Autolib’ is an electric-car-sharing program established by the city of Paris and 48 surrounding municipalities to relieve traffic congestion, reduce noise and air pollution, and provide people with more-flexible transit options. Implemented by logistics company IER, the intelligent system based on Windows Embedded provides connectivity between the in-car system, registration and rental kiosks, charging stations, and a central management system. By 2023, the solution is expected to replace more than 25,000 privately owned cars, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 75 million metric tons. With Autolib’, former car owners have also cut their transportation costs by 90 percent annually. Autolib’ subscribers enjoy an enhanced driving experience with GPS navigation, free parking, and personalized settings. The flexible solution also simplifies implementation and minimizes deployment risk.

Singapore firm SATS, a leading provider of gateway services and food solutions, wanted to move its mission-critical SAP ERP environment to a more cost-effective and easily scalable environment. The company implemented a solution based on a Microsoft platform that includes Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Enterprise. As a result, the company cut operating costs by approximately 20 percent while increasing scalability about 30 percent. SATS can now expand its enterprise resource planning (ERP) capabilities more easily and affordably, provide remote real-time access to line-of-business software and cloud-based office programs, and streamline its IT environment and business processes.

Coregistics, a full service contract packaging/manufacturing company, was using manual tracking processes and email-based communications in embedded work centers at customer sites, even with line-of-business systems in place. TwinEngines connected systems across companies with a Business-Critical SharePoint solution to integrate and automate workflows, improve operational efficiencies, and speed up the flow of information between companies.

Deliver Australia works with local partners to provide transport solutions across the Australian continent. Its business runs on a Microsoft Office 365 and Windows Azure cloud infrastructure. The company sought a process diagramming tool and chose Microsoft Visio 2013 because it works in a cloud environment. Now, Deliver Australia and its partners can co-author transport process diagrams to better serve customers, who can track their deliveries by viewing dynamic diagrams with near real-time information. By using Visio 2013 for data visualization, Deliver Australia has boosted its competitive advantage and improved its relationships with both its customers and partners.

Microsoft Services brought to life the Windows 8 and Office 2013 combination on new Samsung devices; leveraging leading-edge technology to deliver an enhanced user experience for Emirates’ customers in Dubai Airport’s new concourse Business- and First-class lounges. While running the latest technologies, Microsoft Services balanced the challenges of consumer IT; including security and deployment in an expedited timeline with limited budget and resources for Emirates.

John I. Haas, a leader in hops trading and processing, wanted to provide tools and better information for its growers, customers, and employees to improve its business processes. They implemented a Business-Critical SharePoint solution from Dell, called Dell™ Quick Apps for SharePoint ®, to enable users to quickly display and aggregate business-critical Oracle data in rich and compelling 3D charts in SharePoint—without expensive and time-consuming custom coding.

Agheera, a tiny German logistics startup, had shipping giant DHL as its first client. The company saw how valuable Agheera’s real-time shipment tracking and surveillance services were and backed the startup in 2010. Agheera set its sights globally and wanted to grow quickly without spending a bundle on IT at its Bonn headquarters. The company sought out a set of cloud-based services that would easily integrate with its Windows Azure-based software application, Pulse, that is used to track shipments in real time. Agheera chose Microsoft Office 365, which provides employees with anywhere access to emails on almost any mobile device, video conferencing and online meetings, and collaboration spaces.

As members of a newly-established company, employees at Element Shipmanagement needed to have access to their email, calendar, and contacts across multiple devices without spending time, effort, and budget on building and maintaining a local IT infrastructure. By implementing a cloud-based solution using Exchange Online, the company was able to meet its business needs on time and within budget.

The Windows 8 version of Glory KORAIL, the essential app for busy people, was officially released on February 5, 2013. First released in 2010, Glory KORAIL gained sensational popularity among smartphone users. As a result, the percentage of ticketing through mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets, reached 32.5% in January 2013. While receiving enthusiastic responses from customers, KORAIL had prepared to support a new platform just in time for the launch of Windows 8, so as to speed up the era of paperless tickets. The objective was to allow more users to conveniently use the Glory KORAIL app through a wider variety of devices including desktops and notebooks, as well as smartphones and tablets.

Air Zermatt was founded in 1968 with one helicopter and a dream to move injured skiers and mountaineers to safety and medical assistance quickly. Headquartered in the idyllic Swiss ski resort of Zermatt, the company now flies nine helicopters from two bases and provides thousands of residents and visitors with helicopter rescue, transport, sightseeing and ski tours, and aerial services including construction and mining. Challenged to improve communication with its staff, pilots, and clients and to implement ever-changing regulatory mandates, Air Zermatt replaced its paper-based system for schedules and documentation with Microsoft Office 365. Now, Air Zermatt saves five hours a week on administrative tasks and expects annual savings of US$200,000 through scheduling efficiency and fuel conservation.