Transforming Campus IT with Real-Time Insights
Computer labs are the backbone of academic learning in Malaysian universities, from engineering to design and media departments. Whether students are creating digital art in Adobe Photoshop, analyzing data in SPSS, or programming in MATLAB — every PC, software license, and session matters.
But one key challenge remains:
Are university PC labs and licensed software really being used — or are resources sitting idle?
With CloudDesk vDash, IT departments don’t have to guess. They get real-time visibility of PC, user, and software activity across all labs, making it easier to optimize resources and reduce costs.
The Challenge: Limited Visibility Into PC and Software Usage
Many higher education institutions still rely on:
- Manual lab head counts
- Untracked login activity
- Over-purchasing of expensive licenses like Adobe Creative Cloud or SPSS
This lack of visibility leads to:
- Underused labs during peak class hours
- Unnecessary IT hardware and software spend
- Difficulty in justifying budget increases or renewals
That’s where usage intelligence from vDash becomes a game changer.
The Solution: Real-Time PC Lab Monitoring with CloudDesk vDash
CloudDesk vDash provides:
✅ Live PC status tracking
✅ Software launch and usage reports
✅ User login/out and idle time analytics
✅ License optimization data for tools like Adobe, AutoCAD, SPSS, MATLAB, etc.
What You Can Track in Real Time
| Feature | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| 🖥️ PC Activity | Which machines are active, idle, or offline |
| 👤 User Sessions | Who is logged in, session duration, idle time |
| 💻 Software Usage | Most-used software (e.g. Photoshop, SPSS), by PC, user, and time spent |
| 🎨 Adobe License Utilization | Track usage of Adobe apps like Photoshop, Premiere Pro, and Illustrator |
| 🔢 Peak Lab Hours | Know when labs are busiest and schedule accordingly |
Bonus Spotlight: Adobe — One of the Most Expensive Licenses to Manage
Adobe Creative Cloud is standard in faculties like Design, Media, and Architecture — but it’s expensive.
Did you know? A single Adobe CC license can cost Malaysian universities RM800–RM1,000 per year.
With vDash, IT teams can:
- See which Adobe apps are being used (e.g. Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro)
- Track how long users spend on Adobe software per machine
- Detect underused or over-allocated licenses
- Save thousands by aligning license counts to actual needs
Example:
A college found that out of 100 Adobe-equipped lab PCs, fewer than 50 were using Photoshop during the semester. vDash data helped them reduce licenses, saving over RM25,000 in annual subscription costs.
Real-World Use Case
A private university in Malaysia deployed vDash across 30 labs and 1,000 PCs. Within weeks, they discovered:
- Only 30–40% of PCs in their most-equipped lab were being used on weekday mornings
- Adobe Photoshop usage peaked from 2–5 PM, while Illustrator was underused across the board
- 120 SPSS licenses resulted in only 48 active users during the academic term
The IT department used this data to reduce Adobe and SPSS license costs, reschedule lab sessions, and reclaim unused hardware — leading to 20% savings in their IT operating budget.
Benefits for Campus IT Teams in Malaysia
| Benefit | Impact |
|---|---|
| 🔍 Full transparency | Manage lab loads, software use, and PC availability instantly |
| 💸 Reduced IT spending | No more over-buying licenses or hardware |
| 📈 Data-driven planning | Use real usage metrics to justify budget requests |
| 📅 Better scheduling | Assign high-demand software like Adobe during peak student hours |
Final Thoughts
With CloudDesk vDash, Malaysian universities don’t need to guess which labs are active or what apps like Adobe Photoshop or SPSS are being used most — they get clear data and real-time dashboards to:
- Improve resource allocation
- Reduce waste
- Make smarter IT decisions