Overview
While we no longer grant persistent administrative permissions due to the risk in having an administrative account that someone else may be able to find and control, we do offer what we refer to as "adm_" accounts. These accounts have local administrative privileges on a pre-defined set of machines (e.g., a lab) in order to allow the manager of those machines to install the same software on all of them. These types of accounts are disabled when not in use and require a request to activate them each time an application is installed or updated. They are the "multiple machine" version of temporary Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS) on college Windows computers or temporary promotion on a college Apple computer. They must be requested, but you only have to request that one account be activated to update several machines rather than having to ask for a separate account for each machine. If you have the same applications that need to be updated on multiple machines at about the same time (e.g., they all receive updates within a day or so of each other), an "adm_" account may be helpful.
We also offer a "packaging" service if an application is installed and frequently used on numerous (normally 10 or more) machines. This can require significant work upfront for us to script the installation and update processes for an application, but once in place, we are able to either centrally schedule updates or to provide a way for you to install and update the application without having to request either an individual LAPS password or the activation of an "adm_" account. It would, effectively, allow you to update an application without having to make a request. Not every application can be packaged (some have technical limitations), but we would be happy to work with you on this option if it matches your situation.
Thank you very much for your patience! We are continually trying to find the best possible balance between security requirements and efficiency.