2 page Case Study - Posted 5/12/2008
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Health Services Center Treats Staff to New Remote Access, Boosts User Productivity
Business Needs
Montgomery County Memorial Hospital (MCMH) commits itself to providing high-quality health services to many communities throughout Southwest Iowa. Its objectives are to surpass the expectations of patients and stakeholders by challenging and rewarding the efforts of its physicians and staff, meeting health needs, and improving the health status of the communities it serves.
MCMH has a large infrastructure consisting of a number of Microsoft Windows®-based, Linux-based, and AIX-based servers. There are approximately 30 local servers running a mix of current and legacy Windows systems and programs in its environment. However, the legacy applications prevent migrating to a new version of the operating system as many of the existing health applications can only work with Windows 2000 Server. Consequently, this creates challenges in maintaining and supporting the infrastructure.
The lack of a reliable remote access solution from any location or browser prevented staff from getting critical work done when outside the facility. This created technical support challenges for the IT team resulting in frustrated users and new support tickets. In addition, the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) for connectivity was difficult to manage and a struggle to maintain; the limited VPN connectivity only worked when a computer with a VPN client installed was available. Staff would then try to install the VPN client on their home computers, which was an inadequate and less secure option and caused more aggravation. The hospital faced specific data requirements for HIPPA as well. A reliable server solution was in order.
Solution
MCMH considered Windows Server® 2008 Standard and the Terminal Services features to enable a solid remote access solution. It was also interested in exploring the presentation virtualization capabilities for integration with its line-of-business (LOB) applications. Before selecting Windows Server 2008 Standard, the hospital considered the cost of the solution, the ease of implementation, the recommendation of its IT partner and Microsoft Gold Certified Partner Heartland Technology Solutions (HTS), and the functionality of the product. Participating in the Windows Server® 2008 Technical Adoption Program (TAP) and witnessing the functionality and features also made it an easy decision. Most significantly, MCMH was able to leverage its software assurance benefits, which made the upgrade from Windows Server® 2003 very affordable.
HTS created the initial design by evaluating system and business needs, as well as future growth objectives, and built a plan to implement with minimal disruption to the MCMH team. HTS also committed to an ongoing support plan to ensure the system would continue functioning smoothly.
The deployment process was painless and fast, lasting only eight hours. HTS manually built and deployed one Intel-based Hewlett-Packard (HP) ProLiant Server, with plans to deploy five more Windows Server 2008 servers in the near future. MCMH will use its current installed hardware, and then additional HP ProLiant Servers, either ML or blade systems, as needed for additional power.
Benefits
With Windows Server 2008 Standard, MCMH staff can now access all business applications and customer data at any time and from any location, while simultaneously improving patient care. An integral part of the solution includes Terminal Services features, such as Terminal Services RemoteApp™ (TS RemoteApp), Terminal Services Easy Print, Terminal Services (TS) Gateway, and Terminal Services (TS) Web Access, along with system features such as Windows® Presentation Foundation and .NET Framework 3.0.
Other benefits include:
* Improved end-user productivity through faster access to LOB applications
* Improved application experience for end users through centrally stored data
* Provided easier and faster deployment of applications
* Provided more secure and easy access using TS Gateway
* Enables users to work from anywhere, and at any time
* Reduced print issues using Terminal Services Easy Print
By enabling dependable remote access to all information, MCMH can expand its access now that it no longer needs to purchase and support VPN connectivity. The addition on Network Access Protection (NAP) in the future will provide an even stronger security solution.
Looking ahead, MCMH plans to use the solution as its standard server platform, and will continue leveraging the product to update its network infrastructure.
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
