Performance Case Study

VIA University College

VIA University College uses of both CapaInstaller and PerformanceGuard as part of the IT department’s professional toolbox. In this case, we focus on their experiences with PerformanceGuard

Facts

Company Name: VIA University College
Customer since: 2009
Website: www.via.dk

VIA University College consists of seven campus cities: Herning, Holstebro, Horsens,
Randers, Silkeborg, Viborg and Aarhus – accommodates 50 different programs – eg. 35 different medium length high school
education.

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Professional IT tools help VIA University College stay one step ahead

Efficient IT standards and satisfied end users are a must for the IT department at VIA University College. PerformanceGuard is the professional and reliable IT tool that makes it possible to stay on the cutting edge.

It is all about standardization and about being one step ahead, when more than 10,000 computers across 52 locations are to be managed together with 50,000 end users and 17,000 bring-your-own devices on the network.

– It may seem like big figures, but our focus is constantly on scalability so that we can do things again and again. We work with standards, because it is vital that users have the same IT experience no matter where they are located. PerformanceGuard provides an informed snapshot of the quality of the IT
services that we deliver to our users, says Peter Nordestgaard, IT Support Manager at VIA University College.

We meet with Peter Nordestgaard at the IT department’s main office in Denmark’s second largest city, Aarhus. From there IT services are delivered to all students and employees at VIA University College’s eight campuses. The department’s 75 employees are also responsible for the IT Service Community
that delivers a wide range of technical and educational IT services to 20 youth education programs across Western Denmark.

“We work with standards, because it is vital that users have the same IT experience no matter where they are located. PerformanceGuard lets us achieve this.”

Peter Nordestgaard

IT Support Manager, VIA University College

A great combination

VIA University College has used CapaInstaller from CapaSystems as their Computer & Device Management solution since November 2009. At the end of 2012 the performance monitoring tool PerformanceGuard also became part of the IT department’s toolbox:

– PerformanceGuard and CapaInstaller work very well together. The two tools provide a perfect overview and contribute to the professionalization of our department. They help us keep a sharp focus on our service deliveries, and with 10,000 computers at 52 different locations PerformanceGuard provides a much better picture of how computers perform than subjective user statements like “My computer is slow …,” Peter Nordestgaard explains.

Proving performance

Initially, the Support Manager expected that some systems at the many locations would be slower than others. With many different network providers it was likely to be that way. However, another much more positive picture emerged:

– PerformanceGuard is a powerful tool, and its reporting features are really good. For example, it appeared that variations in network speeds and login times were actually within acceptable ranges, says Peter Nordestgaard.

Improved budgets

– It has not yet been fully formalized, but we are investigating what kind of value PerformanceGuard can provide: We can draw information from PerformanceGuard that can be very helpful for a dedicated supporter. Also, it will not be long before we will present the tool to the top management of the IT Service Community. For example, we will be able to offer management insight into the state of IT services, such as an overview of which computers need to be phased out and when. Peter Nordestgaard is sure that this information will help provide a platform for informed IT budget-making.

PerformanceGuard has proved to the Support Manager that IT service deliveries at VIA University College are generally fine. No big issues have yet come up, and people are generally very satisfied with the way that things run.

– The monitoring that we have set up is meant to enable us to act proactively. Instead of just waiting for end users to report that systems are slow, we will be able to act before end users experience any problems. I have no doubt that if there is a sudden change in user experiences, we will use PerformanceGuard to pinpoint the problem, Peter Nordestgaard ends.

VIA in numbers

It is incredibly important to be a step ahead when, as an IT department, you need to ensure a smooth and well-functioning IT administration

Locations

End users

Computers

BYOD

PerformanceGuard allows you to:

analyze performance on the end user's computer - CPU and memory usage, disk I/O, boot and login times

measure response times between the computer and the applications used by the user

get an overview of the Citrix performance across the server farm

continuously collect Windows Performance Counters

make 24/7 monitoring of specific applications with automated user simulation

gather everything on dashboards in real time

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