentially face because of it. For example, 58% of respondents couldn’t provide service to customers because of IT failure and 50% of employees missed a deadline due to technical difficulties.

How To Create A Killer Business Case For IT Automation

Mon, 27 Nov 2017 00:00:00 +0100

After years of stagnant or even decreasing IT budgets and constant hiring stalemates, there is finally a silver lining in sight. According to the Spiceworks State of IT 2018 report, 44% of all companies and 49% of businesses larger than 5,000 employees expect budgets to increase while 43% and 41% respectively anticipate no change at all. Of those organizations who are planning to increase their budgets, the jump is significant with an average of 19%.

IT Automation Isn’t The Enemy For Service Integrators — It’s An Opportunity

Mon, 20 Nov 2017 00:00:00 +0100

Traditional methods are failing. It’s time to utilize IT automation for sustainable business growth.

India’s $150 billion big legacy IT services sector, which has been growing at a break-neck speed over the past two decades, has recently been struggling as its formerly cost-effective services were replaced by an even cheaper approach: intelligent IT automation solutions.

Application Whitelisting as Part of your Automated Packaging Workflow

Mon, 06 Nov 2017 00:00:00 +0100

In a large corporate environment, the end-users do not usually have the rights to install just any application they download from the internet themselves.

But how do you decide which applications are allowed to be installed and run and which aren’t? Today, I want to walk you through the application whitelisting basics, the most common ways enterprises whitelist their apps, as well as how you can increase your security by adding digital signatures to your applications as part of your automated packaging process.

Everything You Should Know About MSI Packaging

Thu, 02 Nov 2017 00:00:00 +0100

The definitive list of everything you need to know about MSI packaging.

With Millennials making up more than half of today’s workforce, companies can no longer play by the old rules of the Baby Boomer or early Gen X generations. Today’s employees aren’t coming into the same office, same desk, and same computer every day as they used to only a decade ago. Whether it is for business or personal reasons, working from your home office, on the road, in a coffee shop, at co-working spaces, or even in a remote location is not only acceptable but even desired by some companies. But how does this link to MSI?

10 Things To Consider Before Purchasing An Enterprise MSI Packaging Tool

Mon, 30 Oct 2017 00:00:00 +0100

When it comes to picking a tool, make sure you pick the right one!

Trying to decide on the right MSI packaging tool for your company is a bit like shopping for a new car but without the pushy car salespeople (at least we hope not for your sake, because no one likes pushy salespeople) or the gift cards for test driving.

How To Stop Your Product Owners From Complaining About App Packaging Documentation

Mon, 23 Oct 2017 00:00:00 +0100

Let’s just be honest for a second and come right out with it: No one likes to create app packaging documentation.

Creating the documentation is probably the most boring part of app packaging an application! So oftentimes, product owners skip through the steps half-heartedly, rushing to get through it as fast as they can, or ignore it altogether. And who can blame them? It’s hours of tedious work and it’s a pain in the neck.

5 Smart End-User IT Automation Ideas That Will Boost Your Bottom-Line

Tue, 10 Oct 2017 00:00:00 +0100

EUX plays a pivotal part of your business. Keep your skilled employees happy and working productively with these 5 tips.

Over the past weeks, we talked a lot about how the role of the CIO is changing to drive IT-enabled innovation and Digital Business Transformation initiatives because it is simply not enough to just “Keep the Lights On” anymore. We also explained how enterprises accumulate massive, compounding IT debt that hinders even the most forward-thinking executives from putting their well-meant plans into action. However, we also showed how IT Automation can be a way to significantly reduce IT workload and maintenance creep.

Your Foundation To Enabling Digital Business Transformation

Thu, 05 Oct 2017 00:00:00 +0100

The race for digital transformation is on and you don’t want to be last.

When Gartner analysts Hank Marquis and Milind Govekar presented the keynote at Gartner IT Operations and Strategies & Solutions Summit in Orlando last May, they drove home one major point: we are on the brink of reaching the cusp of an industry-wide Digital Business Transformation. And whoever can successfully implement it first will reap the biggest benefits — catapulting their businesses out of their competition’s reach.

The Ever-Increasing Compounding IT Debt Dilemma

Mon, 02 Oct 2017 00:00:00 +0100

Utilize the resources you have, and put your valuable budget to good use.

While there probably isn’t a more exciting time to be part of an enterprise IT team than right now with all the technological advances in cloud computing, artificial intelligence, automation, and the Internet of Things, it can also be challenging.

