SThree selects 1E Nomad ahead of Adaptiva OneSite for software deployment because of 'ease of use'

SThree employees would have required training to use OneSite but this wasn't necessary for Nomad

Global recruitment firm SThree has selected software provider 1E's Nomad solution for software deployment over Adaptiva's OneSite product because it deemed Nomad easier to use and required no additional training.

The firm wanted a solution to support several IT initiatives in 2015, including a transition from thin-client Linux devices to Windows PCs across the organisation.

Garry Lengthorn, director of IT services at SThree, told Computing that thin clients had limitations when it came to software deployment and distribution, and therefore the company wanted a solution that would enable automated deployment and that ensured that SThree didn't incur any additional costs.

As SThree is a Microsoft shop, one option was to use its System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) to roll out images and patches. However, Lengthorn explained that Microsoft's software assumed that SThree had distribution points – or physical services – in every location.

"That would have increased our maintenance costs and resources, so we had to explore what was on the market to supplement SCCM," Lengthorn said.

It looked at Windows software deployment tools OneSite and Nomad and decided that 1E's solution was the better of the two because it was easier to use.

"It meant that we didn't need to take on another new technology that we'd have to train people on using. The fact that it could integrate with SCCM made it a good choice," Lengthorn stated.

The selection of 1E meant that SThree could eliminate distribution point infrastructure and remove the need for hardware and on-site support.

SThree now has both a thin-client environment which has allowed it to set up offices extremely quickly, and a Windows PC architecture so that it could implement cloud computing technology.

"Nomad has allowed us to combine the rapid-deployment advantages of a thin-client environment with the versatility of Windows PCs. Nomad also interacts seamlessly with SCCM with no extra hardware or training required, which is helpful for us, given our need to fit this project within our existing resource," Lengthorn explained.

"We have an aggressive time plan to deploy 3,000 images this year, but we're confident that by working with 1E, we'll be able to achieve our goals," he added.

Lengthorn believes that the decision to use 1E instead of revamping its technology infrastructure by adding physical servers has saved the firm money.

"If you look at the technology we would have had to put in, it would have been a six-figure number. It's safe to say that what we've done with 1E has reduced that cost significantly," he said.