Turkcell

Cellular Provider Reduces IT Support Costs by 20 Percent, Boosts User Productivity

Turkcell, a leading mobile communications provider, is deploying the Windows® 7 operating system to 5,000 computers. Once deployed, Turkcell expects to lower support by 20 percent and to improve user productivity by 830 hours weekly. Turkcell also anticipates improved network security.

 

Business Needs

Turkcell brought GSM-based mobile communication to Turkey in 1994, and in 1998 signed a 25-year GSM contract with the Turkish Ministry of Transportation. Since then, Turkcell has expanded its services and grown to 36.3 million subscribers. Turkcell is the leading GSM operator in Turkey and the third largest in Europe.

Turkcell has 5,000 computers, most running the Windows® XP operating system. The computers were divided evenly between desktop and portable systems and distributed in 12 branch offices. Deploying and updating operating systems and applications was time-consuming, as was troubleshooting issues on portable systems and remote computers.

Many Turkcell employees are mobile and log on to the company network many times a day. Connecting through virtual private networks (VPNs) was slow, and waiting for computers to turn on and off added to the productivity loss.

The Turkcell IT staff also worried about computer security. “With the number of portable computers rising, we were concerned about confidential business data being stolen and data traveling around on USB devices,” says Ozkan Oz, Client Systems Manager for Turkcell.

Solution

As part of the Windows 7 early adopter program, Turkcell deployed Windows 7 Beta to 200 computers to evaluate advances in desktop management, user productivity, and security. Turkcell used new deployment efficiencies in Windows 7, such as the hardlink migration feature in the User State Migration Tool, part of the Microsoft® Deployment Toolkit 2010 Beta, to speed operating system deployment. The IT staff can leave data on a computer while the operating system is being replaced.

Turkcell is excited about the Problem Steps Recorder feature in Windows 7, which enables users to reproduce and record steps leading up to an application failure and then send the data to the support staff. The support staff also uses the Windows Troubleshooting Platform to resolve user problems faster.

We have seen deployment savings of approximately 45 minutes per system with Windows 7. Annually we deploy about 1,500 systems, which is a productivity gain of 1,125 hours. Gokboru Kilic Client Systems Professional, Turkcell

The Windows XP Mode in Windows 7 will facilitate the migration of thousands of Windows XP–based computers to Windows 7. This feature, available in the Windows 7 Professional and higher editions, provides a virtual Windows XP environment capable of running Windows XP–compatible applications. “This mode is very important, because we have many older applications,” says Gokboru Kilic, Client Systems Professional at Turkcell. “It will be easy to upgrade all our computers to Windows 7.” Turkcell plans companywide deployment when the Release Candidate is available.

Turkcell is running Windows 7 on the same hardware that has run Windows XP, and “Windows 7 runs better than Windows XP,” Oz says. “We do not think that we will need to upgrade hardware to deploy Windows 7. Windows 7 also provides much faster startup time—less than 30 seconds for Windows 7 versus 90 seconds for Windows XP.”

Windows 7 will also shortcut logon time for mobile users. Using the Windows 7 DirectAccess feature together with the Windows Server® 2008 R2 operating system, remote staff can more simply access the network, eliminating VPN connections. IT staff can use DirectAccess to safeguard mobile systems with the latest security updates.

Turkcell is evaluating Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V) version 4.5 to stream applications to client computers on demand. Applications run on a virtual server and are delivered to individual virtual machines on desktop computers for as long as they are needed.

Turkcell is also evaluating the AppLocker™ feature in Windows 7 to limit application downloads and the BitLocker To Go™ feature, which extends data protection to USB storage devices and enables the IT staff to monitor them using Group Policy.

Benefits

By deploying Windows 7 companywide, Turkcell expects to save money on computer deployment, support, and electricity; increase user productivity; and improve network and data security.

Streamlined Computer Management

Using Windows 7 compatibility features, Turkcell will be able to upgrade all client computers, providing users with the latest security protections and efficiencies without concern for application compatibility issues. “We have seen deployment savings of approximately 45 minutes per system with Windows 7,” Kilic says. “Annually we deploy about 1,500 systems, which is a productivity gain of 1,125 hours.”

Turkcell also expects support time savings from the use of Windows 7 remote-assistance features. “We expect support costs to drop by 20 percent with Windows 7,” Kilic says. The savings continue with Windows 7 power efficiencies. “Our electricity spending today would power a small Turkish city,” Kilic says with a touch of humor. “With Windows 7, we will reduce our electrical costs. And because Windows 7 is so efficient, our hardware investments last longer. We can move from a three-year to a four-year refresh cycle.”

Increased User Productivity

Oz estimates that faster startup and shutdown with Windows 7 will save each user approximately 2 minutes each day. “With 5,000 users, that’s 830 hours to save per week,” Oz says. “This is a significant boost for the company.” Also, using DirectAccess, mobile employees can more easily connect to the network to access needed files.

Enhanced Security and Control

Turkcell knows that by using DirectAccess, security updates are applied regularly to all computers. With enhanced security, Turkcell can better avoid malware, unauthorized downloads, and loss of data on mobile storage devices.

“Turkcell is a pioneer in wireless communications in Turkey,” Oz concludes. “We are also pioneers, being one of the first in Turkey to deploy Windows 7 to operate more efficiently and competitively.”