1-page Solution Brief - Posted 5/13/2008
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Chamber of Commerce Increases Revenue by 20 Percent with Seamless Mobile Solution
“With Windows Mobile, our sales team can be productive from wherever they are.”
—Kenneth Oplinger, President and CEO, Bellingham/Whatcom Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Business Needs
As President and CEO of the Bellingham/Whatcom Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Kenneth Oplinger spends a majority of his time traveling, but found it difficult to be productive while on the road. “We had no way to access our office e-mail remotely, which made it challenging to keep in touch with key people,” explains Oplinger. “We also found that sometimes sales goals weren’t met because our salespeople were chained to their desks instead of out in the field.”
The Chamber needed a cost-effective solution to help its employees stay in touch and increase productivity.
Solution
In 2007, IT solutions provider Hardlines Company encouraged the Chamber to participate in the beta program for Windows® Small Business Server 2008, which included using Windows Mobile® 5.0 and Windows Mobile 6 devices and upgrading to the 2007 Microsoft® Office system.
“We looked at other options, but this solution was very cost-effective,” says Oplinger. “Also, our employees are used to the Microsoft Office environment, so it made sense to stick with a familiar user interface. Windows Mobile is very easy to use.”
The Chamber installed Windows Small Business Server 2008 in the office, and began using Windows Mobile 5.0 on two Palm Treo smartphones and Windows Mobile 6 on an additional two Palm Treo smartphones.
Benefits
Thanks to its Windows Mobile powered smartphones, the Chamber is using its newfound freedom to increase revenue and enhance productivity.
- Increased sales. With Windows Mobile, the sales team is able to spend more time in the field. Sponsorship sales have increased 20 percent over last year, and membership sales are projected to rise at least 10 percent.
- Flexibility and freedom. Windows Mobile automatically synchronizes with Windows Small Business Server 2008 and the Microsoft Office Outlook® 2007 messaging and collaboration client, so Chamber employees can access e-mail, schedule appointments, and update contacts from their mobile devices or desktop computers.
- Return on investment. “We’ve already recouped the cost of the equipment and enough to pay the cell phone bills for a good chunk of the year,” Oplinger says. “We’re very pleased.”
