Success story focus on Ease of Management, flexibility on the client side (new/old hardware), future focused solutions and security.

THE CHALLENGE

As of 2019, Heidenreich maintained a Citrix platform serving three hundred users, with approximately two hundred of them using thin clients and one hundred using various types of laptops and PCs. These mostly consisted of 2-3 different units from DELL and Wyse. But the company’s Management team felt that it was difficult to gain control over the various units. They did not really know how many they had, were they old or new? What kind of clients did they have and what kind of control panels did they use? Previously, Heidenreich had also worked with Wyse Management Studio which they were not happy with as it was considered unpredictable.

In 2022, a new Citrix platform was launched and Heidenreich discussed whether they should upgrade to the new platform or not. In connection with this evaluation, the company was able to state that they had several requests regarding the new IT support and that they were facing several challenges. Heidenreich had set key criteria for the new IT project in the areas of:

• Cyber Security
• High Availability
• Interoperability with key internal services
• Serviceability by IT and users
• Hardware integration

Among the most pressing issues was the need to deliver an improved user experience while prolonging the lifespan of outdated Dell, Wyse all-in-one thin clients, and endpoint devices. Additionally, the solution being implemented needed to simplify device management into manage different Dell and Wyse thin clients, laptops, and workstations to improve hardening and security footprint.

Heidenreich was introduced to an IGEL solution by their established IT partner Wedel IT. Wedel IT is the only IGEL Elite partner in Norway and was now able to quickly carry out a presentation and a test of IGEL OS to prove the advantages of the operating system and give Heidenreich a proof of concept.

“We were able to show Heidenreich how they could easily replace the old operating system with IGEL OS,” says Daniel Wedel, CEO, and senior consultant at Wedel IT. “It took us 10-15 minutes to do this”.

“We have worked with Wedel IT for just over ten years and trust them,” says Espen Gjelsvik, Product Owner for the IGEL platform at Heidenreich. “They presented IGEL OS to us and we were mainly impressed by the possibilities on the back end and how quickly it was possible to convert our IT infrastructure. It was also a competitive price considering the functionality.”

THE IGEL SOLUTION

Before selecting IGEL, Heidenreich and Wedel IT conducted a Proof of Value (PoV) exercise and found the IGEL solution met all the required criteria established by the organisation. “We chose IGEL due to its functionality and support of multiple usage scenarios and environments used by Heidenreich, enabling us to maximize our existing hardware investment,” said Espen Gjelsvik. “It seamlessly integrates with our IT infrastructure and effortlessly connects to numerous hosted services using the latest clients. It was also beneficial for Heidenreich’s budgets as we did not have to replace two hundred thin clients. Furthermore, we no longer have to rely on Wedel IT for making changes; we can now manage them ourselves for greater convenience. For example, locating a machine in our network is now easy, we can use names, geographical locations or other identifiers for quick indentification. DELL was nowhere near this, you needed the serial number of the machine to locate it.”

THE OUTCOME

Along with its technology consulting partner, Wedel IT, Heidenreich have expressed their overwhelmingly positive experience with IGEL. Espen Gjelsvik stated, ”IGEL has provided us with a level of flexibility we lacked previously. Before, we had to take the clients’ age into account. We do not need to do that anymore. IGEL’s operating system is compatible with most clients, both old and new. We have been able to use machines that are 10 years old and that work perfectly. This underscores that it is a sustainable solution in the form of extending the life of existing hardware and reducing our CO2 footprint.”

According to Heidenreich, IGEL OS is both a future-focused and secure solution. The two-factor login and its isolation from the internet ensure that Heidenreich never encounter viruses. Additionally, users only access the resources they need, and nothing more. IGEL OS’s compatibility with Microsoft, AWS, Citrix, and VMWare ensures that Heidenreich can confidently face the future without concerns about new software platforms.

In conclusion, Espen Gjelsvik states that he is very satisfied with the support he receives from IGEL. “We have not had any problems that IGEL’s support team could not help us solve. In addition, we are very satisfied with the user community IGEL offers us. On their website we have been able to find solutions to many of the questions we have had”.

ABOUT IGEL

Today, the world of work is hybrid. Multiple clouds can deliver applications sourced from anywhere to a widely distributed workforce using all types of devices. Right at the moment when the world of work needs it most, IGEL has the solution for fully managed, secure endpoint access to any digital workspace that gives IT teams strong control and end-users the freedom to work as they wish in a hybrid world. Enabling choice of any cloud, from any device, anywhere, IGEL unlocks a collaborative and productive end user computing experience while solving the common security and management challenges required to compete and win in today’s world of hybrid work. With a growing ecosystem of more than 100 IGEL Ready technology partners, IGEL has offices in Europe and the United States and is represented by partners in over fifty countries.

For more information on IGEL, visit en-staging.igel.com.

ABOUT WEDEL IT

Wedel IT is a consulting company that has lived off satisfied customers and employees since 2010. We deliver services to customers in everything from the largest public agencies and private companies in Norway to smaller companies with 20+ employees. Our expertise is in virtualization technology from Citrix, IGEL, ControlUP & Microsoft as well as associated technology. Our aim is to ensure that our customers have secure, forward-looking, and stable solutions. In our role as independent advisers, we assist the customer with architecture and product selection based on neutral assessments. By delivering good expertise and having satisfied customers who return as well as recommend us further, we have had steady and stable growth over many years. Wedel IT is Norway’s first and only IGEL Elite Partner & Service Specialist.

For more information please visit www.wedelit.no.