Think Vantage Whitepaper

TBR ThinkVantage Technologies:
Saving Dollars and Improving Productivity Through the PC
Lifecycle

Lenovo ThinkVantage Tools Generate Hard Dollar
Savings Through Every Stage of the PC Lifecycle

BACKGROUND
Lenovo has made significant
investments in creating a portfolio of
PC management tools that provides IT
managers and end users with the
opportunity to save time, reduce costs, INTRODUCTION
improve security and deliver a better
experience across every stage of the The management of the PC environment is becoming increasingly complex,
PC lifecycle, from deployment to despite the fact that PC prices continue to fall. Compliance and security issues
disposal. Lenovo has retained TBR to have become paramount, with the potential for large fines and jail time for IT
conduct in-depth interviews to help managers and executives of companies that disclose private customer data.
quantify the actual dollar savings and An increasingly mobile workforce adds another layer of complexity in ensuring
productivity gains that Lenovo that end users can easily connect wherever they are, in addition to ensuring
customers have experienced through data stored on their PCs is secure when it leaves company premises.
implementing the ThinkVantage Traditionally, PC lifecycle cost estimates have indicated an 80%/20% rule,
Technologies; the end result of those meaning 20% of costs associated with the full PC lifecycle are actually related
interviews was this white paper. TBR to hardware costs, while the other 80% are associated with deploying,
has fine-tuned the methodology for this supporting and disposing of systems throughout their lifecycles. However, lower
paper over the past several years, as hardware pricing and increasing PC management complexity indicate that PC
this is the fourth version that has been lifecycle costs are likely shifting to a 90%/10% model.
created, allowing us to follow In conducting research for this paper, the consistent message from customers
customers through various stages of and business partners is that Lenovo understands PCs are not a commodity
implementation. In completing the and there is significant room for innovation in PC hardware and through PC
paper, TBR followed a three-pronged management software. Through its ThinkVantage Technologies portfolio,
approach. First, TBR analysts were Lenovo provides tools that support and enable image creation and ongoing
briefed on each of the ThinkVantage image management; system migration and deployment; support of PC users
Technologies by Lenovo product and disposal of PCs in a way that protects sensitive company and customer
managers. Second, TBR conducted data. Most of these tools are included free with every Lenovo system, although
interviews with customers using the the fact that the tools are free represents only a small portion of the overall
TVTs to understand the impact to their savings opportunity. Customers who implement the tools report measureable
PC management costs and and significant time savings and productivity improvements in managing their
productivity. As an additional PC environments. In many cases, ThinkVantage Technologies reduced the time
checkpoint, TBR interviewed customers associated with a PC management task from 50% to 80% over the client’s
within our own database of users that previous method. Customers experience other business benefits that are even
had switched to Lenovo from another harder to quantify but have a positive impact on the company’s bottom line,
vendor to assess the tools’ influence such as reduced downtime for revenue-generating salespeople and
on their decision to change vendors. consultants, improved end-user productivity and satisfaction and the ability to
avoid reputation-damaging leaks of confidential customer information.

ThinkVantage Technologies
Saving Dollars and Improving Productivity Through the PC Lifecycle Page 2

EXAMPLE: A Large KEY WHITE PAPER FINDINGS the opportunity for the IT team to focus on
Bottler/Distributor TBR looked to several sources of information other strategic projects.
to understand the benefits to customers in
Coca-Cola Enterprise is the world’s largest implementing Lenovo’s ThinkVantage 2. A Unique Integrated Hardware and
bottler and distributor of Coca-Cola products Technologies. To create a strong background Software PC Management Solution
with operations in the United States, Canada and understanding of the tools, TBR Lenovo has created a combination of
and Europe. With an installed base of 27,000 conducted interviews with ThinkVantage software- and hardware-based PC
PCs, CCE faces the challenge of efficiently product managers. To verify the benefits management features that is unique in the
managing a large, global IT infrastructure. CCE associated with the tools, and to understand market. Hardware features include the Hard
has been leveraging ThinkVantage tools for how they are implemented in the real world, Drive Active Protection System, the
several years now with significant cost benefits. TBR spoke with ThinkVantage customers and ThinkVantage “blue button” for support and
In 2006, the tools were a contributing factor to business partners. Customers were able to recovery and the Trusted Platform Module
CCE reducing the time spent in PC support provide a view of how ThinkVantage (TPM) embedded security chip. In the
activities by over 30%. Technologies had improved their PC software area, Lenovo’s ThinkVantage PC
management experience from cost, time management tools cover the entire PC
• Image Ultra Builder and Systems lifecycle including deployment and migration
savings and end-user productivity
Migration Assistant: CCE has made a tools, support tools, backup and recovery and
perspectives. At the same time, business
significant monetary and training the secure removal of hard drive data when
partners were able to substantiate these
investment in IUB and SMA which has systems are disposed of. No other vendor can
findings with additional customer examples
allowed CCE to deploy PCs much faster deliver all of these functions with a single
and share their own experiences in leveraging
than before. CCE recently modified its PC point of contact and accountability.
the TVTs for delivering value-add services like
refresh strategy and now redeploys PCs
image management or deployment services
more frequently versus systematically 3. Leading Partnerships
to their own customers. Finally, TBR spoke
replacing PCs based on their age. With While Lenovo is the only vendor to offer an
with customers from our own database of
IUB and SMA, CCE has reduced the time to integrated hardware and software PC
users who had switched to Lenovo PCs from
deploy a PC from more than 90 minutes to management solution, the company realizes
another brand within the past 18 months to
less then 30 minutes. With a savings of at partnerships with third parties are also an
understand how the tools impacted their
least one hour per PC, CCE would save important piece of the overall solution,
decision to change vendors.
$810,000 in refreshing its installed base particularly in the security space. Lenovo has
of 27,000 PCs. IUB and SMA have also partnered with security leaders such as
These three components of our research are
supported CCE’s strategy to transition to Utimaco, Absolute Software and Softex to
the basis for the following findings and
user self-service and self-support versus a ensure that solutions from these leading
conclusions :
fully-assisted deployment process. security vendors work in conjunction with the
• Rescue and Recovery: R&R is deployed on 1. True Dollar Savings TVTs.
all of CCE’s PCs and is used as an Customers generate savings through
important backup and recovery tool. implementing ThinkVantage Technologies in 4. Flexibility to Customize and
R&R provides CCE with a tool with high a variety of ways. Customers save money Increased Manageability
ease-of-use which supports CCE’s user based on the elimination of PC management The ability to customize the tools within the
self-service strategy. CCE employees are tools, purchases and services from third ThinkVantage portfolio is a key theme for
now able to recover data themselves and parties, as the majority of TVTs are offered at Lenovo. IT managers have the flexibility to
are able to restore their systems to a state no charge. However, through TBR’s interviews manage the content, level of access, and
that is better optimized and closer to the with TVT customers, it is apparent that more scheduling of TVT features. Lenovo has also
original level of performance. significant savings occur through the partnered with LANDesk for the creation of a
improvements in efficiency driven by using specific LANDesk Management Suite for the
(Continued on next page.) ThinkVantage Technologies console to enable
the tools. This has reduced the need for
customers to add new resources to manage centralized management of the TVTs.
an expanding installed base and has created Additionally, Lenovo has ensured that the
tools are compatible and integrated with

TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS RESEARCH, INC. 11 Merrill Drive, Hampton, NH 03842 www.tbri.com Phone: (603) 929-1166 Fax: (603) 926-9801


EXAMPLE: Coca-Cola cont. Active Directory and new PC management THINKVANTAGE TECHNOLOGIES
capabilities announced as part of Microsoft BACKGROUND
• R&R (cont.): CCE estimates it used R&R Vista. The average cost of PC hardware continues to
to restore about 200 to 300 PCs last year, decline while the complexity of managing the
allowing the system to be restored in 20 5. Improved user productivity and high
PC environment, including security and
minutes or less, compared to the previous end-user satisfaction
compliance requirements as well as an
method which took three to four hours. End users are happiest when they can avoid increasingly mobile workforce, continues to
At a rate of $30 per hour for on-site a call to the helpdesk. Lenovo customers escalate. Customers must increasingly look
support, the time savings associated with report high levels of end-user satisfaction, as at the big picture, since the true costs
R&R would result in a cost equivalent of the tools allow IT managers to preemptively associated with managing and supporting
$19,000 to $28,500 last year. address common problems before they their PC environment represent the vast
• Access Connections: AC has proven to be occur. For example, Access Connections majority of spending throughout the PC
an important tool for CCE in rolling out a helps to avoid calls regarding wireless lifecycle. While some PC vendors continue to
home connectivity program for its connectivity, while the Password Manager base their value proposition on offering the
employees as well as an initiative to arm a helps to avoid support requests for password lowest price, TBR believes this approach has
group of 3,500 sales people with a new resets. For users needing technical become short-sighted and does not take into
Lenovo T60 or T61 laptop and wireless assistance, the Productivity Center provides account the true costs that customers face.
connectivity card. With AC, the CCE sales an end-user self-help solution. End users also In speaking with Lenovo customers, a
team can seamlessly connect at home benefit from the increased uptime that constant theme TBR heard was that Lenovo
before they begin their day, on the road avoiding a technical support call can deliver. differentiates itself based on “innovation”,
and back home to finish the day. For the For an online college, Rescue and Recovery both with its PC hardware and PC
home connectivity program, AC has allowed students to restore their own management tools. TBR notes that Lenovo is
allowed CCE to create a program that systems, when the previous method would the only hardware vendor offering a fully
drives employee satisfaction and is easy have required sending in their laptop and integrated suite of PC management tools,
to support: Employees purchase a being without it for three days, leading to complemented by unique hardware features
standard router, which CCE configures, missed classes and homework assignments. such as the Hard Drive Active Protection
and then through AC employees can For customers with mobile sales forces, System, the “blue button” and the TPM
seamlessly transition from the office to increased PC uptime typically equates to embedded security chip. Competitors would
home. higher revenue generation. need to partner with a variety of third parties
to build the type of solution that is currently
• Secure Data Disposal: SDD provides CCE 6. Continued commitment to leading available directly from Lenovo – and most of
with a flexible tool to choose how to R&D the ThinkVantage Technologies are offered
dispose of assets. CCE uses the services Lenovo has absolutely committed to free of charge with the purchase of a Lenovo
of a third party for some of its disposal maintaining ThinkVantage Technologies as PC. TBR believes in many cases the cost
requirements; however, SDD has allowed the leader in PC management tools and savings associated with implementing the full
the company to efficiently bring some of functionality. Lenovo continues to ThinkVantage portfolio can offset the full
those processes in-house for a savings of substantiate this commitment with new acquisition price of the PC.
$24 to $34 per PC that is sent out. As a versions of the tools, adding functionality and While Lenovo is the only PC hardware vendor
result, CCE received a $68,000 rebate improvements in the ease of use. One of the with a broad portfolio of PC management
from its supplier last year for services it consistent comments TBR hears from tools, it is important to note that the company
was able to complete in-house. ThinkVantage customers is that Lenovo is realizes partners are necessary to provide
very focused on taking customer feedback customers with the most complete and
regarding the tools and implementing manageable solutions possible. Given that
changes based on these suggestions. many of its customers have security solutions
or centralized management tools in place,
Lenovo has partnered with the leaders in
these areas to ensure that ThinkVantage



