GCRP Search Results

Consulting Firm Enhances Work-Life Balance with Unified Communications

A desire to deliver the best outcomes for its clients and provide a manageable work-life balance for employees drove A.T. Kearney to provide its consultants with tools to develop and maintain relationships with clients all over the world while also staying connected to colleagues and family members closer to home. The company first looked at adding unified communications capabilities such as instant messaging, presence, and softphone capability for mobile voice over IP (VoIP) to its existing Cisco VoIP solution, but it found that Microsoft® Office Communications Server could provide a full solution for a fraction of the cost. After the deployment was completed for all 3,400 employees in March 2008, consultants could collaborate more effectively with each other and with clients, streamlining processes and project times, and gaining more ways to pursue better work-life balance.

80 Percent Students Shift from Aging e-mail Solution; Adopt Web Based Communication and Collaboration Services

Located in the heart of India's premier educational centre, the city of Pune, Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning (SCDL) is a centre of excellence, offering quality distance education. But the institute’s hosted e-mail service was not user friendly, and took too much time and money to manage. To reduce spending, it decided to replace its aging, in-house student e-mail solution with a hosted solution. SCDL chose Microsoft® Live@edu, a set of free Web-based communication and collaboration services. Students are excited about the new solution’s reliability, as well as the ability to organize their communications in one place. The solution offers online storage with Windows Live™ SkyDrive. Students are using Live@edu to get better organized, and improve communications with their faculty.

Software-plus-Services Helps Increase Margins and Deliver Greater Value to Customers

Outsourcing business Steria wanted to standardise processes and provide clients with a transparent view of performance improvements. It selected business process content management software Control from Nimbus, which initially delivered the software as a service for the pilot client account. After successful testing, it was migrated to systems hosted by Steria where it is helping the company deliver the standardisation and transparency required within a collaborative environment.

Strengthening foundation of real time enterprise based on UC and collaboration Platform

From November 2008 till July 2009, S-OIL built an enterprise-wide communications and collaboration platform. S-OIL not only upgraded its existing groupware but also from an integration perspective, chose to a method to link a single platform for portal, collaboration, groupware, mobile, search, messenger and video conferencing as well as IP telephony utilizing Microsoft’s technologies and solution.
In addition, it deployed 2007 Microsoft Office System in the business user environment and laid the groundwork for comprehensive enterprise security system with Active Directory and Forefront product families. With this project, S-OIL achieves more about 121% of ROI effects including innovation of conference culture, improvement of payment related work processing speed and real time support of decision making.

Search for enterprise-wide Desktop optimization

COSTEL, which is a company in the built-in electronic devices area, focused on the robust security of Windows Vista as an alternative for providing high levels of security on desktop that can easily remain as a blind spot of management. COSTEL, which was reviewing enterprise-wide deployment perceived some burden in acquiring application compatibility, so it applied Vista in limited parts. In the middle of this, it saw the emergence of 2009 Window 7 Beta and conducted reviews. Results showed that it can guarantee compatibility with various options and confirmed the existence of alternatives, so COSTEL began expanding enterprise-wide distribution. Currently as of October 2009, having completed distribution to about 10% of all PCs, results showed that COSTEL will be able to reduce time spent for managing PCs by two folds if it uses Windows 7.

Botswana Brings 60 Per Cent of Local Councils Up to Date with Accounting

The Botswana Ministry of Local Government needed to automate its business management systems to reduce a huge backlog of unclosed manual accounts in local authorities. The ministry worked with Microsoft® Certified Partner PSU International in deploying Microsoft Dynamics® GP 8.0 business management software. Today, 60 per cent of local councils are up to date with their returns compared to zero in 2002, when the project started.

Video Surveillance Systems Gain Redundancy and Availability

Video Management Systems Run on Windows Embedded Server

Homeland Security, gaming, public safety, education, transportation—these are just some of the markets for next-generation video surveillance technology. By hosting video management system applications on storage appliances running Windows® Server 2003 R2 for Embedded Systems, Pivot3 has solved the problem of how to store and manage all the data being generated. Windows Embedded delivers broad-based application compatibility, making the robust, reliable, hardened storage appliances easy to deploy and integrate into existing enterprise infrastructure.

