Workstations / Clients
We're using our data centre hosted servers from our office desktops. These must be qualified, secure and consistently built with managed configurations in order to be part of a validated system. Workstations are using networks to talk to servers; standalone machines are invariably controlling critical equipment.
Critical to Success
As with servers, workstations must be managed in a controlled fashion - they're critical to the success of any business. They're used to control processes, for communications and nowadays for hosting meetings utilising the internet, in addition to the usual office based tasks such as word processing and research using the Internet.
A succinct workstation build is required to establish and maintain maximum up time. The operating system and other software must be controlled as must physical and logical access - security is paramount. Consider running an operation with many disparate workstation types and little control. Result, chaos. Why? Because anything can happen. It is not uncommon for personnel to use their work computers as their own.
Don't Risk it
Risks. Yes. Plenty. From social networking sites to freedom of email usage there are inherent risks of introducing spyware and viruses into the business by accident and without malicious intent, on the other hand a business manager doesn't want their staff to be sitting copying movies and music all day using company property and time.
This is the just the tip of the iceberg. Computers have been on desks for decades now and people are complacent in the misuse of them, even without realising it.
Plan from the Start
The solution is to ensure that these workstations and client machines are planned out from the start - a design is in place and appropriate security measures deployed to protect both the users and the business. In addition, these are also configurable devices whose configuration must be managed and verified.