System Lifecycle

EXAMPLE: A Managed
Service Provider Deploy Connect Protect Support Dispose

Image Creation Hassle free Connection
Dempsey Bluevar is a provider of managed IT Secure Client Data End-user self -help Hard Drive Data
•ImageUltra Builder Access Connections • Client Security portal Destruction
services to the small- and medium-sized Base Software Solution • ThinkVantage Secure Data Disposal
Selector
business market. In providing outsourced • Password Productivity Center
Base Software Manager (Help Center,
desktop services, several of the Lenovo Administrator • Fingerprint Reader Maintenance
Lenovo ImageUltra
ThinkVantage Technologies help Bluevar to • Data encryption Manager, Message
Services Center)
reduce the costs associated with service • Rescue and
•Client Migration Secure Data Media
delivery as well as improve customer • Active Protection Recovery
System Migration
satisfaction. With ImageUltra, Bluevar has Assistant System
Update Management
generated significant time savings, reducing • System Update
Backup and Recovery
the typical time associated with building a • Rescue and
Recovery Management
customer image by 75% – from 16 hours to • LANDesk
four hours. Access Connections and Rescue Management Suite
Virus Mitigation and for ThinkVantage
and Recovery are important tools for Bluevar Patch Delivery Technologies
• Antidote (part of
in improving customer satisfaction and
Rescue and
reducing costs. Access Connections Recovery)
combined with the Password Manager, allows
Bluevar to implement a user friendly solution SOURCE: TBR AND LENOVO.
that reduces the number of help desk calls.
Rescue and Recovery has also allowed Technologies are optimized to work with administering systems across the five stages
Bluevar to save time and cut down on overall these tools; for example, Lenovo has of the PC lifecycle. The graphic above depicts
support costs. These savings coupled with partnered with LANDesk for the creation of the five lifecycle stages and the
the high durability of Lenovo hardware are the ThinkVantage-specific LANDesk corresponding ThinkVantage tools. that
the foundation for Bluevar steering management console, and has partnered address each stage
customers towards Lenovo-based solutions. with the leaders in PC security to ensure that While ThinkVantage Technologies clearly
Lenovo can have an integrated security generate cost and time savings for
solution that includes features such as full customers, there are many other benefits as
hard drive encryption. well. In many cases, the Secure Data
In speaking with ThinkVantage customers Disposal tool will provide the customer higher
over the past five years, TBR has found that levels of security and data destruction for
customers typically pick and choose the tools systems that are either being cascaded, sold
that will have the most immediate impact to or discarded. The protection of confidential
their business or fill a gap in their PC company and customer data is priceless. For
management strategy. It is important to note mobile workers, the ability to seamlessly
that each ThinkVantage Technology can connect their laptop across a variety of
stand on its own and deliver its own ROI. locations, coupled with the backup and
However, TBR has found that customers recovery features of Rescue and Recovery,
typically expand the number of tools provides a solution to keep them up and
implemented based on the measureable running when they are away from the office.
savings and ROI delivered by their initial There is no doubt that improved uptime can
implementation. have a direct impact to the customer’s
bottom line. For example, in a consulting
The ThinkVantage Technologies portfolio
firm, more uptime for consultants means
includes a broad offering of tools that
more billable hours and revenue. For sales
address the pain points IT managers face in
resources, a down PC can impact the sales



EXAMPLE: Lenovo Business cycle and the opportunity to bring in more the benefits available through leveraging the
Partner revenue. ThinkVantage Technologies far outweigh the
investments in implementing the tools and
Lenovo has focused heavily on ensuring the
MCPc is a large Cleveland-based Lenovo ThinkVantage Technologies are highly ensuring that its end users are using them to
business partner with 325 employees, 22 manageable and customizable. To name a their full benefit.
offices and over $200 million in revenue. few features, IT managers can customize
Lenovo’s ThinkVantage Technologies play an information and access to end-user self-help
important role in MCPc’s delivery of Lifecycle options, schedule backup and recovery tasks,
Management services to its customers, allowing push out Access Connections wireless
MCPc to focus more on the delivery of profiles to users and choose what level of
value-added services. By leveraging the TVTs, data overwrite to use for hard drive data
MCPc has found that it is able to deliver destruction. Additional management features
customers a real savings of $50 to $200 per are available through the LANDesk
PC depending on how many tools are Management Suite for the ThinkVantage
implemented. Technologies console as well as through
Active Directory. Lenovo has also worked to
•Systems Migration Assistant: For one of its
ensure the ThinkVantage Technologies are
midmarket accounts, MCPc has been able to
compatible and complementary to Microsoft
significantly reduce the time and complexity of
Vista capabilities.
deploying new systems. Where new system
deployment previously required an on-site It is the combination of cost savings, time
technician visit, MCPc has been able to reduce savings, improved business results and
the cost by sending out a PC pre-loaded with higher end-user satisfaction which is the
the customer image and System Migration winning combination for ThinkVantage
Assistant which allows the end user to easily customers.
migrate their system settings and data to the
new system. THINKVANTAGE TECHNOLOGIES
•Rescue and Recovery: MCPc works with a DEPLOYMENT, SUPPORT AND
larger charter school focused on online TRAINING SERVICES
By leveraging the TVTs,
education. Students are provided with a new As with any new implementation of hardware
Lenovo business partner
Lenovo desktop. When students experienced or software, there is an upfront investment MCPc has been able to deliver
a problem under the previous model, the customers must make in training and customers a real savings of
student would ship out the desktop to be educating their installed base. Lenovo $50 to $200 per PC,
reimaged. However, with the Lenovo solution realized that for some customers this may be depending on how many tools
the help desk can direct the student to use a challenge and therefore offers a range of are implemented.
R&R to restore the system, allowing the ThinkVantage support and service offerings
customer to avoid the cost of shipping the PC to smooth the transition phase. Lenovo offers
and several hours of technical support free Web and phone support, Web-based
resources to reimage the system, which could resources, on-site assessment services and a
range from $150 to $175 in total for each range of customized solutions including
incident. Additionally, students benefit as they on-site training and education services.
are able to continue their schooling without a Customized services related to ThinkVantage
three-day interruption due to the loss of their deployment are also available through
PC. Lenovo and many of its business partners.
TBR acknowledges that there are always
(Continued on next page.)
challenges in rolling out new solutions such
as ThinkVantage. However, through
conversations with customers TBR has found



