When one of Spain’s largest insurance companies decided on an enterprise-wide deployment of Microsoft Office 2010, the terms of the licensing agreement meant that MAPFRE staff could install the latest Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010 suite on their home computers – for free. The Home Use program, offered under the Software Assurance portion of the Microsoft Office Enterprise Licensing Agreement, proved a huge success as nearly 10,000 employees signed up for the program. When these employees used the software at home, it resulted in greater expertise using Microsoft Office 2010, which improved their productivity at work.
Situation
MAPFRE is one of the largest and most established insurance companies in Spain. With a strong global presence, it employs 34,603 employees, 16,838 of which are in Spain.
 |
We were ensuring that they know how to use the [Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010] suite by the time we begin our migration to the new version, which would allow us to reduce our training, integration and IT support costs. |
 |
|
Antonio García Casquero
Labor and Social Relations Director
MAPFRE |
|
|
When the company decided on an enterprise-wide deployment of Microsoft Office 2010, they decided to take advantage of the Home Use Program (HUP), which is offered under the Software Assurance portion of the Microsoft Office Enterprise Licensing Agreement.
This program allows MAPFRE employees to download the latest version of the Microsoft Office suite – Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010 - to use on their home computers for free.
The decision to provide HUP to their employees stems from MAPFRE’s belief in investing in human capital. Antonio García Casquero, the Labor and Social Relations Director at MAPFRE, says: “We believe that giving employees access to the latest technology in the market is something very positive, both for them and the company itself.”
He cites an instance eight years ago, when MAPFRE launched an ADSL and PCs offer at very low prices to its staff. “At that time, ADSL lines could be considered the latest technology, plus we were interested in our employees' familiarization with Internet use, so we financed their PC purchase and subsidized part of the ADSL price as well,” says Casquero.
Solution
The investment in human capital proved such a success that the company did not hesitate when Microsoft proposed to offer Microsoft Office 2010 to their employees as part of the Office-at-Home Program.
Casquero says: “We thought that this could be a very interesting initiative. On one hand, we were making it possible for employees and their families to have a suite as modern and powerful as Microsoft Office 2010 in their homes. On the other hand, we were ensuring that they know how to use the [Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010] suite by the time we begin our migration to the new version, which would allow us to reduce our training, integration and IT support costs.”
Benefits
Strong Support for Home Use Program
The response to the offer was swift and decisive: Nearly 10,000 employees signed up for the Home Use Program, and Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010 has been implemented in the homes of more than half.
|
We believe that giving employees access to the latest technology in the market is something very positive, both for them and the company itself. |
|
|
Antonio García Casquero
Labor and Social Relations Director
MAPFRE |
|
|
As many employees were still using PCs which were up to eight years old, and did not support Microsoft Office 2010, the company sweetened the deal by giving staff an option to upgrade their hardware.
Casquero believes that the project has been a success. “Employees were very receptive from the beginning. We believe that giving employees access to the latest technology in the market is something very positive, both for them and the company itself.”
Good Relationship with Microsoft
Casquero also highlighted the positive relationship with Microsoft resulting from the project, and the overall simplicity of the process.
Asked about implementing the program, he says: “It was much easier than we expected. We thought that downloading so large a program could create problems, but it has been tremendously successful.”
Lower Training and IT Costs
MAPFRE’s migration to Microsoft Office 2010 in the workplace has been made much easier, as a result of the Home Use Program.
Casquero says: “We think it is much easier for employees to transition to Microsoft Office 2010 if they have previously used it at home. We are certain that in many cases a great deal of training will be unnecessary, because employees will know how to use the suite, particularly popular applications like Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, or Microsoft Excel.”
Nevertheless, training will be made available at the workplace. “When a company implements an unknown tool, training and support costs are high. The difference with this approach is that many employees would have been using Microsoft Office 2010 at home for close to a year by the time they get it in the workplace,” says Casquero.
As many of the company centers are scattered throughout Spain, the implementation process at MAPFRE is being carried out in stages.
“We started training the teams which will in turn provide support to the rest of the employees. This is the basis for implementation in the central offices, which will soon extend to the rest of the work centers throughout 2011,” says Casquero.
Building Employee Loyalty
The initiative, he says, is more than a gift for employees. He says: “This is an investment. We developed it as an employee benefit, but above all, it is an investment made by the company. Furthermore the ROI is realized as much in intangible as well as tangible assets.”
And a crucial intangible advantage of the Home Use Program is emotional compensation, or what a company provides to its employees beyond what it is required to do. Casquero says: “Our employees can say they get more from MAPFRE. This is an added value which helps us create loyalty among employees.”
Microsoft Office 2010
Microsoft Office 2010 gives your people powerful, timesaving tools to do their best work from more places. With new capabilities and insightful updates to Excel, PowerPoint, Word and Outlook, Office 2010 offers the complete package— with familiar, intuitive tools. Now you can express ideas, solve problems, connect with people, and create amazing results—in the office, at home, or on the go. For more information about Microsoft Office, go to: www.office.com
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 MAPFRE, visit the Web site at:
www.mapfre.com
Document published 3/16/11
