"I have always been a Linux advocate, but the pilot proved to me that Microsoft technology could deliver the scalability, functionality, and overall cost of ownership that I required."

Jamal Nasir Khan, Chief Technology Officer, Supernet

Supernet had multiple Linux applications for its operating system, messaging, and security. This architecture proved costly to train new users on and lacked the functionality to develop new applications efficiently. Supernet wanted to consolidate and standardise its technology in order to cut costs and facilitate interoperability with vendor applications. Supernet ran a proof of concept (POC) based on Microsoft® Windows Server™ 2003, Microsoft Exchange Server 2003, and Microsoft Office SharePoint® Portal Server 2003. This was extended into a pilot to include the Microsoft .NET Framework that proved greater interoperability and faster development times were possible with Microsoft technology. The introduction of standardised technology has eased the administrative burden of managing disparate applications, troubleshooting conflicts, and resolving integration issues. Supernet has halved its development time and doubled staff productivity.

Situation

Founded in 1994, Supernet, part of the Arfeen Telecommunications Group, is one of Pakistan's largest licensed Data Network Operators (DNOs) and Internet Service Providers (ISPs). Supernet offers a variety of services, including Internet access, Point-to-Point and Point-to-Multipoint communication services using radio links, Frame Relay, and satellite access, and integration solutions.

Supernet prides itself in providing "one window" solutions to its customers, integrating hardware, software, and communications in order to deliver a complete communication solution. It has quickly gained a reputation as the country's most reliable DNO and ISP, providing enterprise network solutions, services, public dial-up, and corporate Internet access. As the technology provider for the Arfeen Telecommunications Group, Supernet is tasked with supplying technology internally, in order to ensure that it can serve the evolving Pakistani marketplace and meet customer expectations.

To maintain this reputation it is critical for Supernet to develop new applications efficiently. However, using a Linux operating system and messaging application presented several problems. It was difficult to find skilled developers familiar with the open source applications Supernet used and these developers were often costly. It was hard to manage and integrate applications with the Microsoft-based desktop, and no opportunities for implementing new vendor applications were provided. Supernet also faced expensive administration and training costs due to turnover of staff associated with the Linux skill set.

To counter these difficulties, Supernet wanted to achieve a more manageable, secure, and integrated IT environment that would cut development time and reduce training and administration overheads. Its previous experience with Microsoft technology had been Microsoft® Windows NT® 4.0 Server, so Supernet was unaware of many of the standard features available through the Microsoft Windows Server™ 2003 operating system.

"We needed a solution that was highly efficient in terms of management, with a high number of skilled developers available, and efficient development tools that would enable us to increase our productivity," says Jamal Nasir Khan, Chief Technology Officer, Supernet.

Solution

To fully examine the functionality of Microsoft technology, Supernet participated in a proof of concept (POC) and pilot programme created by Microsoft Pakistan. Over a period of two weeks Microsoft helped Supernet to migrate data to Windows Server 2003 in order to demonstrate the functionality of the latest applications, and establish efficiency gains from switching from open source architecture.

"We wanted the option of additional software and Linux did not offer the same vertically integrated application and network support capabilities as Microsoft, nor the availability of skilled developers," says Nasir. "I have always been a Linux advocate, but the pilot proved to me that Microsoft technology could deliver the scalability, functionality, and overall cost of ownership that I required."

After the successful completion of a month-long pilot programme, all services from the Linux Slackware operating system were migrated to Windows Server 2003. By signing a Commercial Enterprise Agreement, Supernet has also gained enterprise-wide coverage of Microsoft Office Professional Edition and Microsoft Office XP Professional, to replace its Microsoft Windows® 98 desktop system.

Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 has been introduced for messaging and collaboration management across the group, and Microsoft Outlook® has replaced Sendmail as the messaging application. Further, Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server 2000 was implemented in order to replace network based firewalls as an additional layer of protection for the corporate network.

Supernet is also using the Microsoft .NET Framework, an integral component of the Microsoft Windows operating system, designed to connect data, systems, applications, and devices, for its development work. The .NET Framework includes pre-built code components that programmers can use to develop new applications and Web services quickly and easily.