Deploy

The Impact of ImageUltra Technologies

EXAMPLE: MCPc cont. 5
Systems
x 2
Adapters
x 2
OS
x 3
Languages
= 60
Core Images
x 10
Application Images
= 600
Potential
2 Mobile Ethernet WinXP English With 15 standard 5 Standard (off the shelf) Image Combinations
3 Desktop WLAN applications 5 Non-Standard
•ImageUltra Builder: With IUB, MCPc can Win2000 French
(customized)
German
replace the typical static customer image
management system which requires an 1 Hardware image 1 Software image 1 Application image
x = 1 Core image x = 1 Image
updated image for any technical changes or 1 HIIT image 1 DOE image 1 SDA image

new models. IUB provides a dynamic
provisioning solution with one single repository SOURCE: TBR AND LENOVO. Hardware Independent Imaging Technology
for all of its hardware platforms, applications (HIIT): HIIT is a Lenovo technology that picks
and OS versions where new models can be Image Creation the appropriate hardware device drivers and
easily rolled into the repository. Under a static ImageUltra Builder (IUB) is a portfolio of tools Windows operating system options. This
provisioning image model, it could typically take that allows an IT organization to build, information is stored on a hidden partition on
a customer two to three weeks to develop, test manage and deploy corporate system the hard drive, meaning the system’s master
and roll out the new image, while MCPc can images. With IUB, a module is created for image does not need to be updated when
accomplish this in a matter of a few days with each image component including there is a change to the hardware
IUB. applications, operating systems, language configuration. The change is instead updated
requirement and hard drivers. When a on the hardware-independent code stored in
module needs to be updated, it can be easily the hard drive partition.
replaced without going through the long The LANDesk Management Suite for
process of creating a brand-new image. ThinkVantage Technologies also extends the
Once a single image encompassing all ImageUltra technologies with reporting and
With IUB, SARCOM has
possible modules for the customer deployment methods.
been able to significantly
reduce the amount of environment is created, the image can be
The Base Software Administrator is an
time it takes to develop installed onto every PC. Through a
alternative imaging solution targeted at small-
and update customer menu-driven process, the appropriate
and medium-sized businesses, although it is
images. While it modules can be selected for each PC, greatly
applicable to large enterprise as well.
previously took five to reducing the need for manual application
Rather than provide customers with a
eight hours to take an installation, hardware testing and support.
locked-down corporate image, BSA provides a
image to the Gold level The graphic above depicts the potential
factory preload as the core image which
through loading and impact IUB can have on a large, global
users can then customize through downloads
testing, SARCOM has organization with varied application and
been able to reduce this via the Web. BSA allows for the creation of
language requirements, reducing the
manifest files for deployment of custom
to one hour using IUB. potential for 600 separate image
preloads, which essentially provides the
combinations down to one single image.
customer with an “image on demand” image
There are three key components that form management model.
the ImageUltra suite: Lenovo Image Services
System Update (SU): With System Update, While IUB is a tool enabling customers to
customers can use a generalized image and internally build and manage their images, it is
then use SU to customize. Systems Update important to note that Lenovo also offers a
will ensure the latest drivers and bios are portfolio of services through the Lenovo
installed as well as enable software Imaging Technology Center to design, build
distribution. and maintain images for its customers.

Dynamic Operating Environment (DOE): DOE
focuses on consolidating all of the Microsoft
Windows versions and language variations
that are present in an organization into a
single operating environment image.



EXAMPLE: Leading Client Migration
System Migration Assistant (SMA) provides
Chemical Company users or IT managers with a tool to migrate
user data from old systems to new systems.
Dow Chemicals, a leading U.S.-based chemical SMA will easily transfer user data and
company which does business in more than personality settings (including Windows
175 countries and has an installed base of settings, application-specific settings, and
45,000 PCs, understands the challenges of connectivity settings), applications, data files
managing a complex IT infrastructure. and IDs. Once the SMA process is complete,
•Systems Migration Assistant: Dow has the user is provided with a new PC that has
used SMA for its last two rollouts of new the exact look and feel of their old system.
systems. In its last rollout, SMA was used SMA also saves time during the migration
to transfer both user settings and data. process, allowing IT managers to migrate
Compared to the previous homegrown systems more quickly and users to be back
solution it was using to migrate systems, online sooner. SMA can reduce the typical
Dow was able to reduce the time spent two to three hours it takes to migrate a
migrating data by 75% using a direct system through a scripted/manual process to
connection versus using Ethernet. For 30 minutes while simultaneously providing a
lower bandwidth locations, the time more thorough transfer of data and settings,
savings could be tenfold. reducing additional technical support
requests from the user. In designing SMA,
Lenovo has also focused on ease of use,
making it simple for the end user to transfer
their data and settings. This has provided a
significant savings to companies with remote
locations, which can ship the new PC to their
end users and have users migrate their own
PC with SMA, avoiding an expensive on-site
visit by a technician. Lenovo has also ensured
that SMA is customizable, allowing IT
managers to choose which settings and data
are migrated and automate batch migrations.
Lenovo’s partnership with LANDesk provides
further customization and manageability of
SMA through the LANDesk Management
Suite for ThinkVantage Technologies offering.



