Most people see IT as the guy who will pop over when a problem can’t be fixed remotely, there’s a new application to be installed, or new faster hardware is being deployed. Of course, in our attempts to fix problems, we occasionally create another (something we always try to avoid).
What is not seen, especially with IT Partners is the research and development and product testing we do. What we want to avoid is a multitude of products from a range of vendors, so we spend time upfront trying to find the best solution. For example, we want to move to RADIUS authentication (using the same login credentials your desktop uses) for wireless full network access, but retaining guest login provision with only internet access. Enterprise products from vendors like Ruckus (who we partner with) do the job, but start at $600+ for an access point. We want a more everyday product, so Carl Buckley is working on this.
Another example is patch management. Even though WSUS (an automated update deployment tool for desktops / notebooks) we still need to manage the server deployments. Today’s Reuters article discusses the deployment of 31 security flaws fixed in the latest updates. At least Microsoft has good methods of telling us about these updates (this month’s bulletin can be found here). With some vendors, you only find out through the media.