Today’s CIOs Must Drive Innovation, Rather Than Just “Keep The Lights On”

Mon, 25 Sep 2017 00:00:00 +0100

It’s now not enough to just keep the light on. CIOs need to create digital transformation now more than ever.

If you are a Chief Information Officer or a similar upper management executive in the IT organization, you know that a massive tidal shift is currently underway. For the past few years, we have felt the current pulling, but now that Digital Business Transformation and growth through technological innovation is on every CEOs mindest, the time has come to implement the changes rather than wait and see! Today, we want to take a closer look at how this change has impacted IT as a department and the role of the CIO in particular.

Business As Usual Application Management Mistakes

Tue, 05 Sep 2017 00:00:00 +0100

Don’t make these 5 crucial mistakes that could stall your BaU application management process!

Last week, we published an interactive assessment called “Can We Guess Your Risk Level For Adopting Business-as-Usual?” from an application management perspective. Basically, we asked 12 questions and you pick the answer that best fits. At the end, we can predict how risky it will be to adopt this new IT management approach given your current application estate and management process, and we map out what it would take to take it to the next level. If you haven’t tried it yet, I highly recommend that you give it a go!

Quiz: Can We Guess Your Business-as-Usual Application Readiness Risk Level Correctly?

Tue, 29 Aug 2017 00:00:00 +0100

Take this quiz to see just how safe your applications are!

In the past year, I talked to a lot of enterprises IT pros about the challenges that most modern IT teams face today: flat budgets, headcount reductions or no additional hiring, having to do more work with fewer hands — all while modernizing the existing IT landscape, increasing security measures to prevent possible data breaches or malware attacks, migrating to Windows 10 (and managing the frequent subsequent updates), enabling the company’s Digital Business Transformation initiative…the list is endless.

What You Need To Know About Microsoft’s Windows 10 Marketing Message

Fri, 18 Aug 2017 00:00:00 +0100

There’s a big announcement and it’s time to pay attention…

If you have read any of the Microsoft marketing material regarding migrating to Windows 10 in the past three years, you know that the software giant heard past complaints and frustrations about past transitioning pains loud and clear.

Windows Branching 101: Everything You Need To Know About The New Servicing Model

Mon, 14 Aug 2017 00:00:00 +0100

It’s time to get rid of the Windows Servicing headache.

Remember the elation and expectations when Windows 95 was released over two decades ago? And the excitement and frustrations with subsequent releases like Windows 98, ME, and 8.1?

With each new version the Start button either disappeared or came back, the Control Panel was rearranged and moved, and some users couldn’t even figure out how to shut their computer down.

7 Smart Ways To Automate Your Windows 10 Hand-Over & Sign-Off

Thu, 27 Jul 2017 00:00:00 +0100

Migrations, sign-offs, and handovers can be a headache. Don’t let them hinder your plans.

An OS migration can be such an overwhelmingly complex and huge project that it can become easy to lose sight of what happens when the migration is done. How will you gain end-user sign-off or train them on the new functionality? How will you deal with issues that arise as users power up their machines for the first time?

What Every IT Project Manager Should Know About Windows 10 Deployment Rings

Mon, 17 Jul 2017 00:00:00 +0100

It’s time to end the confusion and help you simplify your IT projects through Windows 10 Deployment Rings.

Much to the relief of many IT project managers and their project resources, Microsoft recently announced that it would align its Windows 10 Servicing upgrade cycle with release cycles of Office 365 and SCCM.

With Increasing Off-Shore Costs Are You Getting The Service Quality You Paid For?

Wed, 12 Jul 2017 00:00:00 +0100

On the surface, it appears that offshore IT rates have remained relatively stable over the last 10 – 15 years. That is only partially true

In my experience, the average rate of an inexperienced resource for IT work is still about $18 an hour, but the rates for a high-end resource are now over $50 per hour, so the overall offshore cost depends on the project and the company.

How To Automate Your App Certification Process To Streamline Your Windows 10 Deployment

Tue, 11 Jul 2017 00:00:00 +0100

I can hardly believe that it has been almost two years since Windows 10 was officially released!

Most enterprises have finished evaluating the new operating system and kicked off their migration efforts by now. But unlike previous Windows deployments where organizations had three to four years before the next upgrade cycle was due, Windows 10 (a.k.a. Windows-as-a-Service) churns out two new significant feature upgrades a year. Since its debut, Windows 10 has seen three new versions and another one is just a few months away.

3 Steps To Help You Define Your IT Automation Strategy