Connect

EXAMPLE: Seamless Connectivity
Technology-focused With an increasingly mobile workforce, the
College. ability to connect a laptop across a potentially
limitless number of locations (home, office,
As part of its strategy to prepare its students remote office, conference room, airport,
for professional careers, Babson College hotel) has become a pain-point for both users
emphasizes technology within its educational and IT administrators. With Access
program through a mandatory laptop program. Connections, Lenovo has created a
Incoming First Year undergraduates receive a connectivity solution that addresses these
ThinkPad T series that is then replaced with a issues by automatically managing users’
new ThinkPad T series at the start of the Junior network settings, regardless of location.
year. Babson currently has 1,750 students in Profiles that include network configuration
its undergrad laptop program as well as and printer setup can be created and easily
another 400 faculty and staff with Lenovo managed for every location. Users can
laptops. By leveraging a variety of seamlessly move across WLAN, WAN,
ThinkVantage Technologies, Babson has been Ethernet and wireless Bluetooth
able to reduce the number of hours spent on environments. Lenovo is also committed to
standard support issues by 20%. ensuring that Access Connections supports
the latest and greatest technologies including
• Access Connections: Helping students wireless 3G and support for updated Verizon
manage their wireless connections in an and AT&T Wireless WAN.
environment where they are moving around
campus as well as traveling home presents Providing IT administrators with a set of PC
challenges from an IT support perspective. manageability tools that can be easily
Under its previous system, students often lost customized for their own unique IT
their Babson configuration after traveling environment is a major theme of the TVT
home. However, with Access Connections strategy. Therefore, AC allows administrators
Babson can push out campus profiles to to easily build and distribute commonly used
students that are preserved regardless of connectivity and security profiles for users.
where the student travels. This has allowed Distribution of AC profiles can be further
Babson to avoid about 100 support calls from simplified, as Lenovo has ensured that
students locked out of their Babson wireless profiles can be deployed directly from the
configuration. At 10 to 15 minutes per call, LANDesk management console or through
this is saving Babson up to 25 hours per year Active Directory.
in supporting student systems.

• Rescue and Recovery: Rescue and
Recovery is a critical tool for Babson in
managing systems that are shared across
multiple users, such as loaner systems and
campus kiosks. R&R also provides Babson
with flexibility to support its remote campus in
Oregon, which requires support in off hours.

(Continued on next page.)



Support

Secure Client Data managers to customize the level of
IT managers and company executives are authentication required. CSS has the
EXAMPLE: Babson cont. increasingly faced with security compliance capability to function as an RSA SecurID
and governance requirements through authenticator, allowing users to reduce cost
• Active Protection System: There is no legislation such as the Health Information by replacing expensive RSA hardware tokens
doubt that students can be tough on laptops. and Portability Act (HIPAA) and Sarbanes with software tokens. Lenovo also provides
Babson has found that not only does APS help Oxley (SOX). This situation is further customers with the option of an embedded
protect the hard drive, but it has also proven complicated by the fact that the overall chip called the Trusted Platform Module
to be an effective tool to help students workforce is becoming increasingly mobile, (TPM). CSS works together with the TPM chip
understand when they being too aggressive in meaning sensitive data is often stored on to manage encryption keys and processes.
treating their hardware. laptops that travel outside of the company’s
•System Update: Babson leverages System operations. Stories abound in the press of Lenovo’s Integrated Fingerprint Reader,
Update to ensure its systems have the latest companies that have lost private customer available on ThinkPad laptops, is also an
drivers, firmware, BIOS and software. With information through lost or stolen laptops. integral part of the company’s PC security
System Update, Babson has been able to For example, in 2006 Fidelity Investments solutions. The Fingerprint Reader provides
reduce the time it takes to build a pre-load reported the theft of an employee laptop an easy-to-manage and more secure tool for
image to between 20 and 30 minutes versus containing information including names, log-on passwords. In addition to increased
the three to four hours it previously took. With addresses and Social Security numbers of up security, the Fingerprint Reader also has the
12 separate loads, this process can save to 196,000 Hewlett-Packard employees with capacity to reduce costs and improve ROI, as
Babson more than 40 hours in the update Fidelity retirement accounts. While Fidelity it can significantly reduce the number of
process. reported the data would be difficult to access passwords necessary to manage Windows,
as the application with the data has a bios and Web site log-ons and wireless
•System Migration Assistant: When students temporary license, the company still notified connectivity log-on information. With a single
transition to new laptops in their junior year, affected employees and put in additional fingerprint replacing multiple passwords, the
Babson provides a free SMA option for students security measures. Also in 2006, an Ernst & potential for helpdesk calls to reset
to back up and save their data to a secure Young employee lost a laptop containing data passwords is greatly reduced. Lenovo’s
network drive which can be leveraged for their including credit card information on 243,000 Password Manager provides further
new system. Hotels.com customers – and there are many simplification of security management by
•Secure Data Disposal: Under its previous more examples. Companies face security allowing users to manage multiple passwords
system, Babson was leveraging its leasing threats from a variety of sources. In its 2007 with a single password or fingerprint.
company to scrub data from hard drives of CSI/FBI Computer Crime and Security survey, Together, these solutions provide a
high-level machines with the most sensitive 46% of respondents reported that they had comprehensive portfolio for protecting data
data. However, with SDD Babson can now experienced a security incident over the past on both the PC and network.
cost-effectively remove data from all of its 12 months. The average security-related loss
machines before they are sent out to the per respondent in the survey increased to
$345,000 for 2007 compared to $168,000 Lenovo understands that to offer the most
leasing company – and at a higher level of data
in the 2006 survey. complete and integrated security solution
scrubbing than what was provided by the
possible, it must combine its own integrated
leasing company.
hardware/software solutions with those of
The combination of Lenovo’s Client Security other security leaders in the market.
Solution (CSS) with its hardware-based Therefore, integration with other leading
Trusted Platform Module (TPM) provides an security solutions is a necessity and key
integrated software/hardware solution that differentiator for Lenovo. The company works
protects both the security of the network and closely with – and integrates solutions from –
data residing on individual PCs. CSS utilizes security partners including:
different forms of authentication including a
• Utimaco: Full hard drive encryption
password, passphrase or fingerprint for
through SafeGuard Easy solution
access to protected data and allows IT


