Pipelines ensure flawless software delivery to all your devices
Software delivery to dedicated devices like point of sale systems, kiosks, and digital signage is one of the most complex issues IT professionals face today. In most situations, it’s all or nothing — you either deploy to your entire device fleet or you don’t. That’s not how it should be. Updates are crucial for device security, longevity, and experience.
In software development, there’s a concept called CI/CD (continuous integration/continuous deployment), where new code is automatically integrated into the codebase, then delivered to a test environment. If successful, the new code is then automatically deployed to the next stage of testing, and then the next, and so on. All of this is done using a process called pipelines. A pipeline is a repeatable, scalable process for driving software down the path of testing and deployment.
We do this to deliver software to your devices. Instead of the all-or-nothing approach that most device management solutions take, you can use pipelines to stage software rollouts — start with your test devices, then gradually push the update to device groups until it’s available on your entire fleet.
While many dedicated devices are fundamentally similar to other devices like consumer tablets and smartphones, they’re functionally very different. Dedicated devices are business-critical, meaning they can’t go down — businesses rely on this functionality, and downtime is money lost. Sometimes lots of money. That’s why avoiding software updates to dedicated devices is easy. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” right? Why run the risk of causing problems where there aren’t any?
Not so fast. Both app and operating system updates enable critical functionality, with security at the top of the list. By avoiding software updates on your dedicated devices, you’re effectively leaving them open to attacks. What would happen if the data on your devices fell into the wrong hands? But there’s a second reason to update regularly and often: innovation. With confident, repeatable, scalable deployments, you can always ensure your ideal customer experience is tested and ready to go as quickly as possible. Win-win. Win.
If you’ve ever struggled with the “to update or not to update” conundrum, Esper Pipelines is the solution.
Staged software rollouts: Start small, then scale accordingly. Stop pushing updates to your entire device fleet at once. (Or ignoring updates altogether.)
Automatic checks along the way: As updates roll out, automated tests are performed to ensure no problems. If a problem arises, the update is paused, and you’ll get a notification. If not? You won’t have to think about it again.
For app and system updates: You can use pipelines to push new versions of your application to your devices, but it also works with system updates — full OS updates or security patches.
Device groups give you complete control: If you have a mixed fleet of devices, they might not all need the same software. With device grouping, you can use pipelines to push the right updates to the right devices—every time.
Better software delivery means more secure devices, increased uptime, and lower device management costs. Who doesn’t want that?
If you’ve ever struggled with the “to update or not to update” conundrum, Esper Pipelines is the solution.
Spire Health uses remote control to debug issues on their patients’ devices, enabling them to help non-tech-savvy users without needing to be in the same room.
Teach for India uses remote access so teachers can see what students are working on and help them with assignments. Remote control also comes in handy for device troubleshooting.
Quick service restaurant chains use remote control so they don’t have to send an IT tech out to the field. What used to take days to fix can now be done in hours or even minutes, saving significant time and money.
Better software delivery means more secure devices, increased uptime, and lower device management costs. Who doesn’t want that?
Pipelines are a sequence of automated steps that software goes through during development and deployment, enabling a smooth and consistent workflow.
CI/CD stands for Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment, a practice that involves automating the process of integrating code changes and deploying applications frequently and consistently.
Software updates are important because they provide bug fixes, security patches, and new features, ensuring that applications and devices remain reliable, secure, and up to date.
Yes, pipelines support app version control across devices or groups.
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