Bernicia housing group harmonises desktop management with IGEL

Bernicia housing group harmonises desktop management with IGEL

Desktops across 20 plus sites converted and managed by IGEL’s endpoint management software

Reading, UK. October 18, 2018 – Social housing company Bernicia Group has harmonised the management of its entire desktop estate using IGEL’s world-leading endpoint management software for the secure enterprise.

The business, based in the North East of England, inherited a mix of ageing PC and thin client desktops as the result of a merger. It was looking for a cost effective, secure and flexible technology solution to manage the desktops across four main sites and more than 20 satellite offices.

???Rather than invest in a whole new fleet of hardware, we decided to use IGEL’s Universal Desktop Converter software (UDC) to turn all the devices into IGEL desktops,??? explained Adam Watson, Network and Infrastructure Manager at Bernicia Group. ???It was a vastly more cost effective way to get more value from our existing desktops and to bring them under one management system.???

IGEL’s UDC is designed to repurpose existing hardware. It takes just minutes to convert almost any x86 device, regardless of manufacturer or form factor, into a universally deployable IGEL Linux-based desktop.

Connected to a VMware virtual desktop infrastructure, the IGEL devices can now be managed securely and remotely using IGEL’s endpoint management software – IGEL Universal Management Suite (UMS) and IGEL Cloud Gateway (ICG).

IGEL is revolutionising endpoint management with IT automated backend control whilst delivering a familiar, trouble-free environment for users. Purpose-built to simplify complex enterprise environments, IGEL’s UMS supports diverse operating systems, databases and directories. This smart, simple and secure management software lets IT easily manage any remote endpoint. IGEL Cloud Gateway extends the management suite capabilities via a standard internet connection to IGEL OS-powered endpoints running in remote branch offices, at home offices or by mobile workers.

???The fleet of old PCs was difficult to manage but that is in the past now thanks to IGEL,??? said Adam. ???The desktops were easy to convert and the management software has given us the ability to do everything remotely from one place and harmonise the configuration. As the old hardware dies, we simply swap it for a cost-effective replacement and immediately convert the device to an IGEL. Even our home workers use laptops, converted to IGEL devices.???

An exciting future
Bernicia recently unveiled ambitious plans to invest ??190m into new homes, existing properties and communities over the next five years. The investment package will deliver at least 500 new homes by 2023 to help tackle the demand for affordable, high quality social housing in the North East.

Bernicia will also invest ??60m into improving its existing housing stock and boost support services for its 60,000 customers who live in properties across Northumberland, North Tyneside, Newcastle, Gateshead, Sunderland, County Durham and Hartlepool.

The company, with a ??70m annual turnover, owns 14,000 properties and employs 550 people at four North East sites. As well as building new homes and delivering high quality rental properties, Bernicia provides specialist care and management services. Its commercial subsidiaries gift aid their surplus back to Bernicia, which is used to increase the social value delivered.