HiPerformance Systems Botswana

Solution Provider Reduces IT Work by Two-Thirds, Frees Up Time to Grow Business

HiPerformance Systems Botswana (HPS), a technology solution provider in Botswana, spent so much time managing its own technology that it cut into time with customers. HPS deployed a beta version of Windows® Essential Business Server 2008 on HP servers to gain sophisticated management, messaging, and security tools. As a result, HPS has reduced IT management work by 66 percent, enhanced security, and freed staff time to help customers solve similar problems.

 

Business Needs

HiPerformance Systems Botswana (HPS) is a leading technology solution provider in Botswana that has provided a range of technology implementation services to organizations of all sizes since 1994. HPS is also a Microsoft® Gold Certified Partner and an HP partner.

While HPS successfully helped its customers move to the latest technologies to streamline their IT workload, it needed to work the same wonders in its own business. “With just 50 employees, we couldn’t justify a full-time IT administrator, so the job fell to me,” says Rob Silver, Lead Enterprise Consultant for HiPerformance Systems Botswana. “I was often interrupted at customer sites to fix e-mail and Internet problems back at the office. I probably spent five to seven hours each week managing HPS technology when I should have focused on helping customers and generating revenue.”

HPS had 55 desktop computers, 8 servers, and a variety of management, backup, and security software. None of the software was integrated, and Silver was unable to centrally or proactively manage the company’s technology. He spent most of his time reacting to problems. “We didn’t keep our desktop or server software updated, because it took about 25 hours a week. That left our network vulnerable to malware,” Silver says. “We used Symantec Raptor for a perimeter defense, but it took about four hours per month to manage. Just backing up files over the network and troubleshooting and restarting backup jobs took about 30 minutes a day.”

HPS realized that many of its midsize customers faced the same problems. “We have been quite successful helping enterprise customers solve their business problems, and now we needed to help our smaller customers do the same,” says John Moir, Director of Professional Services for HiPerformance Systems Botswana. “Midsize businesses need to optimize their technology infrastructures so they can implement productivity, collaboration, and business intelligence solutions.”

Solution

HPS turned to Microsoft and learned about Windows® Essential Business Server 2008, which packages management, messaging, and security software in one integrated solution. HPS joined the Microsoft Technology Adoption Program for the product and deployed the beta version of Windows Essential Business Server 2008 Standard in a single weekend. HPS will later upgrade to Windows Essential Business Server 2008 Premium, which includes Microsoft SQL Server® 2008 data management software, and run its Microsoft Dynamics® NAV enterprise resource planning software on that program.

I was spending between five and seven hours a week on internal technology management chores, and that's down to about two hours a week. Rob Silver Lead Enterprise Consultant, HiPerformance Systems Botswana

HPS runs Windows Essential Business Server 2008 on three HP DL185 servers with two Quad Core AMD Opteron processors. “HP hardware is very good and very reliable,” Moir says. “This is important, because our messaging and security servers cannot go down.” HPS uses Hyper-V™ virtualization technology—part of the Windows Server® 2008 operating system, which is the foundation of Windows Essential Business Server products—to run Microsoft Office SharePoint® Server 2007 collaboration software on one of these servers inside a separate virtual machine. “Using virtualization, we have consolidated servers and create data snapshots every 15 minutes; if someone loses a file, we simply revert to a previous snapshot,” Silver says.

Silver uses the Administration Console in Windows Essential Business Server 2008 to centrally and proactively manage the company’s entire IT infrastructure. The program’s built-in security features provide sound, automated protection from external threats. “I have been able to remove myself from IT operations at HPS and focus on customers,” he says. “First thing in the morning, I use the program’s green-check report to see if e-mail and the Internet are working. If there is a problem, I can see and fix it before users start calling.”

Silver can also monitor bandwidth usage. “The cost of Internet bandwidth is very high in Africa, and we are now able to detect and deny downloads of music, videos, and other non-work-related content that sap bandwidth,” Moir says.

Benefits

HPS has reduced its technology management chores by 66 percent and strengthened network protection, freeing Silver to focus on solving customer problems.

• Reduced technology management time. “I was spending between five and seven hours a week on internal technology management chores, and that’s down to about two hours a week,” Silver says. “Plus, I’m able to do more during that time with the centralized view of our network. I save 30 minutes a day, or 10 hours a month, in backup work alone. Since deploying Windows Essential Business Server 2008 and managing our technology proactively, I have not received a single support call.”
  
  
• Enhanced network protection. By automating its software update process, HPS now keeps all its computers updated and well protected. “It takes me 15 minutes each week to update more than 60 computers, whereas we simply didn’t do this before because of the time it took,” Silver says. “We can also better prevent malware from entering the network using the many security features built into Windows Essential Business Server 2008. We have a simply managed firewall and can see who’s connecting to our network.”
  
  
• New opportunities for business growth. HPS has been able to use its Windows Essential Business Server 2008 know-how to help customers. “We now have a big competitive advantage in selling the solution to customers,” Moir says. “We understand what the product can do and how to use it. It’s proved to be very reliable, and support from Microsoft has been astounding. We can now help our midsize customers create a stable infrastructure and monitor problems proactively.”

 

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