"It’s easy to use and I like being self-sufficient to install software on my computer," says Eva Dale, College of Arts and Sciences Visual Communications Specialist, about ASCTech's Casper and System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM). "It's nice that I don't have to call and ask [to have software installed]. I can just do it."

ASCTech's Casper (Apple) and SCCM (Windows) applications make it easy to get the software you need to do your job well, from popular applications like Microsoft Office, Skype, Apple iWork, and the entire Adobe Creative Cloud, (Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, and Premiere). They are not just the only way to get the Adobe applications, but they are free as part of ASCTech’s commitment to supporting faculty and staff.

Casper and SCCM enhance management technologies by allowing self service. Or as ASCTech's Curt Marker, project lead, describes it: "When you're ready to use an application, go to the app and download and install the software of your choice. You can find them in your Apple Applications folder or your Windows Start menu (Start/All Programs/Systems Center 2012R2). Casper and SCCM deliver what you want, when you want it."

Casper and SCCM don't require a desktop administrator password, just your usual Ohio State authentication (name.#). They will download and update applications in the background while you’re doing other work, and they meet Ohio State's Office of Chief Information Officer’s information security framework, ensuring safe computer use.

Casper and SCCM are automatically installed on new computers and many existing College of Arts and Sciences computers have them installed as part of Active Directory. Almost every ASC department uses these software management tools, but if your department doesn't, please contact your departmental IT manager.

If there’s software you’d like to see that isn’t in Casper or SCCM, please submit a request to ASCTech.

"Think of it as Casper the Friendly Installer," quips Marker. "It's the ghost in the machine that gets done what you need."