Hosting Provider Uses Scalable Computing to Create Hybrid Backup Solution

Microsoft Partner, Mamut, provides integrated software solutions and Internet services, including CRM, sales force, logistics, accounting, e-commerce, domain name, e-mail, and Web hosting services, for small and medium-sized businesses in Europe. Mamut chose to implement the Windows Azure platform in order to extend its on-premises solutions with scalable computing power and mass data storage capabilities to create hybrid solutions that will allow the company to offer more services and reach more customers. With Windows Azure, Mamut can now expand its offerings and customer base without investing in additional servers for increased scalability and availability.

Virtual Campus Solution Delivers Return on Investment in First Year of Operation

E-learning specialist Aula Salud wanted a highly available, robust, and cost-effective solution to deliver education programs with video streaming for healthcare professionals in Spain. Aula Salud chose Atnova, which offered this kind of solution based entirely on Microsoft® technologies, rather than open-source development tools. With these solutions, Aula Salud achieved increased student numbers and a return on investment in the first year.

Engineering Firm Boosts Productivity Management with Integrated System

TWP Projects in South Africa needed a single integrated system for project management and accounting, including a tool to integrate employee timesheets with invoices. The company replaced its Softline Pastel and open-source systems with Microsoft Dynamics® SL business management software. Now, it has an integrated view of operations and revenue streams, which is boosting its ability to maximise profits and eliminating the risk of billing time incorrectly.

Accounting Firm Boosts Productivity Through Rapid Adoption of Easy-to-Use CRM Solution

To drive continued growth, Plante Moran, a leading U.S.–based financial services firm, needed to automate business development efforts. The company sought to replace its IBM Lotus Notes contact management system with an easy-to-use customer relationship management system built on a flexible, scalable platform. After evaluating a number of packaged solutions, Plante Moran chose Microsoft Dynamics® CRM based on its intuitive interface, powerful built-in toolset, and integration with line-of-business systems and productivity applications. Microsoft® Gold Certified Partner Ascentium helped Plante Moran tailor the solution to automate key business functions, such as its client acceptance process. Since deploying the solution to 1,600 consultants, Plante Moran has strengthened its business development efforts and gained the agility to pursue strategic growth initiatives.

Energy Solution Provider Boosts Performance and Security with Latest Operating System

Genea provides energy management solutions to commercial property owners. Its Building Optimization Platform provides visibility into and control over energy consumption from the point of demand through billing for property managers and tenants. When it decided to create a Web-enabled, hosted version of its solution, Genea chose to use the Windows® 7 operating system for its performance, security features, scalability, and built-in Microsoft® .NET Framework 3.5 technology, along with Windows Server® 2008 R2 Enterprise for high availability. Genea noted that key software components of its solution run 35 percent faster on Windows 7 than on previous operating systems. The company is streamlining management of the Building Optimization Platform through enhanced remote access capabilities, while delivering a highly reliable solution that can handle large transaction volumes.

Aviva Reduces Cost of IT Estate After Implementing Management Solution

United Kingdom–based Aviva wanted to rationalise the number of software management systems in line with the company’s aims of reduced IT costs and greater effectiveness. With Microsoft® Services Premier Support and a designated Technical Account Manager (TAM), Aviva deployed Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 across its network in a timely manner. Today, the company has reduced IT costs and continues to drive efficiencies with the help of its TAM.

3M Ports Library Software to Latest Operating System; Improves Performance, Usability

The Track and Trace Solutions Department of 3M, a Fortune 500 company, provides radio frequency identification (RFID) solutions. One such solution is the 3M™ RFID System, which is used by nearly 1,000 libraries and other facilities. To ensure customers can easily transition to and quickly benefit from the Windows® 7 operating system, 3M recently migrated its library RFID applications from Windows Vista® to run on Windows 7. The applications have nearly 2 million lines of code, yet it took just two days to verify the migration results—and no modifications to the applications were needed. As a result, 3M has noted enhanced security and reliability, and application performance improvements of up to 30 percent. Library patrons and staff should realize enhanced ease of use and productivity, strong support services, and simple deployments.

