Haverstick helps Indiana state government agency migrate 8,500 PCs to Windows XP Professional
The Challenge
The agency was using Windows NT 4.0 Workstation as its desktop operating system and requested Haverstick’s assistance in planning, designing and managing a migration to Windows XP Professional. The size and scope of the agency environment mandated that the migration be completed remotely and unattended to minimize the time and costs.
The Approach
Haverstick reviewed the agency’s current environment, desktop applications, and management/support requirements and determined that a combination of customized, unattended upgrade of the systems to Windows XP and Windows Remote Installation Services (RIS) would accomplish the goals of the migration.
An unattended upgrade process that upgrades Windows NT 4.0 to Windows XP Professional and the Office 97 suite to Office XP (as well as some supporting applications, such as antivirus, remote support tools) was developed. For replacement/new systems (or systems that were incompatible with the upgrade process), the RIS process was constructed to build a basic Windows XP Professional image and then executed an unattended process to install various specialty applications as well as the normal Office XP suite.
The Result
The customized approach to system upgrade and new system deployment has enabled the state to save substantial costs during the migration, as well as created a standardized, easily supportable, remotely executed and low-cost method of deploying brand new systems without purchasing new technology. | 
