Setting Up and Administering a Pilot Program

Before you deploy Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 to your users, it is recommended that you set up and administer a pilot program. Begin by testing the Internet Explorer installation in a lab, and then conduct the pilot program to refine your deployment configurations and strategies using a limited number of pilot participants. This process will help you validate your deployment plan and ensure your readiness for full-scale deployment. This chapter describes how to set up a computer lab to test your deployment process and outlines the steps necessary to conduct a successful pilot program.

Important Although the processes described in this chapter are based on a corporate business model for deployment, it is recommended that Internet service providers and Internet content providers follow similar procedures when they administer a pilot program.

In This Chapter

Overview: Pilot Program

Preparing the Test Plan and Checklist

Testing the Deployment Process in the Lab

Planning the Pilot Program

Conducting the Pilot Program

Finalizing the Deployment Plan

See Also

• For more information about developing deployment, training, and support plans, which you will test during the pilot installation, see Chapter 9 , "Planning the Deployment."

• For more information about building custom packages for the pilot installation, see Chapter 15 , "Running the Internet Explorer Customization Wizard."

• For more information about rolling out Internet Explorer to your users following the pilot program, see Chapter 19 , "Deploying Microsoft Internet Explorer 5."

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