Case Studies

Windrush Frozen Foods' existing process for backing up data required significant time and effort to maintain, support, and troubleshoot. By deploying a solution based on Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager 2007, Windrush was able to improve its IT backup and recovery processes via an easy and rapid deployment process, the ability to conduct more frequent backup cycles, and reduced need for staff support and maintenance.

AGC Automotive Group’s IT staff needed to find a more efficient way to monitor the company’s growing number of servers, deploy desktop computer software, and provide user support so it could focus on new projects. The company deployed Data Protection Manager 2007, along with other Microsoft System Center solutions, to simplify desktop software image creation and deployment, server monitoring, help-desk support, and other management chores.

Sporton International needed a more efficient data protection solution for both their corporate headquarters and remote offices. With DPM Sporton was able to reduce their total IT backup and recovery overhead dramatically, with faster deployment, decreased time to back up and recover data, decreased staff overhead, and reduced need for support and maintenance.

AutoNation watched its data expand as rapidly as its car sales. When its data stores hit 15 terabytes, the company could no longer back up all of its data in a 24-hour period. Since moving to Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager 2007, AutoNation has seen a 12-times reduction in backup times and a six-hour timesaving each week for IT staff. Users are more productive because of the ready availability of disk-based backups, and backup maintenance costs have dropped by 30 percent. AutoNation is also using the new software to implement a cost-effective disaster recovery plan.

The 10-person Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) IT infrastructure staff manages the data, computers, and network for 1200 employees working in 26 U.S. offices. To shortcut the major time drain surrounding daily data backup and file recovery, MSC deployed Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager 2007, a disk-and-tape backup solution. Backup times drop by 50 percent and the IT Staff has recaptured at least 10 hours a week through easier backups and faster file recoveries. Most important, MSC data is more reliably protected by a disk-based backup solution that is independent of slower tape systems.

Grontmij wanted to strengthen the protection of its branch-office data, which was backed up nightly to tape media by local operators. Approximately 20 percent of the backups were unsuccessful because of tape-related problems. Grontmij IT staff deployed Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager 2007 to provide centralized, disk-and-tape-based backup for the entire company. Today, Grontmij continuously and automatically backs up 100 branch-office server computers over the network, which eliminates branch-office backup chores. The IT staff enjoys higher productivity and increased user satisfaction.

Tracy Schools' IT staff wanted a streamlined backup solution that would take less time and offer better data protection. The district deployed Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager 2007. After the deployment, Tracy schools recognized easy centralized backup management, an annual savings of $40,000, and higher user satisfaction.

The Microsoft Information Technology (Microsoft IT) deployment of Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager 2007 enabled administrators to back up more data in a shorter time frame while offering native support for Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007, and Microsoft SQL Server 2005 technologies. This approach has shortened recovery times and has enabled a centralized backup approach for multiple server and application platforms.

Southlake, Texas, is a small, growing city of 26,000 people. Residents and local businesses rely on the city’s comprehensive Web site to find information about city services and make other transactions online. In addition, city employees process mailed-in paper documents, such as utility bills, and enter that information into various databases.