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Abu Dhabi Municipality empowers mobile workers as emirate continues to grow

Abu Dhabi is in the midst of an unprecedented boom. The city, largest and richest of the seven emirates that comprise the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has more than doubled in size in the last ten years. It may double again in the next five.

Abu Dhabi Municipality (ADM) sits at the centre of this growth. It oversees real estate developments, agriculture, roads and more. ADM systems are integrated with multiple local and federal government entities.

“The pace of work has changed dramatically,” says Ahmed Abdulsamad Al Hammadi, IT Manager, Abu Dhabi Municipality. “Our staff cannot be tied to their desks. We need the freedom to work from anywhere in the city, anywhere we are needed.”

By deploying Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops to securely publish applications and desktops for end-users on any device over any network, ADM has created a digital workforce. It has ramped up productivity, taken control of the sharing and access to corporate data, and established a more agile approach to working. The solution is a key component of Abu Dhabi’s ‘smart city’ project.

ADM launched the pilot phase of a five-year project for smart cities and artificial intelligence (AI), called the Zayed Smart City project, to validate key use cases and its viability. The city-wide project is designed to digitally transform the environmental, social, and financial aspects of urban life to improve the lives of the UAE capital city’s citizens and visitors.

“We’re one of the most influential government departments in the UAE, and our actions are closely watched by others. We’ve made significant investments in our IT infrastructure to ensure we have a platform to grow, and manage growth,” explains Ahmed Abdulsamad Al Hammadi.

Complete mobility across the city

The most immediate impact of the Citrix solution is on ADM’s 400-plus inspectors. Each has been issued with a tablet, and can now access a range of corporate applications from anywhere in the city. For instance, it means inspectors can check building permits, health & safety inspections, or code violations, and then input data directly into ADM’s core systems.

“We have many applications, all Windows-based, and to physically load these on to every device would be unmanageable,” says Azmi Afifi, IT Project Manager, Abu Dhabi Municipality. “Using Citrix means this task can be managed centrally. As an IT team, we’re more productive, and our users are more productive.”

It is also easier for staff to move between ADM offices. Citrix Virtual Desktops allow staff to log in at hot desks in different offices; there are new shared printers and scanners available for mobile workers.

Hardware cost savings and less time wasted travelling

There is also a significant cost saving. By standardising tablet devices and switching to thin clients, Afifi says the hardware refresh cycle has stretched from three years to five: “We have the same features and functionality but on lower cost hardware.”

By being able to work effectively from the field, staff are having to travel less. With less time wasted returning to the office to file reports, staff have time for more visits. Senior management can also access applications from home which were previously restricted to the office.

“At all levels, staff have access to the applications they need, when they need them,” says Afifi.

More robust disaster recovery

ADM data is also more secure. In the event of a tablet being lost, devices can be locked down centrally. Virtualizing the applications environment makes it easier to roll-back, says Afifi, and disaster recovery is more robust.

“The project was completed in less than a year. We’re now more secure, more effective and more mobile. We’ve demonstrated that you don’t need to be hitched to a physical desktop to be productive.”

We’re now more secure, more mobile and more effective. We’ve demonstrated that you don’t need to be hitched to a physical desktop to be productive.
Azmi Afifi
IT Project Manager
Abu Dhabi Municipality

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