2 page Case Study - Posted 5/12/2008
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School District Pursues High Technology Goals for Students and Staff
Business Needs
The Tri-Center school district has approximately 400 client workstations connected to an infrastructure supported by twelve servers. This number of users creates a high demand for effective technology. High demand, combined with the limitations of an outsourced IT support team, meant that the district had a strong need for an efficient, reliable network infrastructure.
Before its recent upgrade, Tri-Center district staff used a virtual private network (VPN) for remote access services. However, as time passed, Tri-Center found that demand for remote access exceeded the VPN abilities. On one hand, the district was buying and configuring individual VPN clients for users who needed remote access. As demand grew, this method became clunky and expensive. Staff members had to install VPN software on their home machines, which resulted in high numbers of helpdesk calls. Because the district was buying individual VPN clients, it was financially unable to provide remote access to all users. As a result, staff members working offsite had to drive to the school to access data. Neither option presented an effective long-term solution.
The school began looking for a solution that would provide seamless remote access, as well as a robust platform for line-of-business (LOB) applications.
Solution
Tri-Center Community Schools worked with Heartland Technology Solutions (HTS) to develop a long-term solution tailored to its remote access needs. HTS has a longstanding relationship with Microsoft, and had served as the district’s outsourced IT department for a number of years. Together, the district and HTS chose Windows Server® 2008 to meet Tri-Center’s needs.
As the first of ten planned upgrades, a manually installed server was successfully configured and deployed. Immediately following the upgrade, the district noticed that its Hewlett-Packard (HP) ProLiant Server with Intel processors was responding with more power, speed, and efficiency.
The district is using Windows Server 2008 Terminal Services features, such as Terminal Services Easy Print and Terminal Services Gateway (TS Gateway) to provide the seamless remote access they were hoping for. The district had participated in the Windows Server 2008 Technical Adoption Program (TAP) program, and so it was able to see in advance how the functionality and features of Windows Server 2008 would provide solutions to the problems they were facing.
The entire deployment process was successful. HTS had a detailed strategy for implementation and integration into the existing infrastructure, so the district saw no noticeable impact on their organization.
Benefits
Tri-Center users now have access to excellent remote access services. Not only has the reliability and efficiency of remote access improved, but because the district no longer has to buy and configure individual VPN connections, more users can have access as well. This also eliminated frequent helpdesk support calls regarding remote access issues.
The improved efficiency with remote access has not only improved productivity, it has also raised satisfaction levels among staff, students, and parents. One example of the benefits provided by the upgrade is through the use of an online gradebook. The online gradebook has simplified the grading process, providing staff, students, and parents with more up-to-date information. Most significantly, staff is no longer required to return to school on weekends or evenings to enter grades, and can complete these tasks from the convenience of their home.
The easy deployment, combined with the quick learning curve, good interface, and excellent usability has saved the district money, improved employee morale, and decreased helpdesk calls.
Other benefits include:
* Decreased server management time by four hours per week
* Improved staff productivity by providing efficient remote access
* Reduced helpdesk calls by 10%
* Improved staff satisfaction
* Improved application experience for users
* Easier and faster deployment of LOB applications
Going forward, the district expects lower support costs, more users taking advantage of remote access, and greater network security as NAP becomes a mainstream option.
Windows Server 2008
Windows Server 2008, with built-in Web and virtualization technologies, enables you to increase the reliability and flexibility of your server infrastructure. New virtualization tools, Web resources, and security enhancements help you save time, reduce costs, and provide a platform for a dynamic and optimized datacenter. Powerful new tools like IIS 7.0, Server Manager, and Windows® PowerShell, allow you to have more control over your servers and streamline Web, configuration, and management tasks. Advanced security and reliability enhancements like Network Access Protection and the Read-Only Domain Controller option for Active Directory Domain Services harden the operating system and help protect your server environment to ensure you have a solid foundation on which to build your business.
For more information, go to:
www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008
