Managing IT through downturn – Business client perspective from Intel

During a recent interaction with Intel IT, Hong Soo Ng, Malaysia Site IT Manager, Intel Technology Sdn. Bhd., highlighted the importance of investing in IT for competitiveness during the current economic time, while presenting an interesting lecture: Managing IT through downturn – business client perspective.

Hong Soo outlined the following:

• Companies are looking to IT to improve competitiveness in the current environment.
• IT opportunity to drive employee and business productivity — mobile and managed client refresh.
• Mobile client refresh and remote management are key to reduced TCO of client machines.

We all know that 2009 has been a challenging year. Business spending is tight, but, IT can’t sacrifice core services!

The challenge for IT has been the need for continued investment on innovation and enhancing capabilities.

According to Gartner IT Key Metrics Data 2008,
* 67 percent of IT spending is to keep the business running
* 20 percent to enhance the existing capabilities
* 13 percent used for innovation

IT can make a difference by driving employee and business productivity, as well as continue IT efficiencies.

Long-term consolidated IT strategy
Hong Soo added that Intel moved through five stages in developing a long-term consolidated IT strategy. These include:

Step 1: Consolidating IT services and support
Step 2: Managing hardware standards and software proliferation
Step 3: Managing the PC lifecycle proactively
Step 4: Enabling a mobile workforce
Step 5: Automating and managing our PC fleet

Approximate mix of desktops/notebooks meant that by using total cost of ownership data and usage data, we inverted our desktop PC to wireless laptop ratio and achieved significant cost savings.

Intel IT client strategy
• Enable flexibility through mobility
• Buy performance for productivity
• Refresh for TCO savings
• Deploy Vpro for manageability and security

Client refresh strategy
Two to four years based on user.

After three years
– 60 percent higher support
– Extended warranties
– Higher hardware failures

System age impacts productivity – five year old system took ~50 percent longer in tasks. “IT” is the killer app, he said.

IT PC annual TCO by refresh date — sample data helped Intel determine that a three-year refresh cycle optimized cost efficiencies.

Benefits of client refresh
Manageability
Deployed by Intel IT
Remote repair — Identify the issue and remotely resolve a boot issue.
Remote configuration — Assist with BIOS level configuration changes, Whole Disk Encryption (WDE) assistance
Remote diagnosis — Identify faulty hardware issues to assist client services in time to repair.

Two other benefits that will happen include:
System defense — Network access restriction, proactive isolation.
Asset management — Integrate platform audit with in band agent inventory capabilities.

By 2010, Intel will have 100 percent Intel vPro managed fleet.

Security
• Hard drive encryption deployment gated on refresh of clients
• Encryption impacts boot and resume time

New capabilities
• Performance needed for productivity tools
• SSD deployment
• Personal video conferencing