It also includes a component called the Common Language Runtime (CLR) that developers can use to write code in their language of choice, ensuring that they are as productive as possible. Less coding ultimately means the project team will deliver improved functionality more quickly and cost effectively.

"Doing something in a much more industry standard way, through coherent server technology with coherent management was very appealing because it could save us time and money," says Nasir. "The .NET Framework will bring us significant savings by helping developers create new applications in a highly effective manner and deploy new software functionality across the group."

Benefits

Reduced Development Cycle
Thanks to the flexibility and interoperability of the .NET Framework, Supernet can develop, deploy, and integrate applications quickly and easily. A key factor in the ease of development is xcopy, which makes it easier to deploy .NET applications. Xcopy enables developers to simply copy files over to Internet Information Services (IIS) 6.0 and run them, rather than having to register each component as required with Linux.

Although many of the developers at Supernet come from a Java background, they found Microsoft Visual Studio® .NET allowed them to write code in their language of choice in order to develop new functionality more efficiently.

"Since using the .NET Framework we have cut our development time by half, to deliver what our internal departments demand efficiently and effectively," says Nasir. "The use of Visual Studio in particular has meant our productivity has doubled compared to using Linux."

Integration of New Applications
The introduction of Windows Server 2003 and the .NET Framework, based on open standards such as XML, Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration (UDDI), and Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations (XSLT), has created new levels of interoperability that Supernet can use to respond to evolving business requirements.

"There is a high availability of Microsoft partners who have developed best-of-breed applications that we need but do not have the resources to develop in-house," says Nasir. "With Microsoft technology at the core of Supernet, we can purchase powerful applications and integrate them into our existing infrastructure far more easily than with Linux where there are issues surrounding compatibility."

Ease of Use Creating Low Total Cost of Ownership
Implementing all the latest versions and technologies has eased the administrative burden of managing disparate applications, troubleshooting conflicts, and resolving integration issues. Operating under Windows Server 2003 and utilising the Microsoft Active Directory® directory services, opportunities arise to provide customers with new services and implement new technologies with ease.

"With Linux you need to be very highly skilled to get the most out of the application, but with Microsoft everything is menu driven, with an easy-to-use interface, even for non-technical staff," says Nasir.

Further, the number of skilled Microsoft-certified developers available has negated the need to continually invest in re-training new users and will create a lower total cost of ownership (TCO).

Nasir adds, "The number of skilled people, and the manpower available was significantly better than UNIX or Linux. With more skilled Microsoft developers available, training and staff costs will be reduced creating a saving of almost 50 per cent."

Increased Knowledge Sharing and Collaboration
Management of schedules has become less problematic using the e-mail and personal information management system Microsoft Outlook 2002.

"Outlook is a more powerful collaborative tool than Sendmail and has given us total control of resources by using calendars to make appointments, notify people of meetings, and staff reminders," says Nasir. "It has increased the amount of knowledge shared within the company because we are able to communicate more effectively, in a standard way that everyone understands and enjoys."

Success Through Partnership
Supernet is in the process of holding a business and technology review to evolve its infrastructure and work in partnership with Microsoft on further implementations. As part of the POC, Supernet piloted Microsoft Office SharePoint® Portal Server 2003 and is looking to implement the technology to increase collaboration between internal teams.

"We are looking at our internal messaging and collaboration to see where we can gain more value from what we have to increase collaborative working," says Nasir. "We want to evaluate whatever is required to move Supernet to a benchmark organisation while further decreasing the cost of owning the infrastructure and operating in the most efficient way possible."

Windows Server 2003

Microsoft® Windows ServerTM 2003
The Microsoft Windows Server 2003 family helps organizations do more with less. Now you can: Run your IT infrastructure more efficiently; Build better applications faster; Deliver the best infrastructure for enhancing user productivity. And you can do all this faster, more securely, and at lower cost. For more information about Windows Server 2003, please visit:
www.microsoft.com/middleeast/windows/windowsserver2003

Software and Services

Products

• Microsoft Office XP Professional
• Microsoft Exchange Server 2003
• Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration Server 2000
• Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition

• Common Language Runtime
• Microsoft .NET Framework
• Internet Information Services 6.0