2 page Case Study - Posted 4/10/2008

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Wasser Studios

Publications Firm Slashes IT Management Chores by 50 Percent with New Software

WASSER Studios is dependent on technology to deliver quality, on-time publication services to clients all over the world. The Seattle, Washington, firm deployed the beta version of Windows® Essential Business Server 2008 to make its two IT staff members more productive. The duo has reduced its IT management work by 50 percent, leaving more time for billable services. The company has also improved the reliability and remote accessibility of business systems.

Business Needs

WASSER Studios is a 30-year-old firm that provides technical publications and content management services. The Seattle, Washington–based firm has 30 permanent employees and 50 contractors. WASSER prides itself on delivering on time, every time; but, that can’t happen unless all desktop computers have the proper updates, virus protection, and other safeguards. Keeping desktops configured and adequately protected was a huge job for WASSER’s IT staff of two people.

Tim Dreyling, Information Systems Manager at WASSER, and Trevor Koop, IT Support Manager at WASSER, spent much of their days babysitting technology rather than rolling out new solutions that would move the business forward. They were consumed by tasks such as adding new users, cleaning up old computer accounts, fixing e-mail problems, managing server computers, and monitoring applications. “We used a whole collection of tools to do this, and we kept everything running, but it took a lot of time—close to 20 hours a week between the two of us,” Dreyling says. “That was time we couldn’t spend on billable services or creating new solutions.”

They manually tracked the software update status and application version for each desktop and server computer using spreadsheets and databases, “but it was laborious, and once you got behind you just couldn’t catch up,” Koop says.

Solution

Already a heavy user of Microsoft® software, WASSER Studios decided to deploy the beta version of Windows® Essential Business Server 2008 Standard Edition, which packages management, messaging, and security software in one integrated solution priced for midsize businesses. With this software, WASSER was able to consolidate myriad daily management tasks to a single interface and reduce its servers from seven to three.

We’ve reduced our technology management chores by 50 percent with the move to Windows Essential Business Server 2008. Tim Dreyling Information Systems Manager, WASSER Studios

“We were previously using many Microsoft technologies as separate tools,” Koop explains. “Windows Essential Business Server 2008 integrates them in one place, which makes a huge difference. We get a green-check report every morning that shows us the overall health of the organization, which we never had before. We can now see how issues are interacting with each other, which makes troubleshooting much easier.”

Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Standard Edition, included in Windows Essential Business Server 2008, is significantly faster and more stable, and it provides more convenient remote messaging services to end users. “Our people can work offsite more easily now,” Dreyling says. “They can access Windows SharePoint® Services sites through Remote Web Workplace, which is a big convenience and timesaver. When we start using Remote Web Workplace, it will introduce tremendous efficiencies for staff working remotely.” Remote Web Workplace is a Windows Essential Business Server 2008 feature that provides an easy way for employees to access the company network from outside the company.

Benefits

Today, the WASSER Studios IT staff spends far more time on billable projects and new solutions and rests easier with the improved security and reliability of business systems.

• Reduced technology management work. “We’ve reduced our technology management chores by 50 percent with the move to Windows Essential Business Server 2008,” Dreyling says. “We’ve also reduced our server count, which represents a huge savings in ongoing maintenance work.”
  
  The Administration Console in Windows Essential Business Server 2008 gives Dreyling and Koop a real-time view of their environment and a single point of management. By monitoring servers and workstations from one place, they can see what’s happening and quickly diagnose problems. The remote-control tools eliminate most system-side visits and “save us three or four hours of effort in a typical week,” Dreyling says. “In the three months since we’ve installed Windows Essential Business Server, we’ve only scratched the surface of what it can do in term of automation and remote control.”
  
  Software updates, too, are much easier. “With Windows Essential Business Server 2008, we can see every morning if there were any problems with patch pushes, how many computers need to be updated, and any threats that need to be mitigated,” Koop says. “We can nip any intrusion in the bud.”
  
  
• More strategic use of IT staff. Windows Essential Business Server 2008 frees up Dreyling and Koop to do the strategic parts of their jobs. “We can spend more time with clients talking about new solutions and helping project managers serve their customers better,” Dreyling says. “We’re more billable now and have time, for instance, to develop more efficient SharePoint sites, move more content to [those sites], and upgrade internal applications.”
  
  Increased IT efficiency also helps the company operate more cost-effectively, which impacts prices and competitiveness. “We can do more with fewer people, and we’re making money instead of costing the business money,” Dreyling adds. “Plus, we’ve been able to consolidate both software and hardware and create a more stable environment.
  
  
• Increased peace of mind. WASSER Studios delivers files to clients worldwide, around the clock, so its systems have to be up. “Windows Essential Business Server 2008 has helped us reduce complexity and increase reliability,” Koop says. “We worry less and do far more.”
  

Windows Essential Server Solutions
Windows Essential Business Server 2008 is part of the Windows Essential Server Solutions family, designed to help small and midsize businesses boost productivity and growth. Based on the latest innovations, Windows Essential Server Solutions dramatically simplify the deployment, ongoing management, and use of server technology.

For more information about other Microsoft customer successes, please visit:
www.microsoft.com/ebs