Windows XP Quick Start
The Windows XP Pro Quick Start delivers 200 hours of expert technical services to help in the early stage of a Windows® XP and Office XP deployment project.The key value of this service is the interactive design sessions during which our consultant gathers information on your environment and needs, educates your IT staff on the critical architecture decisions, and guides you to the best solutions. Our consultant then prepares and reviews an architecture document with you.
Project milestones include:
Requirements: The Quick Start engagement begins with a review of the business requirements and definition of the projects vision and scope. Key project criteria will be considered in the context of the organization's business objectives. Framing the vision and scope focuses the project, creating more valuable results with less risk.
Design Sessions: Our consultant will lead a series of interactive design sessions covering the core decisions that must be made to successfully develop a first pass design. The design sessions will cover:
- Assessment: The first step is to review the existing desktop configurations and standard applications, and then agree on an initial prioritization of the most important applications.
- Compatibility: Covers both hardware and software compatibility with Windows XP Professional as well as differences from previous versions of Windows. For Office XP, issues with file formats and other changes from previous versions of Office will be discussed.
- Planning for Deployment: Various scenarios for deploying Windows XP and Office XP together and separately will be discussed. Variables covered will include the geographic distribution of users, the installed base of Office suites, and linkage to other projects. First pass configuration standards will be defined. Test lab architecture will be reviewed and recommendations will be made for testing and piloting the deployment plan.
- Deployment options: Covers the tools available to customize and deploy the installation of Office XP and Windows.
- Managing the desktop: The topic will cover deploying updates, corporate error reporting, maintaining security, and managing user settings after deployment through the application of group policy.
- Extending the desktop: We will discuss how the business desktop can interact with the rest of your enterprise using Microsoft SharePoint™ Team Services, smart tags, remote desktop access, and Office Web components. Features and benefits will be covered as well as high level deployment information.
- Current desktop standards and requirements
- User population breakdown by location and role
- Current and future desktop support models
- Wide area network design
- Network operating systems
- Existing e-mail infrastructure
Deliverable: The Quick Start Architecture Plan document will detail all the information gathered and decisions made during the project. It will include a summary of the next steps needed to successfully deploy Windows XP and Office XP. This summary will highlight areas unique to the environment that will require further detailed follow up.
Outline of Topics Covered
| Assessment | |
|---|---|
| Hardware requirements | Network infrastructure |
| Hardware compatibility | Application inventory and prioritization |
| Compatibility | |
| Windows XP known issues | Office 2003 known issues |
| Testing commercial applications | Converting macros, templates, and custom solutions |
| Testing custom applications | File conversion |
| Planning for Deployment | |
| Defining configurations for desktop computers | Testing and piloting the deployment plan |
| Defining configurations for portable computers | Recommended test lab architecture and function |
| Deployment Options | |
| In-place upgrade | Pre-deployment tools |
| Clean installation | Deployment tools |
| Customizing the deployment | Post-deployment tools |
| Licensing and activation | Multinational deployments |
| Managing the Desktop | |
| Controlling the desktop with policy | User state management |
| Delivering policy to the desktop | Updating the desktop |
| Security Settings | Corporate error reporting |
| Extending the Desktop | |
| Smart tags | Remote desktop access |
| SharePoint Team Services | Office XP Web components |