Slamming it with ShoreTel Call Manager desktop deployment option!
March 7th, 2014
One of the challenges in any ShoreTel deployment is the desktop Call Manager client installation.   You can breeze through the complexity of a ShoreTel multi-server, multi-site deployment only to be foiled when the desktop clients need to be installed or updated.   Nobody wants the thankless task!  As most users do not have Local Administration rights to install software on their desktop machines, the system administrator gets a new task.   So it is either "sneaker net" or an Active Directory Group Policy push out.  Meanwhile, the ShoreTel deployment is otherwise complete!  Frustration as the entire deployment is good to go, but the desktop clients have yet to be installed or updated!  When does the admin team get here?
Now there is a tool out there that makes sense and can be a great help to the field implementation team, charged with getting the ShoreTel system installed, on time and on budget!   Enter the rock stars at AdminArsenal with a very kool software solution named PDQ deploy and put an end to this client install fiasco!   The product makes it easy to do a network based push out of the ShoreTel client, by the ShoreTel installation team as long as they have an Admin account and meet these two conditions: The target computers must be on the same network. This is not an over the Internet install.  The application or patch must support a silent install. Most do, however there are some who do not. The admin must determine what the silent parameter is (/s, /quiet, etc.) to do the push. (Here are package details).
Think if this as a great tool for a deployment in which the ShoreTel implementation team needs to do all the onsite work when they might not have access to the client desktop help desk.   PDQ will let you install MSI files to multiple computers!  If your are a ShoreTel VoIP engineer, you need to add this solution to your tool kit!  Check out a free trial!
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