Firstmark Credit Union Transforms Workforce Security and Productivity with Stratodesk

Endpoint OS innovator Stratodesk today announced it is powering a fleet of VMware thin clients for Firstmark Credit Union, the oldest state-chartered credit union in San Antonio, Texas, to bolster hybrid workforce productivity and security. The credit union switched from physical Windows PCs to VMware Horizon VDI-based desktops and laptops protected by True SSO and integrated with Stratodesk NoTouch OS. With Stratodesk as its strategic end-user computing partner, Firstmark can save 67 percent on hardware costs, 75 percent on system imaging time, and up to 95 percent on PC troubleshooting time.

“As a billion-dollar financial services company, we take productivity and security seriously,” said Aaron Bedingfield, CTO of Firstmark Credit Union. “Stratodesk helped us simplify our entire computing infrastructure to save on hardware costs and management time, standardize workstations, and implement security features that enable our distributed teams to work safely from anywhere.”

Reducing time to update and manage PCs from weeks to minutes

The Firstmark IT team was sinking an enormous amount of time into managing physical PCs for hundreds of employees, each connecting their workstations to peripherals ranging from customer signature pads to scanners that quickly process checks, identification and secure PINs. With dozens of versions of software to manage, it would take up to three weeks to update the fleet of Windows PCs every time. The credit union first evaluated several “edge OS” vendors. However, these OS alternatives were deemed under-featured or too complicated. The company ultimately chose Stratodesk for its ease of management, simplicity, and flexibility, allowing the IT team to power the following initiatives.

Deploy VMware Horizon VDI with True SSO with multi-factor authentication. It took only a few weeks for the successful deployment of True SSO, enabling Firstmark to deliver enterprise-grade user single sign-on (SSO) and MFA with a rich consumer-like experience. End-to-end, from initial proof-of-concept to implementation process, Stratodesk delivered superior support, resolving every question or issue quickly.

Configure and control hundreds of clients from a single Stratodesk NoTouch Center. The Stratodesk NoTouch OS interface was more intuitive than others, allowing the Firstmark administrator to easily and quickly deploy the Stratodesk-based endpoints locally or over the network. With the simplified out-of-box experience, Firstmark now spends minutes not hours getting end users up and running.

Slash management time and hardware costs

Previously, it would take the Firstmark team up to six hours to update, test, and hand off physical workstations with all peripherals at a single financial center. Instead of having to create patch and update plans for different PC configurations, the IT admins can manage a single Stratodesk master image and implement security updates or software features with a few clicks of the mouse.

“Innovative organizations like Firstmark that are winning by focusing on the customer experience need flexible workspace technology that’s dead simple to use,” said Emanuel Pirker, CEO and founder of Stratodesk. “Our partnership with Firstmark allows them to accelerate digital transformation initiatives, slash costs by maintaining new and old endpoints for many years, and deliver a uniquely standardized experience for their distributed employees.”