A Simple Endpoint Management Experience

INTELLIGENT DESKTOP MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE

One Golden Windows Image is the Key to Managing Thousands of Diverse Endpoints

One Golden Image

SmartDeploy gives you the tools you need to achieve true hardware-independence. Streamline your image library and save hours by creating and maintaining one centralized golden Windows image that can be deployed to any endpoint make and model.

Driver Management

Platform Packs are pre-built device driver packages that form the driver layer. Platform Packs contain exactly what is needed from the OEM to be sure your endpoint functions properly. They are injected as part of a patented boot-time driver injection process.

Application Deployment

Application Deployment is managed through the use of a separate application layer. Applications, though the use of Application Packs, are deployed, updated, and patched independent of the OS layer, providing single Windows golden image management.

Deployment Flexibility

Software deployment from anywhere to anywhere. Deploy OS images, Application Packs, and Platform Packs from Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, and network servers to PCs with wired or wireless connections, with or without a VPN connection.

BUILD

Layered build process for Windows and application deployment

Build Each Layer on your IT Workstation

OS images, application software (Application Packs) and hardware drivers (Platform Packs) are stored logically and physically separate allowing a single golden Windows image to be deployed to any hardware model. Create your OS image containing the Windows operating system, patches, and settings that you choose. Choose the Platform Packs for the models you support and we’ll handle drivers from there. Application Packs can be installed as part of deployment or pulled from a network server or cloud storage once the machine has been imaged.

Logical Layers for Ultimate Control

SmartDeploy provides true single image management of one centralized Windows golden image that can be deployed to any PC in your organization, regardless of manufacturer or model. SmartDeploy accomplishes this by separating driver management, application deployment, and user files into separate driver layers, application layers, and user data layers.

DEPLOY

Create deployment media of your choice

Any Device, Any Way

Your Windows deployment or software deployment packages can be delivered to any target device, regardless of hardware model, by following the same simple process. This process is extremely simple and often be completed by entry-level technicians. At deployment time, SmartDeploy automatically applies the OS image and Application Packs as well as the driver-specific information unique to your target device.

Offline

SmartDeploy works great for computers that are isolated from the network. It takes minutes to create a USB or optical media that includes your image, Application Packs, and Platform Packs for any device you want to deploy.

Network

Push images or applications to any device on your network through the SmartDeploy Console. Create an answer file using our Answer File Wizard for a completely unattended, remote installation initiated from your SmartDeploy IT admin console.

Over the Internet

Remote offices may be bandwidth constrained. SmartDeploy can support these remote computers by deploying Windows images, Application Packs, and Platform Packs using Box, Dropbox, OneDrive, or Google Drive.

MANAGE

Monitor your devices and add, remove, or change any layer

Replace Any Layer, Any Time

The ability to decouple monolithic PC images into logically separate layers that can all be deployed, upgraded, and managed independently from each other provides the ability to do a Windows Migration by just replacing the OS layer; provision new hardware for a new hire by deploying the driver, OS, and application layers; replace the driver layer with a PC Refresh; or reimage just the OS layer in a PC Break-fix scenario. Centralized, single image management provides a modern and more efficient approach than distributed Windows deployment and application deployment tools.

WE MANAGE DRIVERS

Platform Packs form the Driver Layer

What are Platform Packs?
Why use Platform Packs?
How do Platform Packs work?

What are Platform Packs?

Platform Packs (PPKs) are downloadable driver packages created by our team of driver experts. They contain all of the necessary drivers and software to successfully deploy SmartDeploy images to target computers.

Each Platform Pack is built for a specific endpoint make and model, physical or virtual, and includes only the drivers needed by that device. They are organized by manufacturer, model, and OS type and are fully customizable, including running custom scripts or tasks such as updating the BIOS as a post image task.

Why Platform Packs?

SmartDeploy makes driver management easy for hardware-diverse environments. Instead of updating your image each time you need to support a new hardware type, you simply download the corresponding PPK file to your IT workstation.

Other deployment tools require drivers to be stored within the image resulting in a large library of model-specific images. Alternatively, some utilize a driver stuffing method or a “driver blob” resulting in a bloated image and leaving Plug-and-Play to choose the drivers to install. This unreliable approach often causing issues such as BSOD. With SmartDeploy, we avoid all of this by installing only the drivers necessary for the specific model you are deploying.

How do Platform Packs work?

SmartDeploy manages drivers separately from your image. You build your image in a virtual machine that contains no device-specific drivers. For each manufacturer and model you support, you simply download the corresponding PPK file from SmartDeploy. When you create your deployment media you include them in your deployment package. At deployment time, SmartDeploy uses WMI queries to ensure only the drivers for that specific machine end up on the device.

