by: VMware Information Systems Manager Dan Sanford
VMware actively supports more than 10,000 Macs for both onsite and remote colleagues. Unfortunately, the Quest Management third-party tool employed for managing all these laptops was proving cumbersome. Updates were slow and there was no same-day support. It also relied on an Active Directory with numerous keychain, FileVault, and login DNS timeout issues. Combined, these problems created frustrated colleagues and IT team.
The solution was to switch to a digital workspace. This change represented significant advantages, including same-day support for Apple’s latest macOS releases, cost savings over Quest Management licensing, and a superior colleague experience. As part of the VMware on VMware (VoV) initiative extensive internal testing was done, involving both R&D and IT, to ensure any and all products deployed are both VMware and customer ready the first time out.
Welcome to the digital workspace—provisioning rules!
Key to this migration was changing from an imaging approach to provisioning by employing a digital workspace. With provisioning, IT teams can automatically push the latest applications to colleagues via VMware Workspace ONE. This eliminates much of the unnecessary IT burden common to imaging in the past. Likewise, custom scripts can be pushed down to the Mac level for various tasks. These include setting the background and default WiFi, as well as creating a custom folder with VMware corporate templates.
DEP on up
The migration also involved using the Apple Device Enrollment Program (DEP). DEP offers a zero-touch solution that ensures IT has unparalleled control over every aspect of Mac management, in addition to state-of-the-art security. Plus, colleagues realize a seamless ‘open and enjoy’ experience that makes adoption a remarkably painless process.
Did it work?
More than 90 percent of existing colleagues have enrolled in Digital Workspace thus far, and those who transitioned did not report any significant complaints or other issues. IT, too, has found the migration trouble-free. And while 10 percent are still on the Quest Management system, that number is dropping as more colleagues are demanding the latest Mac capabilities and must upgrade to the digital workspace in order to do so.
Stay tuned for further updates.
VMware on VMware blogs are written by IT subject matter experts sharing stories about our digital transformation using VMware products and services in a global production environment. Contact your sales rep or [email protected] to schedule a briefing on this topic. Visit the VMware on VMware microsite and follow us on Twitter.
