Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software from SAP has won a foundational place in the IT infrastructure of organizations around the world. REALTECH, based in Walldorf, Germany, is an international consulting firm with more than 700 SAP-certified specialists that have developed a specialized practice in helping organizations migrate SAP from UNIX/Oracle and other operating system/database stacks to the Microsoft® Application Platform. REALTECH, which is platform-neutral, reports that its customers are migrating SAP deployments to the Microsoft Application Platform, including Microsoft SQL Server®, to enjoy a lower total cost of ownership and ease of use. Customers migrating to SQL Server 2008 can take advantage of new compression technology which will be especially appreciated by organizations performing Unicode conversions which can double the size of existing databases.

Based in Düsseldorf, Germany, HSBC Trinkaus used several monitoring solutions to maintain a mixture of servers. It also lacked a detailed application-level monitoring system. By deploying Microsoft® System Center Operations Manager 2007 R2, the bank now has one place to view performance indicators for all systems and a way to monitor applications across multiple platforms.

The insurance industry depends on up-to-date information and complex calculations. Life insurance providers work with calculations that often extend for decades into the future and are therefore highly complicated. During the compilation of an insurance quotation, a consultant will require quick access to applications and data sources to be able to calculate the insurance premium. As an internal service provider of the ERGO Insurance Group, ITERGO looks after a number of well known insurance companies. The company values Microsoft as a reliable partner with regard to safeguarding IT services. Microsoft supplies provides strategic and logical use of new products and the ongoing support of IT operations. ITERGO constantly employs new technology, guarantees excellent availability and value for money, and provides a valuable contribution for the future of the ERGO Insurance Group.

Even for companies in the technology services sector, enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementations can be a real challenge. This was the case for Comparex Deutschland, a midsize IT service provider and systems integrator specializing in the design and support of data centers. The ERP system the company had in place was costly to support; because it lacked functionality Comparex required, such as reporting and customer relationship management (CRM), the company had to purchase and integrate other applications. The IT department decided to switch to a new business solution geared toward midsize companies. This move not only saved the company money, but resulted in a more comprehensive and integrated solution. Now the IT services provider enjoys the benefits of linked processes, a broad view of company operations, and much lower software maintenance costs.

B. Braun Melsungen AG, a maker and supplier of medical products and services, has 36,000 employees and offices and factories in 50 countries. To update its aging operating system with one image, the company is deploying the Windows Vista® Enterprise operating system on 12,000 user workstations. It is also relying on Windows® Internet Explorer® 7 and Microsoft® System Center Configuration Manager 2007. Anticipated benefits include enhanced security, reduced IT costs, and increased productivity.

Precision is the business of Nikon, a Japanese technology corporation. Whether dealing with a high-resolution camera or a scientifically precise microscope—the point is to always focus on the details. Before, Nikon GmbH Deutschland had a less detail-oriented approach to customer data. Data was distributed across several systems, which was more of a hindrance than a help to sales. Staff lacked important information during customer visits and found that routine tasks like preparing sales reports were a lot of work. Nikon decided to address these issues with professional CRM software. Nikon now is using Microsoft Dynamics® CRM for quick and simplified collection of data, which has resulted in better quality in the reporting system. Management now has much more sales information available for decision making. Also, more efficient business processes have resulted in additional timesavings.

Germany-based Metro Cash & Carry is an international leading player in self-service wholesale. In 2003, managers at the company decided to standardise the point of service (POS) systems at Metro Cash & Carry stores in 29 countries. Working with original equipment manufacturer Wincor Nixdorf, the METRO Group IT team deployed POS systems based on Windows® XP Embedded at outlets in four countries. In 2005, with the release of Windows Embedded for Point of Service, METRO Group decided to standardise on the retail-specific version of the operating system. The company found deploying POS systems based on the operating system straightforward because of Plug and Play functionality. Since completing an initial deployment in four countries, METRO Group has reduced the costs of managing its POS systems, increased security, and provided better service for its customers.

TÜV NORD Group provides inspection and certification services for numerous industries. With 8,000 employees spread across Germany and 70 other countries, the company sought a way to simplify remote access to IT resources. Mobile employees also needed an easier way to work with the company’s mission-critical customer relationship management system from SAP. And with databases growing by approximately 100 gigabytes a month, TÜV NORD needed an effective data-compression tool. In 2007, the company addressed its challenges with Windows Server® 2008, Microsoft® SQL Server® 2008, and Microsoft Visual Studio® 2008. As a result of its new solutions, TÜV NORD is saving money, accelerating remote-access setup, speeding application development, and boosting system security and availability.

Asklepios runs more than 95 hospitals and rehabilitation clinics across Europe and the United States. Working with Microsoft and Intel, Asklepios launched its Future Hospital Program. One of its aims was to boost service levels through the effective use of IT. The hospital decided to move its mission-critical SAP software from a SUN and Oracle environment to a Microsoft® and Intel® infrastructure. With Quad-Core Intel® Xeon® processors and Dual-Core Intel® Xeon® processors combined with Microsoft SQL Server™ 2005 Enterprise Edition and Windows Server® 2003 Enterprise Edition, the hospital has dramatically improved patient care and boosted SAP performance by 67 per cent. IT managers also find the new infrastructure quick and easy to manage. Intel and Microsoft completed the project in less than three months, with no interruption to the group’s day-to-day activities.

Asklepios launched a large-scale project, known as OneIT, to standardise its computing environment and enhance its delivery of medical services. The scale of the project was unprecedented in the history of the Germany healthcare industry.The standardisation programme was successfully completed in early 2007. During the project, around 200 computers were migrated to the OneIT standard every day, and 25 per cent of all computers were replaced entirely. The number of servers in the architecture was reduced from 120 to 20, resulting in a substantial increase in availability.