CDW

Technology Provider Improves Efficiency, Reduces Costs with Operating System

CDW stays on the leading edge of technology so that it can not only take advantage of increased efficiencies but also offer hands-on expertise to its customers. The company recently deployed the Windows® 7 operating system and has experienced faster deployments, increased user productivity, and enhanced security as a result. CDW also anticipates reduced costs due to a decrease in help-desk calls and the elimination of some third-party licenses.

 

Business Needs

CDW serves business customers across the United States, offering expertise in the areas of unified communications, security, remote managed services, virtualization, and desktop optimization. The company’s technology specialists design customized solutions, and its advanced technology engineers assist customers with the implementation and long-term management of those solutions.

The Software Sales Division within CDW helps customers increase efficiency through the use of the right software tools for a given job. The division is committed to running its own business on leading-edge technology so that sales staff have hands-on knowledge when recommending and implementing new solutions for customers.

CDW believes strongly in keeping pace with technology because it has seen first-hand the value that next-generation technology can bring to an organization. In keeping with that philosophy, the Software Sales Division had been using the Windows Vista® operating system since before it was released to the general public. Employees saw the gains that the system made possible in terms of user productivity, enhanced security, and desktop management, and they looked forward to making even greater strides when Microsoft released the next iteration of the Windows® operating system.

Solution

In January 2009, approximately 150 of the Software Sales Division’s 450 employees conducted their own individual deployments of the Windows 7 Beta operating system. “Users couldn’t wait to get their hands on the new technology,” says Doug Miller, Practice Architect for CDW. “We embraced Windows Vista, and we knew that the optimizations with Windows 7 were going to turn those good features into great features.”

Windows 7 is what a modern managed desktop should be. It helps us increase productivity, reduce costs, and provide enhanced desktop security. Doug Miller Practice Architect, CDW

The division began its official Windows 7 deployment to all 450 employees in May 2009, using Microsoft® System Center Configuration Manager 2007 to aid in the process. Improvements in the User State Migration Tool in Windows 7 helped CDW ensure that all information was transferred to the new system. “For us, a consistent user state is a key criteria in judging the success of a migration, and we’ve had no problem giving our users that consistency, from their files to their desktop wallpaper,” says Miller.

CDW has primarily deployed Windows 7 on its existing hardware, with its existing applications. “We’ve found very few application compatibility issues,” says Miller. “Up to 98 percent of our applications run well on Windows 7 without any work on our part, and it’s been easier to mitigate or resolve the few issues that have arisen than it was with previous operating systems.”

Users are taking advantage of new features in Windows 7, such as Federated Search, which makes it possible for them to seamlessly search their own desktop computers and the company’s Microsoft Office SharePoint® Server 2007–based document repositories. The division also will soon use the DirectAccess and BranchCache™ features, in conjunction with the Windows Server® 2008 R2 operating system, to make it easier for mobile workers to gain access to the network and data that they need. In addition to BitLocker™ Drive Encryption, which CDW used with Windows Vista, mobile workers now also use BitLocker To Go™, which helps safeguard information on USB storage devices.

In July 2009, the Software Sales Division will use System Center Configuration Manager 2007 to deploy virtualized applications through Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V)—part of the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack for Software Assurance. “We want to virtualize up to 60 applications using App-V,” says Miller. “Using App-V and Windows 7 will give our sales staff tremendous flexibility. With them, staff can segregate business files from the main operating system and demonstrate applications in a pristine environment, which minimizes the risk of operating system issues.”

Benefits

The response from users in the Software Sales Division has been so positive that other divisions in CDW have shown considerable interest in upgrading to the new operating system. “Windows 7 is what a modern managed desktop should be,” says Miller. “It helps us increase productivity, reduce costs, and provide enhanced desktop security. We’ve seen so much value in it that we’re eager to bring it to our customers.” Benefits include:

Faster, more cost-effective deployment

CDW has found that its Windows 7 deployments on new PCs have been 25 percent faster than with previous operating systems. “Migrations of existing computers have been up to 75 percent faster than in the past,” says Miller. “It will ultimately be 70 percent less expensive for us to upgrade to Windows 7 than previous systems because we can use existing hardware and reduce staff time necessary to handle the process.”

Better performance

CDW has noted faster system performance, too. “Windows 7 performs better than earlier systems—on the same hardware with no upgrades necessary,” says Miller. “We’re seeing a 25 percent drop in start-up times, along with about 33 percent better power management on Windows 7.”

Enhanced security

CDW appreciates the enhanced security that’s built in to Windows 7. “In addition to the improvements to User Account Control, we’ve found BitLocker To Go to be critical for us in ensuring that sensitive, customer-related data can’t be used maliciously,” says Miller.

Improved user productivity

CDW has received nothing but positive user feedback about Windows 7. “We’ve found Federated Search to be amazingly powerful—it probably saves me an hour a day of document hunting,” says Miller. “Users are pleased with the new interface and performance. Overall, everything’s a little faster and a little better.”

Reduced costs

CDW anticipates diminished operating costs due to its use of Windows 7. “We’ll be able to reduce our virtual private network licensing, consolidate server computers in the field, and significantly decrease our number of help-desk calls,” says Miller. “In fact, we plan to reallocate up to two full-time help-desk employees and apply them to more strategic, project-based work.”