Concur Quickly Deploys, Easily Manages Mobile Travel and Expense Application

Mobile capabilities like booking a hotel, restaurant, or taxi while on the go are essential for travel and entertainment (T&E) management solutions. Concur’s T&E solutions are available to its millions of business travelers through its mobile application powered by Windows® Mobile®. To diminish complexity for Concur and its customers’ IT departments, Concur Mobile was developed, and is managed with a rapid mobile application platform available from Microsoft® Gold Certified Partner Pyxis Mobile.

Systems Integrator Launches Innovative Software with Minimal Capital Investment

To improve its own development process, Dot Net Solutions created a virtual project-collaboration application. When the software, called ScrumWall, drew great interest from customers, the company used Windows Azure™ to offer it as a hosted service. The solution made it possible for Dot Net Solutions to bring its new product to market quickly, with minimal investment costs, while offering superior performance to users.

Powerful Application Framework Saves Legal Software Maker $2 Million

Client Profiles saw an opportunity to develop legal practice management software that was easier to use than established solutions from Lexis-Nexis and Thomson Reuters. The company built a solution that takes advantage of the integration between Microsoft Dynamics® CRM and Microsoft® Office Outlook® to automate common tasks, such as retrieving new contacts for archival in a shared marketing database. To meet project goals, including rapid time-to-market, Client Profiles capitalized on the flexibility of xRM, the business application framework that underpins Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Developers accessed prebuilt workflow components and reporting services available through xRM to quickly infuse CRM4Legal with features that benefit multiple roles within any law firm. With xRM, Client Profiles dramatically reduced development time and achieved an estimated cost savings of U.S.$2 million.

Financial Services ISV Fosters Flexibility and Cost Savings with Hosted Solution

CCH, which provides software for business professionals, adapted its sales tax–calculation application to run on the Windows Azure™ platform. CCH expects its use of Windows Azure to result in greater choice for customers, the ability to scale on demand, and lower costs. The company found the learning curve for the migration experience to be smooth and easy for developers because of the familiar tool set and operating environment of the Windows Azure platform.

Solution Developer Expects to Boost Efficiency with Software-plus-Services Strategy

The Information Store® helps global petroleum companies access exploration and production data irrespective of where the data resides and presents it in a useful and familiar form. To maintain its competitive advantage, the company was eager to find a cost-effective way to extend its industry-leading PetroTrek® solutions to independent oil producers. The company evaluated two “software as a service” offerings and selected the Windows Azure™ platform—an Internet-scale “cloud services” platform that is hosted in Microsoft® data centers—as the foundation for its online Digital Oilfield solution, along with Microsoft SQL Azure, the Silverlight™ browser plug-in, and Bing™ maps for enterprise. The company expects to increase the operational efficiency of its customers by reducing upfront capital costs, reducing deployment cycles from months to days, and lowering ongoing operating expenses.

Software Developer Launches Highly Scalable Web Site Platform, Minimizes Costs

Sitemasher, developer of an innovative platform for building and managing Web sites, wanted to help Web professionals create scalable, data-driven Web sites faster, and at lower cost. The company also needed to lower its own systems infrastructure costs. Sitemasher used the Windows Azure™ platform to offer its application as a hosted service, delivering an efficient, highly available, and highly scalable Web site development and hosting environment to its customers. By hosting its application on Windows Azure through Microsoft® data centers, the company has minimized infrastructure costs and reduced ongoing maintenance. Finally, with no data centers of its own to manage, Sitemasher will refocus the time its development staff spent maintaining servers to improving and expanding the Sitemasher application, representing a time savings of approximately 20 percent.