Saving Dollars and Improving Productivity Through the PC Lifecycle Page 1 0

EXAMPLE: Catholic
Education, Diocese of • Absolute Software: Secure asset way back to a fully-functioning system.
Parramatta tracking and recovery through its
CompuTrace solution
Lenovo continues to make improvements to
Rescue and Recovery, with advancements
The primary mission of Catholic Education, • SofTex: Secure single sign-on with based on customer feedback. Manageability
Diocese of Parramatta is to provide quality central management that can be is also a key feature of Rescue and Recovery.
Catholic Education for the 76 schools and used in conjunction with Lenovo’s By using LANDesk Management Suite for
41,000 students in its system located in the Fingerprint Reader ThinkVantage Technologies, a customer can
Western Sydney area of Australia. One of the manage and reinforce companywide Rescue
• ActivCard: SSO, Smart card
key priorities of Catholic Education is to utilize and Recovery policies, as well as easily
management and biometric
21st-century technology to enable 21st-century deliver IT reports on usage and
management
learning, ensuring its students are fully implementations of the tool. Additional
• Safend: Centrally managed PC port Rescue and Recovery features include:
equipped for the future. Catholic Education is
control
dedicated to providing students with the best • System Rejuvenation: Preserves
possible learning opportunities and that data and personality settings when
requires a robust and dependable learning Secure Data Media recovering, and shows the user a
technology environment for students. However, There is no doubt that the cost of damaged list of applications and updates
it is extremely important to Catholic Education equipment and lost data as a result of laptop that were not included as part of
that its teachers’ time is invested in the drops has grown along with the increasing the image from which the recovery
students, rather than in maintaining computers. percentage of laptops in the workforce. is being generated.
This led Catholic Education to choose Lenovo Lenovo has addressed this problem with the • Single Instance Restore: Features
systems leveraging the TVTs for improved Active Protection System (APS). Featured on backups of only the most recent
manageability and reduced maintenance time. ThinkPad laptops, APS is able to sense when versions of large files such as mail
Rescue and Recovery: R&R was a critical impact to the system is imminent by files and databases, allowing for
factor in the decision to choose Lenovo. continually monitoring system movement. smaller backups and reduced
Assuming that R&R would eliminate one Hard drives are most susceptible to damage storage requirements.
on-site visit per PC each year, Catholic from drops when they are actively writing or • Migrate from Backup: Saves data
Education has estimated the potential cost reading data on the hard drive. Therefore, if and system settings into the
saving of R&R at $50 for each machine APS senses a sudden change in movement of Systems Migration Assistant
annually, or $200 over the four-year expected the system, it temporarily removes the hard format, allowing users to recover
lifespan. With 2,600 ThinkPads installed, this drive head to a safe location on the disk data and settings on a completely
could amount to an annual savings of before the damaging event occurs. APS also different system. This technology
$130,000 annually or $520,000 over the PC provides protection for secondary hard drives also protects users that have no
lifetime. installed in the UltraBay of ThinkPads. external backup option.

Access Connections: Like many school Backup and Recovery • Back-up Analyzer: Creates a greater
systems, Catholic Education runs a lean IT Lenovo’s Rescue and Recovery is a opportunity to customize Rescue
organization. Therefore, AC has proven an one-button backup and recovery tool built and Recovery by allowing users to
invaluable tool for Catholic Education in into every Lenovo system at no charge that view files by size and number of
rolling out an organization-wide wireless allows users or IT administrators to bring backups performed. This capability
network. With security credentials and AC systems back online after a crash on their allows users to choose those files
preloaded on machines, Catholic Education own or remotely. Whether due to a virus, that should be excluded from the
has been able to provide its students and worm, software or hard drive failure, Rescue backup or only be backed up with a
staff with ubiquitous user access without the and Recovery can retrieve files, restore the single copy.
need for IT staff intervention. entire system or allow for connection to the • Password Persistence: Keeps the
Internet if the operating system has failed. user’s current Windows password,
Productivity Center: Catholic Education also
Using a pre-boot environment, Rescue and even when restoring from a backup
leverages the Productivity Center to provide a
Recovery can restore the system; users just with an older password.
repository of technical support information,
push the “blue button” and they are on their
such as monitor configurations, to its users.



