(Please
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End-Point Devices: "Back-to-the-Future"
In the new networking environment, the primary role of end-point devices such as
PCs and MACs is to provide a standard, architected user-interface for
accessing business web-based applications and databases such as Internet websites,
Intranet websites, social
networks, cloud computing applications, and legacy applications. In this simplistic
"back-to-the-future" approach to end-user computing, end-point devices
are analogous to the smart clients in the old Client-Server computing
paradigm, or the dumb terminals in the even older Mainframe computing
paradigm. As this implies, the vast majority of the processing
performed in todays's end-point devices is done by the web access
components such as Internet Explorer or Firefox web browsers that
support web-based protocols such as http, https, ftp, ftps, and other
web protocols. It does not matter what type software or operating system
is running on the end-point device, as long as it, 1.) has an Ethernet
or 802.11x Wi-Fi adapter, 2.) supports the IPv4/IPv6 protocols, and 3.)
has a standard web browser with which to access the business
applications and databases on the servers attached to the technology
infrastructure. Today's PCs, MACs, tablets, and even
smartphones are hundreds (and in some instances, thousands) of times
more powerful than their 1980s terminal predecessors, and this enables
these end-point devices to connect to IP-based LAN at megabit or gigabit
speeds rather than the 1200-to-2400 bits per second of these earlier
terminal devices. Additionally, these new end-point devices has the
required processing power to parse the
raw information sent across the technology infrastructure, and display
it in an intelligent form that is usable by end users of these devices.
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Technology Infrastructure
Management Services - End-Point Networking (EPN) Support
Our first task is to review your technology and create complete
technology asset inventory. As part of this process we assign Asset Identification Numbers (AINs) to all existing
network-related components including:
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Personal Computers and Machintoch Computers
- Smartphones
and iPhones
- iPads and Tablets
- Wireless Printers
- Media Servers
The technology asset inventory will include the:
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Unique name assigned to the
each device or component.
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AIN of each device or component.
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Model number and serial number of each device or component.
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Media Access Control (MAC) address assigned to either the:
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network adapter(s) of the specified device, or
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enterprise LAN component
The AIN will be used by our Technology
Infrastructure Management Console (TIMS) to monitor and track
all company-owned end-point devices.
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Typical End-Point Devices
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Personal Computer |
Macintosh Computer |
iPad/Tablet |
Smartphone |
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Wireless Printer |
Media Server |
IP Phone |
Surveillance Camera |
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