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RIVM makes time and location independent work possible with AppSense
Technology Category
- Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Exchange & Integration
- Functional Applications - Remote Monitoring & Control Systems
Applicable Industries
- Healthcare & Hospitals
Applicable Functions
- Business Operation
- Facility Management
Use Cases
- Remote Asset Management
- Remote Collaboration
- Remote Control
Services
- System Integration
- Training
The Challenge
At the end of 2010, the RIVM had an outdated environment. The systems were slow, information was sometimes difficult to access and there was little control over license use. The DWR program offers a vision for the future. Frank Schuler was the coordinator of workplace support and had, as one of the few employees in the technology department, a great deal of experience with virtualization. Because of this, he participated in the large-scale workplace renewal project as an expert in the area of virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI). He commented, “RIVM is an unusual organization. There are a lot of scientists who collaborate in international networks. They work primarily with highly demanding applications, for example, software that makes models or crunches calculations with large datasets. The applications often require a lot of calculating power and memory capacity from our systems.”
About The Customer
The Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu (Governmental Institute for Public Health and the Environment, RIVM for short), conducts research and advises the government on how we can keep ourselves and our environment clean. This deals with subjects such as the effectiveness combatting of infectious disease, keeping people healthy, offering good care, safeguarding the safety of consumers and promoting a healthy living environment. The RIVM collects knowledge from around the globe about these topics and distributes them to scientists, policy makers, inspectors and the public. The clients include various ministries, various inspectorates, the European Union and the United Nations. Around 2100 employees work at the RIVM, collectively representing about 1500 FTEs.
The Solution
The RIVM engaged external specialists, Login Consultants, for advice. Schuler explained, “It became clear that user environment management would be a crucial success factor. That is to say, the ability to disconnect the user from the applications, administrative systems and devices.” In the proof of concept, a stack was built that clearly indicates which choices had to be made at every layer in order to make time and location independent work possible in the complex environment RIVM manages. At the time of the proof of concept, there were only two solutions that could do that. The choice fell on AppSense due to the options their solution offered to set up individually. “AppSense offers exceptional flexibility. With our complex environment and the specific requirements that some users have, that was very important to us.” The proof of concept flowed seamlessly into a pilot of around 100 users. After which, the technology partners came on board to support the project staff at RIVM with technical knowledge. “We’ve done the project almost completely with our own people. Only for technical vision and support did we hire ICT-Partners. In such a complex project, it’s important to pull in knowledge from outside. ICT-Partners is completely specialized in VDI,” explains Schuler. “They know what to look for when setting up such an environment, know the technical details and are up-to-date on the industry developments. They were able to transfer a lot of that knowledge to us via learning on the job. The collaboration has been very enjoyable.”
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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