4-page Case Study - Posted 11/16/2006

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Industrial Technology Research Institute

Research Institute Replaces Lotus Notes with Exchange Server 2007 Messaging Solution

The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) is a nonprofit research and development organization in Taiwan. Comprising more than 20 technical and research centers, ITRI needed a messaging solution that met the needs of each group and the organization as a whole. ITRI had outgrown its IBM Lotus Notes e-mail system, which was unable to handle the growing volume of messages. Wanting a secure solution that would accommodate multiple user domains, ITRI replaced its existing e-mail system with Microsoft® Exchange Server 2007. The new solution offers enhanced calendar and e-mail management features and gives users options for remote and mobile access. The system is far more stable and reliable, and administrators are able to enforce more stringent access and security policies. 

Situation

Founded in Taiwan in 1973, the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) is a nonprofit research and development organization. ITRI helps guide the technological and economic growth of

In fact, the initial requirements of ITRI for the mail server software were rather simple; that is, to have complete functions, to minimize the technical support, and to have multiple mail domains.  Tony Chiu Engagement Manager Microsoft Taiwan

ITRI, which employs more than 6,000 people, is composed of more than 20 technology centers and research organizations. In this environment, the existing e-mail system, IBM Lotus Notes Release 5, could not handle the tremendous daily volume of incoming and outgoing e mail messages.

In considering a new messaging solution, ITRI was concerned with both management needs and security issues. ITRI wanted a messaging environment that offered optimum functionality and performance. And because ITRI encompasses many organizations, the solution had to be flexible enough to accommodate users who are members of several groups and have more than one e mail address. “In fact, the initial requirements of ITRI for the mail server software were rather simple; that is, to have complete functions, to minimize the technical support, and to have multiple mail domains,” says Tony Chiu, Engagement Manager at Microsoft Taiwan. With the increasing demand internally for various communication vehicles, ITRI was also interested in a solution that provided unified messaging capabilities—one that could integrate instant messaging, e-mail, and voice-mail messages.

Solution

To meet these goals, the Open Lab at ITRI began evaluating Microsoft® Exchange Server 2007 in July 2006. One of the key reasons that ITRI decided to evaluate Exchange Server 2007 is because of its ability to integrate multiple communication tools. To accommodate the need for multiple domains, Microsoft Taiwan, which assisted ITRI with the implementation, deployed 10 separate e mail domains.

Benefits

Using Exchange Server 2007, ITRI was able to fulfill all of its requirements for a new messaging solution. The new system has helped ITRI to increase operational efficiency in a secure, integrated communications environment.

Improved Security and System Management

Exchange Server 2007, with built-in antispam and antivirus technologies, offers ITRI a greater level of messaging security than it had with Lotus Notes. Exchange Server 2007 provides enhanced support for confidential messaging by encrypting all intra-organization messages. With greater control over transport rules, administrators can enforce regulatory and organizational policies for e-mail, voice-mail, and fax messages. These new features also help administrators audit incoming and outgoing messages and manage the entire messaging environment in compliance with internal security guidelines.

With Exchange Server 2007, ITRI was also able to fulfill its requirement for separate e-mail domains. Now, as many as 10 research units are organized under separate e mail domains, which provide users with convenient, stable, and reliable service. This configuration makes it possible for administrators to enforce different security and access policies within each domain.

Increased Productivity

With the enhanced support in Exchange Server 2007 for managing e-mail messages, scheduling meetings, and sharing calendars, employees at ITRI work far more efficiently. They also have more options for accessing messages when they are away from the office. Using mobile devices or Microsoft Office Outlook® Web Access, employees now have a more integrated communication experience with Exchange Server 2007.

Unified Messaging

Employees at ITRI already use Microsoft Office Live Communications Server, which integrates well with Exchange Server 2007. Live Communications Server offers presence awareness, making it possible for employees to see who is available and to communicate in real time through instant messaging. With the combination of Live Communications Server and Exchange Server 2007, Open Lab at ITRI has created a solid foundation to support unified messaging. Employees can receive e-mail, voice-mail, and fax messages all in their Exchange Server mailboxes.

For More Information

For more information about Microsoft products and services, call the Microsoft Sales Information Center at (800) 426-9400. In Canada, call the Microsoft Canada Information Centre at (877) 568-2495. Customers who are deaf or hard-of-hearing can reach Microsoft text telephone (TTY/TDD) services at (800) 892-5234 in the United States or (905) 568-9641 in Canada. Outside the 50 United States and Canada, please contact your local Microsoft subsidiary. To access information using the World Wide Web, go to:
www.microsoft.com

For more information about Industrial Technology Research Institute products and services, call +886-3-582-0100 or visit the Web site at:
www.itri.com  

Microsoft Server Product Portfolio

For more information about the Microsoft server product portfolio, go to:
www.microsoft.com/servers/default.mspx

For more information about Microsoft Exchange Server, go to:
www.microsoft.com/exchange  

This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. 

Document published November 2006