If you’re an MSP, you’ve probably spent more time than you’d like to admit trying to figure out how to name computers. It seems simple, but once you’ve got hundreds (or thousands) of workstations, laptops, and the occasional tablet floating around, it can become a full-blown headache. Naming conventions matter—because the last thing you want is a sea of “PC-XYZ123” machines that you can’t tell apart. So, how do you name these pesky devices? Here are some options, complete with the war stories of what’s worked, what hasn’t, and what could save you from pulling out your hair.
The Minimalist Method (a.k.a. “ACME-234FDDF0F”)
For those who believe less is more, there’s the minimalist method. Just slap the company name and service tag together, and call it a day: “ACME-234FDDF0F.” It’s clean, it’s simple, and it gets the job done without any extra frills.
This approach works well if you’re managing a lot of devices and want to keep things streamlined. There’s less to manage, less to screw up, and it’s still unique enough to avoid conflicts.
Lesson Learned: Minimalism has its perks—mainly in keeping things simple. If your MSP is managing a large number of clients or devices, this can be a low-maintenance way to keep track without getting bogged down by details.
The User Name Method (a.k.a. “Karen-PC”)
This approach might be the first thing that comes to mind: name the computer after its primary user. It seems like a no-brainer—after all, it makes it easy to spot “Karen-PC” in your list of devices, right? Just associate the user with the device, and you’re good to go.
Lesson Learned: While this method offers quick identification in your system, it can become a real headache when computers change hands. The problem? You end up with mismatched names like “Bob” on “Karen-PC” and “Karen” on “Michelle-PC.” This constant reshuffling can lead to confusion and errors, especially when managing multiple devices across various client sites.
The Service Tag Savior (a.k.a. “PC-234FDDF0F”)
Eventually, I wised up and realized the best way to avoid the numbering debacle was to just use something already unique: the service tag. Each device comes with one, it’s always different, and you don’t need a spreadsheet to track which numbers you’ve used. So, “PC-234FDDF0F” was born.
Sure, it’s not the prettiest name, but it works. No duplicate names, no guessing games, and it’s easy to locate the device in your system when you need to. Plus, when you’re managing hundreds of devices across multiple clients, unique identifiers are your best friend.
Lesson Learned: Using the service tag as part of the name might not win any creativity contests, but it’s a practical, no-nonsense solution that’ll keep you sane.
The Descriptive Approach (a.k.a. “ACME-LT-DoeJ-234FDDF0F”)
This is where we get into the fun stuff—giving each device a name that actually means something. Take “ACME-LT-DoeJ-234FDDF0F,” for example. You’ve got the company name (ACME), the device type (LT for laptop), the user’s name (John Doe), and that trusty service tag. This way, you know exactly what you’re dealing with just by looking at the name.
The beauty of this approach is that it’s flexible. You can customize it based on what’s most important to your MSP. Need to know who’s using the device? Include their name. Want to distinguish between desktops, laptops, and tablets? Toss in a device type code.
Lesson Learned: Descriptive naming conventions are great for clarity and organization. However, keep in mind that longer names can be a pain when you’re dealing with older systems or environments where name length is restricted.
The Departmental Naming Strategy (a.k.a. “ACME-SALES-DT-234FDDF0F”)
Maybe you don’t care so much about the user, but you need to know which department a device belongs to. Enter the departmental naming strategy. “ACME-SALES-DT-234FDDF0F” tells you this device is a desktop (DT) in the sales department at ACME.
This works particularly well for larger organizations where departments matter more than individual users—especially when users are prone to hopping between devices or when devices are shared among multiple employees.
Lesson Learned: This strategy works well in environments where the department is more critical than the individual user. Just be careful not to overcomplicate things—if you’re juggling too many departments and device types, you could end up with a convoluted naming scheme.
The Minimalist Method (a.k.a. “ACME-234FDDF0F”)
For those who believe less is more, there’s the minimalist method. Just slap the company name and service tag together, and call it a day: “ACME-234FDDF0F.” It’s clean, it’s simple, and it gets the job done without any extra frills.
This approach works well if you’re managing a lot of devices and want to keep things streamlined. There’s less to manage, less to screw up, and it’s still unique enough to avoid conflicts.
Lesson Learned: Minimalism has its perks—mainly in keeping things simple. If your MSP is managing a large number of clients or devices, this can be a low-maintenance way to keep track without getting bogged down by details.
Wrapping It Up
So, what’s the best naming convention? Honestly, it depends on your MSP’s needs and what works best for your team. Maybe you’ll stick with the tried-and-true service tag method, or perhaps you’ll get creative with descriptive names. Whatever you choose, just remember to keep it consistent and scalable. Because the last thing you want is to be sitting there at “DESKTOP-0347,” wondering where you went wrong.
Naming computers might not be the most glamorous part of running a Managed Service Provider, but it’s one of those things that can make a world of difference down the line. Get it right, and your life (and your techs’ lives) will be a whole lot easier. Get it wrong, and—well, you know how that story ends.
