2 page Case Study - Posted 5/5/2009

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Key Mechanical of Washington

Refrigeration Services Company Improves Integration and Grows Revenue by 50 Percent

For more than three decades, Kent, Washington–based Key Mechanical of Washington has supplied commercial clients with heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration sales and service. Its mixed-technology environment was difficult to update and made remote and mobile access challenging. After deploying Windows® Small Business Server 2008, Key Mechanical reduced costs, enhanced network security and management, and grew its business capacity.

Business Needs

Since 1975, Key Mechanical of Washington has served customers in the commercial building and food industries, helping businesses keep tenants comfortable and food products cold. In addition to its headquarters in Kent, Washington, Key Mechanical has offices in Livermore, California, and Portland, Oregon.

The company has no internal IT support but relies on consulting firm Network Support for Small Business for its IT needs. Key Mechanical had been running a mixed IT environment comprising a server running the Windows® Small Business Server 2003 operating system, another server running Sybase SQL Anywhere for the company’s dispatching and inventory line-of-business application, a BlackBerry server, and a Citrix terminal server.

The mixed environment created some challenges. Among them were compatibility issues, such as using printers with Citrix on Windows Terminal Server 2003. And, when server updates needed to be installed, John Harris, Director of Technology for Network Support for Small Business, would have to travel to company headquarters to handle the sometimes problematic process, costing time and money. In addition, although some Key Mechanical managers wished to access the network remotely on evenings or weekends, the company limited remote access because of security concerns.

To stay in touch with customers and the office, most of Key Mechanical’s staff relied on Blackberry devices that ran on a separate Blackberry server. Each time a device experienced problems, it needed to be shipped to the main office in Washington for repair, leaving employees without mobile e-mail for a week or more. “Our customers use e-mail to submit service requests and order parts,” says Frank Leonard, President of Key Mechanical of Washington. “If a customer request does not come through, it impacts the company’s productivity and customer satisfaction.”

Finally, the company was looking to minimize costs and improve business efficiencies wherever possible. Like many businesses these days, Key Mechanical wanted to do more with less.

Solution

Because Key Mechanical likes to stay on the leading edge of technology, the company decided to participate in the Technology Adoption Program for Windows Small Business Server 2008. As part of the new server solution, Network Support deployed Windows Small Business Server 2008 Premium, which includes Microsoft SQL Server® 2008 Standard Edition for Small Business data management software (with downgrade rights) and the Windows

Our revenue has grown by 50 percent. Thanks to the increased efficiencies and streamlining of processes provided by Windows Small Business Server 2008, we haven’t had to hire additional employees. Frank Leonard President, Key Mechanical of Washington

As part of the larger infrastructure improvements, Key Mechanical moved from Blackberry devices to Windows Mobile® 6 phones with Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Standard Edition. Exchange Server 2007 Standard Edition is part of Windows Small Business Server 2008.

Further, Key Mechanical has moved from the Citrix server to using the Terminal Server role service in Windows Server 2008. This feature integrates easily with the company’s line-of-business application, and users are now printing reports and documents easily.

To streamline system updates, Network Support implemented Windows Server Update Services 3.0, part of Windows Small Business Server 2008. It automatically checks for software updates and pushes them out to Windows-based computers. In addition, improved security settings with remote capabilities have enabled Harris to set permissions to individual PCs for remote access to the network.

Benefits

Key Mechanical has seen substantial benefits from the deployment of Windows Small Business Server 2008, including cost savings, improved security and management, enhanced business processes, a simplified user experience, and new business opportunities.

• Saves money. Leonard estimates that Key Mechanical is saving U.S.$50,000 a year due to reduced IT expenses and improved employee productivity. He points out that downtime from Blackberry devices alone lost $4,000 per month in labor costs.
  
  Additionally, automated server updating has eliminated visits by Network Support every time an update is released. This has saved Key Mechanical $9,000 per year. Also, eliminating the Citrix licensing fee has saved Key Mechanical $3,000 a year.
  
  
• Enhances network security and management. Harris estimates that he now spends 50 percent less time each month managing the network and security updates. Windows Server Update Services 3.0 offers automated reports on network health. “It is really helping me maintain the network effectively,” says Harris, “From one screen, I can see which computers have problems and which ones don’t have updates. I can react before small issues become big problems.”
  
  Another improvement is the ability to limit remote access to a single PC. The company has changed its remote access policy and allows managers to access network servers from home or on the road.
  
  
• Simplifies user experience. “The integration of Windows Mobile phones with the rest of the network is such an improvement,” says Harris. “An employee recently lost a phone while travelling. He went to a retail store, replaced his phone, and all he had to do was sync, and the unit had all his information.”
  
  Windows SharePoint® Services 3.0, a feature of Windows Server 2008, provides collaboration and productivity tools that Key Mechanical now uses widely. Leonard says, “The new functionality is so simple that a nontechnical individual can figure it out. We can maintain our internal and external Web sites ourselves.”
  
  
• Helps grow business capacity. Key Mechanical has experienced impressive revenue growth recently without needing to hire additional employees. “In the past two years, our revenue has grown by 50 percent,” says Leonard. “Thanks to the increased efficiencies and streamlining of processes provided by Windows Small Business Server 2008, we haven’t had to hire additional employees.”