EXAMPLE: Professional
Services Firm
A professional services firm in the United Kingdom
understands the challenges of managing a highly • Express Repair: Targets and defined number of minutes and their system
mobile workforce. With approximately 15,000 repairs key system files, letting the is removed from the network. After the
employees and consultants in the country, user avoid the more designated time, the system reboots to the
Lenovo’s ThinkVantage Technologies have time-consuming process of a full Rescue and Recovery pre-OS environment
provided significant value to the firm through restoration. With Express Repair, where connectivity is enabled in a more
enhanced security for important customer data the average user will benefit from secure environment. The patch is
and reduced consultant downtime, which improved an 80% reduction in the time it downloaded and the system automatically
utilization. Also, additional revenue is generated takes to restore a system. reboots and applies the patch. Once all
given the high billing rates of these employees and patches have been applied, the system
restores the original network connection and
increased manageability and interoperability Virus Mitigation
through Lenovo’s partnership with LANDesk. the user can resume normal operations.
The Antidote Delivery Manager is a feature Under this model, Antidote Delivery Manager
Access Connections: With a large number of built into Rescue and Recovery that allows IT provides IT administration with a highly
mobile consultants, the flexibility to easily connect managers to deliver critical updates and automated tool that protects a variety of
across a variety of locations was essential. patches to systems under a variety of machines, whether on the network or not,
Access Connections allow the customer’s circumstances. ADM allows IT managers to and provides an added layer of protection by
consultant to connect to the wireless infrastructure access systems that have traditionally been a removing systems from the network until all
across various office locations and seamlessly challenge to reach and repair, including users patches and updates have been applied.
switch to wireless 3G while working at client sites. who are already infected or disabled by a Like other ThinkVantage Technologies,
virus, users who are not on the corporate administrators have the capability to
Rescue and Recovery: Rescue and Recovery is
network for VPN or users whose systems are customize the policies associated with
providing benefits in the form of fewer system
not registered in the corporate asset system. Antidote to meet the needs of their unique
crashes and savings in terms of support resources.
ADM accomplishes this by allowing recovery operating environments.
ImageUltra Builder: ImageUltra Builder has from the pre-boot environment, so that
provided benefits to the deployment process updates may be delivered via the Web for
including cost savings as well as the ability to roll users that are not connected to the intranet
out deployments more rapidly and get consultants and providing automatic updates from a
up and running quickly. central repository which can reach systems
not registered in the asset repository.
Client Security System: With protection of
Additional manageability is available by using
sensitive customer data a key requirement,
the LANDesk Management Suite For
Lenovo’s fingerprint reader and partnership with
ThinkVantage Technologies, which allows for
Utimaco for Safeguard Easy have lowered the risk
centrally configured repositories and Antidote
profile while providing an improved user
capabilities.
experience through faster, more secure access to
applications. The following description provides a typical
chain of events for an IT administrator
Active Protection System: Given the nature of protecting systems through Rescue and
its workforce, users in this firm typically experience Recovery with Antidote Delivery Manager:
more droppage due to high levels of mobility. By Once aware that a virus has hit the network
leveraging ThinkPads with the Active Protection or is about to hit the network, IT
System, the customer has experienced reduced administration creates a patch. The patch is
support costs and avoided expensive lost then placed in the Antidote repository and,
productivity. With Active Protection System, it has based on a set of defined events (reboot
also been noticed that the level of hard drive network connection every 60 minutes, etc.),
damage has declined significantly during hard systems with Rescue and Recovery will go to
drive data wipes. the repository and check for updates. When
the patch is found, the user is informed that
an emergency update is going to occur in a



EXAMPLE: Lenovo Business
Partner
SARCOM is a leading Lenovo business partner End-user Self-help Portal times when it is most convenient for the user,
with over 700 technicians, project managers typically when they are away from their desk.
Providing end users with tools to enable
and engineers located in Columbus, Ohio. Like When maintenance tasks such as backup or
self-help and reduce technical support calls
many Lenovo business partners and customers, disk defragmentation are scheduled to run at
and visits are key to both improving end-user
SARCOM believes Lenovo’s value lies in the a time when the end user is going to be using
satisfaction and reducing overall IT support
company’s view of the PC as more than a the system, Whisper Mode is available to
costs. There is no doubt that helpdesk
commodity, adding value through innovation reduce the impact to the end user. Whisper
support represents a significant portion of the
and technology. Mode limits the percentage of CPU capacity
expense in managing a PC throughout its
•ImageUltra Builder: With IUB, SARCOM has lifecycle. With the ThinkVantage Productivity that is dedicated to the maintenance
been able to significantly reduce the amount Center, Lenovo provides end users with a programs, allowing the user enough capacity
of time it takes to develop and update single tool to manage their ThinkVantage to continue to perform other tasks.
customer images. While it previously took tools and utilities. The Productivity Center is Update Management
between five and eight hours to take certain also highly customizable, allowing IT System Update provides end users and IT
images to the Gold level through traditional administrators to add internal help files, managers with a tool to endure the latest
loading and testing methodologies, this same applications and links, providing end users system and software updates are installed on
image can take as little as one hour to certify with a single interface for managing a range the PC, keeping the PC running more
as Gold using IUB. of self-help options for their PC. smoothly and reducing IT support costs.
•Systems Migration Assistant: SARCOM uses System Update provides Active Directory
SMA internally in its integration center for The Productivity Center has three main Policy integration and has a similar look and
cascading or recycling systems. Without SMA, components: feel to Windows Update, so users are familiar
migration typically takes anywhere from one to with the environment. With System Update, IT
• Quick Links: Includes links to
three hours, depending upon the availability managers no longer need to target each
commonly performed tasks and
and accuracy of pre-written scripts and search machine with the correct updates. Instead, it
their status. Quick links can also
utilities. In addition to being time-consuming, is a client-based model: System Update will
be customized by the end user.
this manual method often results in some access the status of the system, inventory
• Resource Center: Provides users available updates and only select those
data files, user preferences and configuration
with a point to launch and manage appropriate for the system. System Update
settings being missed. With SMA, migration
the ThinkVantage portfolio of tools, links to Lenovo e-support to obtain drivers,
will be reduced by about 80% to 30 minutes
the Help Center (learning center) utilities, BIOS and ThinkVantage Technologies
with a much higher level of accuracy.
and the Maintenance Manager (a software updates. Two administrative
•Rescue and Recovery: Quite a few of tool to manage the launch of functions have also been added to System
SARCOM’s customers are using R&R, with maintenance tasks). The Help Update: Package Builder for software
some clients using it to initiate reimaging. Center represents the user’s distribution and Update Retriever, which
SARCOM believes 50% of helpdesk calls that repository of tutorials, help files searches for and obtains drivers, applications
relate to PC software issues can be solved and links for managing their PC. and TVTs that will be distributed. Using the
through reimaging, with significant time • Message Center: Provides an Package Builder and Update Retriever,
savings for the customer. interface for end users to receive customers can look to their servers or Lenovo
messages regarding updates, for updates and then package and distribute
which can be pre-loaded or sent them. As is the case with all the
directly for the IT support center. It ThinkVantage Technologies, System Update
also provides a tool for educating is customizable by the IT manager to allow for
end users on system or support either automatic scheduling or manual
features they would not likely downloading of updates.
discover on their own.
The Maintenance Manager is a feature of the
Productivity Center that allows users or IT
managers to schedule maintenance tasks for



