4-page Case Study - Posted 7/30/2009

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Computacenter

IT Service Provider Enhances Connections, Productivity with Operating System Upgrade

   
As a leading IT service provider in Europe, Computacenter wanted to simplify its own computer environment with an operating system that would provide reliable network access and high performance, while enhancing its ability to safeguard data. By deploying the Windows® 7 operating system, the company can offer its highly mobile workforce a better link to corporate resources, while simplifying security management and increasing employee productivity.

Situation

One of the leading independent providers of IT services in Europe, Computacenter helps its corporate and government customers develop IT strategies, deploy appropriate solutions, and manage their technology infrastructures. With offices throughout Europe, Computacenter employs more than 10,000 IT professionals and generates total annual revenues of more than £2.5 billion (U.S.$4.05 billion).

Previous operating systems seemed designed for the machine. Windows 7 lets you step forward and work with the machine the way humans work. It’s more intuitive, and in the end, much more productive. Joerg Blotevogel-Baltronat Senior Consultant for Client Server Solutions, Computacenter

Computacenter technicians and customer service representatives need simple and reliable access to the corporate network while working in the field. To help protect data—both Computacenter’s and its customers’—in the event that portable computers or external drives are lost, stolen, or damaged, the company has relied on third-party encryption software.

Like many of its customers, Computacenter is a very large enterprise, faced with similar IT management challenges. As a world leader in IT services, Computacenter needs to be familiar and proficient with the most current and advanced technologies available. More importantly, it needs to be confident in the solutions it deploys for its customers.

Computacenter wanted to simplify its computer environment with a single operating system that would provide its employees with reliable network access and high computer performance, while being compatible with existing applications and hardware. The company also sought a solution that would help it protect its own and its customers’ sensitive information. Finally, it wanted to deploy and become familiar with a technology that would be valuable to its customers.

Solution

In May 2009, Computacenter began participating in an early adopter program at Microsoft, deploying an early-release version of the Windows 7 Enterprise operating system on 50 computers across every Computacenter site in Germany, to almost every role in the enterprise—from technicians and sales representatives to managers.

To accelerate the pilot, Computacenter used the Windows Automated Installation Kit, a suite of tools designed to help IT professionals customize, automate, and deploy Windows 7. The Computacenter IT department has found that it will not have to upgrade the company’s existing hardware to be compatible with and perform effectively with Windows 7.

“Far from having to upgrade hardware, we have found the opposite is true,” says Olaf Dammann, Team Leader for Workplace Solutions at Computacenter. “We see how we are going to be able to run Windows 7 on some of our lower-grade laptops.”

After evaluating the basic functionality of Windows 7, Computacenter found the pilot deployment successful, and intends to deploy Windows 7 throughout the enterprise in Germany as soon as possible. As it deploys the new operating system, the company will evaluate some of the specific features in Windows 7.

Computacenter intends to deploy the BitLocker™ drive encryption and BitLocker To Go™ features in Windows 7. Computacenter will use BitLocker drive encryption to safeguard data on hard drives, while using BitLocker To Go to encrypt removable drives, without having to use and manage third-party encryption software.

Because Computacenter is planning to deploy the Windows Server® 2008 R2 operating system in its server environment, it can take advantage of the DirectAccess feature in Windows 7. With DirectAccess, Computacenter users will be able to connect to the corporate network while working in the field, without having to rely on a VPN, and the IT department will be able to monitor and manage remote computers that are connected to the Internet.

Far from having to upgrade hardware, we have found the opposite is true. We see how we are going to be able to run Windows 7 on some of our lower-grade laptops. Olaf Dammann Team Leader for Workplace Solutions, Computacenter

Benefits

With Windows 7, Computacenter can offer its highly mobile employees reliable access to its corporate resources while enhancing its ability to safeguard information and increase productivity.  And by simplifying its own IT environment with Windows 7, the company is increasing its familiarity with a system it will undoubtedly deploy for its customers.

“Everybody at Computacenter is talking about Windows 7,” says Jochen Rapp, Practice Leader for Workplace Solutions at Computacenter. “We’re getting positive feedback from everywhere in the company, and everybody wants the new system.”

Reliable Network Access

Because Windows 7 works well with the VPN software Computacenter runs, field representatives can reliably connect to the corporate network when working with customers. With DirectAccess, mobile users will be able to connect to the network with any Internet connection, so Computacenter can bypass the need for additional software to support a VPN. With reliable access to corporate resources, Computacenter employees can maintain high productivity and customer satisfaction.

Simple Security and Control

Computacenter anticipates being able to reduce costs and complexity by no longer having to rely on external encryption solutions to help protect data on internal and removable drives. It also sees how its customers will benefit using the security and control features in Windows 7. “It’s one less group of licenses people will need to buy, and one less piece of software to manage,” says Rapp.

High Performance

Computacenter has found that using Windows 7, its employees can perform their jobs at the level the company needs to maintain high productivity and support the needs of its customers.

“Previous operating systems seemed designed for the machine,” says Joerg Blotevogel-Baltronat, Senior Consultant for Client Server Solutions at Computacenter. “Windows 7 lets you step forward and work with the machine the way humans work. It’s more intuitive, and in the end, much more productive.”

Windows 7
Works the way you want:  Windows 7 will help your organization use information technology to gain a competitive advantage in today’s new world of work. Your people will be able to be more productive anywhere. You will be able to support your mobile workforce with better access to shared data and collaboration tools. And your IT staff will have better tools and technologies to enhance corporate IT security, data protection, and more efficient deployment and management.

For more information about Windows 7, go to:
www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7

For More Information

For more information about Microsoft products and services, call the Microsoft Sales Information Center at (800) 426-9400. In Canada, call the Microsoft Canada Information Centre at (877) 568-2495. Customers in the United States and Canada who are deaf or hard-of-hearing can reach Microsoft text telephone (TTY/TDD) services at (800) 892-5234. Outside the 50 United States and Canada, please contact your local Microsoft subsidiary. To access information using the World Wide Web, go to:
www.microsoft.com

For more information about Computacenter products and services, visit the Web site at:
www.computacenter.com or www.computacenter.de