Increase security Even if you buy the same PC with identical specifications from a single vendor, there are numerous minor variations beneath the hood. Release schedules, versions and patches for operating systems, applications and hardware components all differ, and each new generation is modified to address either performance or security concerns. Set every PC to a standard image and IT knows precisely what it is dealing with.
Standardize When IT sets up each system individually, machines vary according to whoever configured them. An end-user problem then takes longer to diagnose because of all the small differences. Image every PC to the same level and the help desk sees the same handful of problems repeatedly, producing standard fixes that are simple to reproduce. That streamlines repairs, lowers user frustration, and gets equipment, and people, back up faster.
Employee turnover in your IT department is the other concern. Even if one person handles all your IT needs, what happens when they are promoted or replaced? Standardized images survive that; ad-hoc procedures have to be reinvented.
Cut costs Improve a procedure that is frequently repeated and you save money over the long term. Consider two IT milestones in the life cycle of a PC:
Setup. This may be done as needed, or with the same procedure for every computer. If each PC is set up independently, it is very likely they will all have their own issues. Image them all to the same configuration and IT sees the same concerns repeatedly, making each subsequent case simpler to address.
Recovery. If a computer crashes for any reason, you can either rebuild it from the ground up or reinstall a pre-configured image. Without back-up computers on hand, the difference is lost productivity for the PC’s owner, which is a financial loss.