What are Platform Packs?: What are Platform Packs?

Platform Packs (PPKs) are downloadable driver packages created by our team of driver experts. They contain all of the necessary drivers and software to successfully deploy SmartDeploy images to target computers.

Each Platform Pack is built for a specific endpoint make and model, physical or virtual, and includes only the drivers needed by that device. They are organized by manufacturer, model, and OS type and are fully customizable, including running custom scripts or tasks such as updating the BIOS as a post image task.
Why use Platform Packs?: Why Platform Packs?

SmartDeploy makes driver management easy for hardware-diverse environments. Instead of updating your image each time you need to support a new hardware type, you simply download the corresponding PPK file to your IT workstation.

Other deployment tools require drivers to be stored within the image resulting in a large library of model-specific images. Alternatively, some utilize a driver stuffing method or a “driver blob” resulting in a bloated image and leaving Plug-and-Play to choose the drivers to install. This unreliable approach often causing issues such as BSOD. With SmartDeploy, we avoid all of this by installing only the drivers necessary for the specific model you are deploying.
How do Platform Packs work?: How do Platform Packs work?

SmartDeploy manages drivers separately from your image. You build your image in a virtual machine that contains no device-specific drivers. For each manufacturer and model you support, you simply download the corresponding PPK file from SmartDeploy. When you create your deployment media you include them in your deployment package. At deployment time, SmartDeploy uses WMI queries to ensure only the drivers for that specific machine end up on the device.

DEPLOY APPLICATIONS

Choose Application Packs from the Application Library

Download Pre-Built Application Packs

SmartDeploy’s application deployment feature utilizes an Application Library of popular applications that are packaged and ready to deploy as part of your application layer. For those applications where SmartDeploy is not able to distribute the software, we’ll help you create your own.

Simple and Fast Application Deployment

Unlike distributed software deployment tools, applications can be deployed, updated, and patched within the application layer, in the OS layer, or in both layers. To select the Application Pack you want to deploy in your application layer, navigate to the device or group of devices you want to deploy to in your Console, right-click and select the application(s) you want and click deploy.

DEPLOY USING CLOUD STORAGE PROVIDERS

Limited bandwidth or no VPN access? No problem.

Eliminate Connectivity Barriers

With SmartDeploy, you can leverage your Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, or OneDrive for Business accounts as an image repository for deployment of Windows images, Application Packs , and Platform Packs. While cloud deployment enables customers to take advantage of storage they already have in place with these cloud storage providers, the major benefit is that end users do not have to be connected to the corporate network for IT to manage their endpoint.

SmartDeploy is different than most Windows deployment and software deployment tools in this regard. PCs can be anywhere — on or off the network in a local office, branch office, or home office, and connected through a wired or wireless connection. VPN connectivity is not required. Just like traditional Window deployment and software deployment tools, you can also use a network server as a distribution point as well as use DVDs or USB drives if needed.

USE WIZARDS TO SIMPLIFY IT MANAGEMENT

Use answer files to improve user experience

No Training Necessary

SmartDeploy’s step-by-step wizards, with built-in deployment best practices, allow technicians of any skill level to become proficient with nearly every aspect of the solution. Now, multiple people in IT can be quickly cross-trained to perform any computer imaging need such as Windows migrations, new hardware provisioning, and application deployment. Never again do vacations and training conferences need to be postponed or delayed because of coverage concerns.

From the end user perspective, answer file functionality, also wizard-driven, enables silent installation so that users do not have to be involved. Remote IT Automation further simplifies the user experience by executing scripts on remote PCs instead of requiring user involvement at the command prompt.

GETTING STARTED IS EASY

Setup and use SmartDeploy in five simple steps

Five Easy Steps

SmartDeploy makes imaging and deployment simple with its wizard-driven interface and built-in best practices, so you can complete deployment projects faster and more effectively.

Get started with a 45-minute live demo, then download our fully-functioning 15 day free trial and walk through the five simple steps.

Build Golden Image

Capture Image

Download Packs

Create Media

Deploy Image

Setup your golden reference machine by creating a new virtual machine (VM) and then adding the operating system, applications, and configuration that suit your needs.

The Capture Wizard is used to create images in Windows Imaging (WIM) format. Browse to the virtual hard disk and SmartDeploy will create the image file. This is all done completely offline without using complex command-line interfaces.

Download Platform Packs for the models you support from directly within SmartDeploy. We’ll automatically inject device drivers at deployment time. Then download Application Packs for the applications you want to deploy.

The Media Wizard is used to create boot or offline deployment media for target computers including OS image, drivers, and applications.

Deploy your hardware-independent image to any endpoint in your organization. It’s that easy!