“From a security perspective we are in a much better place because of the Zero-Touch Provisioning project and the COVID-19 situation really accelerated our journey from a proof-of-concept to full production.
– Bob Hillhouse: Chief Information Security Office (CISO)
ZERO-TOUCH PROVISIONING FOR TRAVEL LAPTOPS
The University of Tennessee Knoxville (UTK) is a highly diverse organization with 7 campuses, 11 colleges and people in 95 counties across the state. The Office of IT used different tools and processes to provision Windows, Mac, iOS and Android devices. This was generally a manual process requiring the creation of images with packages of applications and drivers. Complex work that needed to be done by a skilled IT team.
The deployment of Microsoft 365 created an opportunity to automate these processes by leveraging Intune and its integration to the Windows, Apple and Android ecosystems. UTK engaged Mobile Mentor to implement Zero-Touch Provisioning in March 2020, primarily for travel laptops.
DESIGN AND BUILD WITH MICROSOFT INTUNE
Mobile Mentor prepared a detailed technical design for UTK and then proceeded to implement the solution. This included configuration of Microsoft Intune with security policies and device management profiles for Windows, macOS, iOS and Android Enterprise. It also included integration with Windows Autopilot, Apple Business Manager and Android Enterprise programs for the procurement of new devices.
The solution means that UTK is able to order a new device and ship it directly to the employee without requiring IT staff to come into the office and build the machine first. The employee enters their AD credentials and the device self-configures with the appropriate applications, security policies, drivers and even the personal files for the employee.
PIVOT TO REMOTE DEVICE MANAGEMENT FOR COVID-19
The Zero-Touch Provisioning solution was completed and tested just before the start of the COVID-19 crisis. When the project started, the priority use-case was travel laptops; having the ability to quickly provision a laptop for faculty, staff or students who need to travel to high-risk countries.
COVID-19 changed everyone’s priorities and the solution was used to configure hundreds of new Windows machines rapidly for faculty and staff who need to work from home. Travel laptops may not be needed for a while but working remotely is here to stay.
UTK has been able to deploy over 500 machines on Intune rapidly and effectively, whilst keeping the IT team safe in their homes during these challenging times.
About The University of Tennessee
UT is a highly diverse organization with seven campuses, eleven colleges and people in 95 counties across the state. Founded in 1794, UT serves the state by educating its citizens, enhancing its culture and making a difference in people’s lives through research & service.