Dispose

Hard Drive Data Disposal scrubbing of drives in a central database and
The proper disposal of PC hard drives and the capture hard drive serial numbers for audit
data that resides on them is becoming an requirements.
increasingly important issue for both
companies and IT administrators. There have
been many stories in the press regarding
sensitive data that has been recovered from
discarded hard drives, including the two MIT
graduate students who recovered personal
data including 5,000 credit card numbers
from 158 used hard drives they purchased.
There is no doubt that the accidental
disclosure of sensitive customer information
creates serious problems from a customer,
reputation and publicity standpoint. The
negative publicity and potential impact to the
business of a company that inadvertently
allows access to private customer
information can be enormous, making the
avoidance of these issues priceless in many
situations. However, the stakes are getting
even higher and could include significant
fines and/or prison sentences for executives
and IT managers of companies who disclose
private customer information. For example,
the Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act (HIPAA) includes maximum
fines of $250,000 and prison terms of up to
10 years for violations for violation of patient
privacy rules, and similar regulations are in
place for the financial services market.

While many companies believe reformatting
the hard drive provides adequate protection,
this is not the case. Data from reformatted
drives has not been destroyed and can be
accessed. Lenovo’s Secure Data Disposal
(SDD) provides a tool for overwriting the hard
drive and permanently destroying hard drive
data. SDD is also customizable, with five
levels of data overwrite protection – the
highest level meeting the United States
Department of Defense guidelines. SDD also
provides important audit tracking capabilities
and can be centrally managed through
LANDesk Management Suite for
ThinkVantage Technologies, allowing IT
managers to track and document the



Conclusion

Lenovo Management Tool Applicability
Technology 1s to 10s 10s to 100s 100s to 1000s Multiple 1000s

Rescue and Recovery

Active Protection System

Productivity Center

Secure Data Disposal

System Migration Assistant
Leveraging a variety of
Fingerprint Reader
ThinkVantage Technologies,
Babson has been able to Password Manager

reduce the number of hours Access Connections

spent on standard support Client Security Solution
issues by 20%. Antidote

ImageUltra Builder

ImageUltra Services

SOURCE: TBR AND LENOVO.

The implications of disclosing personal
WHO SHOULD USE
customer data could even include jail time
THINKVANTAGE
and fines for IT managers and executives.
TECHNOLOOGIES?
The ThinkVantage portfolio offers benefits for At the same time, IT managers face the
businesses of all sizes. While there are some ongoing challenge of doing more with less,
tools that may not be as appropriate for and that is where Lenovo’s ThinkVantage
individual users or very small companies, Technologies come into play. Lenovo has
most tools offer cost savings and return on built a comprehensive portfolio of tools that
investment opportunities for businesses of all work to address and improve processes for
sizes. For small businesses, which may have managing PCs through every stage of the PC
less mature IT infrastructures, the tools often lifecycle, from deployment to support and
offer a significant improvement in the quality maintenance to disposal. There is no doubt
of PC support and manageability. For that there are pain points for IT managers at
enterprise customers, Lenovo has ensured each stage of the PC lifecycle. The
the ThinkVantage portfolio is both ThinkVantage portfolio addresses these pain
customizable and highly manageable. points by improving the process to not only
reduce time and costs associated with PC
THE BOTTOM LINE
management but also improve the overall
IT managers face increasing challenges in the quality of the process. Examples of quality
management of PC environments due to the improvements include system migrations that
combination of increasing security and are more complete and include users’
regulatory requirements coupled with a personal settings, wireless connectivity that is
growing mobile workforce. Every day, laptops seamless and ubiquitous to the user and a
containing sensitive company and customer back-up and recovery solution that reduces
information leave company premises and are downtime.
exposed to potential theft or loss. Without
the implementation of proper security tools, Security and protection of data is also an
the value of lost data or the damage to a integral focus of the ThinkVantage portfolio.
company’s reputation as it discloses that it To support these efforts, Lenovo has
has lost private customer data is priceless. partnered with leading PC security firms such
as Utimaco, Softex and Absolute Software to


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