Security and networking case studies

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Technology Distributor Avnet safeguards email servers with layered antivirus solution
When virus outbreaks impacted its email system, global technology distributor Avnet realised that a single scan engine was insufficient. Since deploying Antigen for Exchange, Avnet has not experienced a serious virus outbreak.
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Cobweb Solutions multiples security protection
Managed Service Provider Cobweb implemented a server-level anti-virus solution to safeguard customers' data against viruses, worms and malicious code. With Microsoft Antigen for Exchange and Antigen for SharePoint they were able to increase customers' peace of mind, tailor services to specific customers and minimise admin costs.
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Startup grows revenues, saves thousands in IT costs with integrated infrastructure
McGrathNicol's CIO estimates the company's integrated Microsoft infrastructure saves it AUS$5,000 in support costs for each of the company's 250 employees. As well as saving money on integrating applications, training and maintenance.
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Australian manufacturer CSR reduces costs and downtime with security upgrade
Improves network security, establishes a better way of managing Web applications.
Grappling with Internet security can challenge the most experienced companies. CSR Limited, an Australian industrial conglomerate with a venerable history, faced an increasing need to connect with customers via a public Web presence. At the same time, the company was getting wake-up calls about the capabilities of its existing Internet security. With administrative and engineering overheads increasing as a result of its efforts to manage its exposure to online threats, CSR took advantage of the chance to trial Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration Server 2004 as the cornerstone of a new Internet security design. With the assistance of Microsoft Services, CSR improved network security and established a better way of managing its Web applications.
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Building supplies manufacturer improves update management for increased security
Initial gains of 90% compliance.
Boral is a leading manufacturer of building supplies with offices on three continents and a widely distributed network. The company needed to improve its ability to manage systems throughout its network more efficiently and to increase network security, which required a new update management process with customized compliance reports. With the help of Avanade, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, and through participation in the Microsoft Technology Adoption Program (TAP), Boral used the Microsoft Solution Accelerator for Patch Management using Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) 2.0 to initiate stronger update management and compliance. The results were increased security, improved operational efficiency and manageability, and initial gains of 90% compliance.
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Renowned medical center safeguards against e-mail viruses, keeps messages moving
Since implementing Antigen for Exchange Server in 1999, UPMC has not had a single significant virus outbreak attributed to the e-mail system.
The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) is one of the most respected medical centers in the United States. UPMC has approximately 28,000 users of its e-mail system, which is based on Microsoft Exchange Server communication and collaboration server. With so many mailboxes, UPMC must vigilantly safeguard against viruses carried in e-mail messages. Experiencing an increase in virus attacks, UPMC sought antivirus software that would thoroughly scan e-mail servers without significantly affecting performance. E-mail server security products from Microsoft Antigen-an antivirus solution that tightly integrates with Exchange Server and Windows-based SMTP gateway servers-proved to be exactly what UPMC sought. Since implementing Antigen for Exchange Server in 1999, UPMC has not had a single significant virus outbreak attributed to the e-mail system.
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Microsoft IT bolsters e-mail hygiene with perimeter messaging security solution
Reduces hardware and administrative costs, and supports the huge mail volume while preserving performance.
Microsoft IT manages a formidable volume of e-mail messages, with an e-mail environment that spans the globe and serves 63,000 employees. The Microsoft IT approach to e-mail security hinges largely on preventing malicious software and spam from ever entering the company network. To bolster security at the network edge, Microsoft required an e-mail antivirus solution that would work well with Microsoft Exchange Server 2003. Microsoft IT implemented Antigen for SMTP Gateways to safeguard e-mail at the network perimeter and prevent the latest viruses, worms, and inappropriate content from reaching inboxes. With Antigen, Microsoft enjoys an antivirus solution that works together with the multiple layers of defence, reduces hardware and administrative costs, scales easily, and supports the huge mail volume while preserving performance.
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97% increase in patch efficiency for Avanade
Saves over U.S.$1,800 per patch.
Global technology consultancy Avanade needed to streamline patching over 250 servers across 30 worldwide locations. Using the automated patch management services provided by Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003 (SMS 2003), Avanade improved patch efficiencies by 97%-from 40 hours to 1 hour per patch, with savings of U.S.$1,800 per patch.
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Food manufacturer updates infrastructure, reduces operating costs
IT staff freed-up to support business goals.
Ubiquity Brands is a successful food manufacturing holding company, but its outdated IT infrastructure could not keep pace with its rapid growth. Ubiquity Brands had no effective to way communicate or share data with its subsidiaries, and the IT staff was so busy reacting to end-user complaints that they had little time to support the company's business goals. To address these problems and position the company for future growth, Ubiquity Brands designed a new corporate IT infrastructure that includes Microsoft Windows Server™ 2003 operating system, Microsoft Exchange Server 2003, Microsoft SQL Server™ 2000 and Microsoft Operations Manager 2005 Workgroup Edition. This new IT solution gives Ubiquity Brands dependable communication, improved manageability, increased scalability and security, the ability to improve customer service while reducing annual operating costs and recover IT staff time by 30%.
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Hospital reduces help desk calls by 50%
Cuts user support costs by thousands and improves productivity.
Montgomery County Memorial Hospital in Red Oak, Iowa, is facing new challenges resulting from recent federal legislation that requires health care institutions to strengthen data security and standardize data collection and reporting to protect patient information and reduce costs. In response, the hospital deployed Terminal Server, part of Microsoft Windows Server 2003, to support its task-based and remote users and IT staff. The hospital also automated operating system updates and security patches with Microsoft Software Update Services and deployed Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration Server to secure its VPN connections and control Internet traffic. These changes have saved U.S. $2,700 per month in user support costs, reduced help-desk calls for operating system problems by 50%, and increased productivity in some areas by up to 25%, while supporting compliance with federal requirements.
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Solutions Developer slashes TCO by 25%
Saves U.S.$650,000 - and get product to market faster.
As Computer Builders Warehouse (CBW) grew, it deployed RedHat and Mandrake versions of Linux to support its corporate, retail, and e-commerce applications. But problems with availability, scalability, and security produced intolerable costs in IT maintenance. In response, CBW migrated to Microsoft Windows Server System integrated server software. CBW consolidated its Linux server population by 50% and boosted developer productivity 200% as the servers migrated to Microsoft Windows Server 2003, slashing total cost of ownership by 25% and maintenance time by 50%. Those benefits-totaling U.S.$650,000 in savings-are dwarfed by the millions of dollars in new revenue that CBW expects as a result of bringing a key product to market two years faster than it could have done on Linux.
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