What is Zero-Touch Deployment in Higher Education?
Zero-touch deployment means that any device purchased through the program will be delivered to the end user ready to use, without anyone from the university’s IT department having to lay a finger on it. This is true even if those devices are shipped to a user’s home, where they will work or study a world away today.
The devices are already imaged to the requested specifications, asset tagged, configured with the correct network settings, and loaded with all necessary applications and security tools.
The user can boot the device right out of the box and use it right away — no manual touches from an IT team member are required. The devices are preconfigured or synced to a cloud platform that drives any applications or configuration needed when the user enters their credentials for the first time.
LEARN MORE: How ServiceNow can help eprocurement in higher ed.
To take full advantage of zero-touch, devices can and should also be connected to any mobile device management solution that a college or university uses for IT support. This will make things easier when it comes time to support a device in the future. CDW works with all major MDM solutions, including Jamf for Apple products and Microsoft InTune.
Zero-touch deployment, in other words, is the cleanest out-of-the-box experience a user can have, and it doesn’t stop at personal devices. Anything configurable can be set up with zero-touch, including networking gear.
Save Time and Effort with Zero-Touch Deployment
IT departments will still service devices initialized via zero-touch, but the time saved by removing IT staff from the setup process can be enormous.
Those time savings can be channeled into more important, high-skill tasks, whether that’s networking, cybersecurity or any of the other myriad responsibilities that IT departments are asked to perform. As IT leaders know, departments are stretched as more devices enter campuses, cybersecurity threats become more sophisticated and staffing shortages persist.
DISCOVER: Higher ed device programs motivate student success and improve retention.
Finding ways to get staff members engaged in the most important work and away from tasks like device setup is imperative for IT leaders looking to make the most of their staff’s limited bandwidth.
Zero-touch can lead to a better experience for the user as well, especially in device programs designed to incentivize student enrollment. Students who receive smartphones or laptops from their universities will undoubtedly be thrilled, and if those devices work immediately, those good feelings will last longer.
If zero-touch deployment sounds like it could help your college or university, contact a CDW higher education expert to learn more, including how CDW can help with full-lifecycle asset management services of IT.
This article is part of the EdTech: Focus on Higher Education’s UniversITy blog series.
