Simpler computer deployment with Windows Autopilot

Take the pain out of computer deployments with Windows Autopilot

One of the major time sucks for an IT administrator is the deployment of new computing devices to users. The process of building a custom profile, gathering everything else that is necessary -  such as drivers, apps, settings and policies – and then deploying it all to each individual computer can be very time consuming and expensive.

Introducing a way for the user to unbox and set-up their own new mobile computing device would be desirable for any organisation and particularly those with more than several hundred users based at multiple locations.

By using the latest functionality in the Windows Autopilot cloud-based service, organisations can do just that; standardising the process to remove interaction from IT departments entirely.

This process has a range of benefits for the organisation: no more maintenance of images and devices, no need for IT to touch the devices, a simple process for users and IT.

To achieve this goal, Autopilot is integrated into the computer manufacturer’s purchasing process. For example, when customers order a Panasonic TOUGHBOOK notebook or tablet with Windows 10 Pro they can choose to manage the configuration and deployment using Windows Autopilot. Device profiles are created by the customer IT department or by Panasonic and pre-loaded into the Cloud.  Then during configuration Panasonic pre-registers the hardware information into the cloud from its European configuration and service centre in Cardiff. The devices are then dispatched directly to the end users, who simply switch them on straight out of the box, enter their credentials and the device is configured automatically over the cloud to deliver their specific business set-up.

From the perspective of the end user, it just takes a few simple operations to make their device ready to use. From the perspective of the IT pro, Autopilot handles the full configuration and provisioning of the devices – the end user simply needs to connect to a network and to verify their credentials.  Everything beyond that is automated.