Note: The following is a transcript of an oral interview with Stephen Sutton, the Digital Services Manager of a public library in Europe. This library utilizes FydeOS devices to offer users more convenient access to their resources and assists staff in building innovative library services.
The operation of public library systems depends entirely on the taxes paid by the wider community. Therefore, we must remain vigilant in our work and do our best at all times.
Given our limited human resources, the challenge of making the best use of everyone’s time has long been a concern.
Within our office, each member of staff strives to devote more of their energy to providing quality services to local residents, rather than being bogged down in equipment maintenance.
In an effort to improve our operations and reduce cost pressures, we decided to switch to FydeOS.
This decision has resulted in a direct annual cost reduction of almost half of our equipment and software spend. More importantly, it has significantly improved our overall operational efficiency.
Abandoning software licenses, Embracing Cloud Technology
Even before the pandemic, we recognised that many of our work applications would move to the cloud in the future, so we looked at the possibility of replacing our Windows devices.
Our county library’s 235 employees primarily used the library’s internal email system and Microsoft Office products for their daily work. However, hardware and licensing costs were a significant challenge, with annual subscription fees for each computer and software in excess of $400.
To begin the transition and test the performance of FydeOS, we installed it on a number of our oldest Windows machines. The response was very positive! Within the first two months of testing, we received numerous feedback reports stating that devices running FydeOS booted faster and had longer battery life.
In many cases, we no longer had to rush to find chargers. We then subscribed to the FydeOS enterprise solution for centralised device management.
Device administrators no longer needed to spend time tracking down devices; they could perform tasks with just a few clicks on the cloud management platform, saving significant time.
Efficient Work Anytime, Anywhere
As our staff gradually got used to using FydeOS and a browser-centric approach in their day-to-day work, we decided to promote FydeOS throughout the branches of our library system.
Currently, we’ve replaced almost all of our Windows devices with FydeOS, totalling around 260 devices. Scheduling meetings has always been a challenge, especially considering that some branches are as much as 45 minutes away by car.
Now, sharing and commenting on cloud documents is effortless, and remote meetings are possible when needed.
If IT management needs to adjust device settings or troubleshoot issues, they can now do so remotely via the FydeOS management cloud platform, eliminating the need for a lengthy on-site visit.
In addition, the Chromium browsers have played a key role in improving our operational efficiency.
In addition to configuring policies and giving staff permission to customise browser usage, we regularly deploy useful browser extensions.
Today, many of our library solutions are cloud-based, and we have a custom browser extension for cataloguing books and managing check-ins and checkouts – FydeOS has made these tasks effortless.
Reallocating Savings to Enhance Service Experience
By migrating our operations to FydeOS, we have successfully reduced our annual operating costs, allowing us to reinvest these savings into projects that will enhance the service experience for our community.
We believe that FydeOS can address many of the challenges faced by small library systems, reducing management costs while providing better tools for staff and readers.
Visit our official website https://fydeos.io/enterprise-solution/ to learn more about FydeOS enterprise solution and its features. A free trial is now available, so come and experience it!