League leaders: NHS customers talk about Microsoft Premier Support
An increasing number of NHS trusts are opting for Microsoft Premier Support, a “managed support offering” that delivers problem resolution support, workshops and strategic planning services. Two NHS IT managers explain why they signed up.
John Thornbury, director of ICT at Worcestershire Health ICT Services:
When did you become a Premier Support customer? “About two years ago. We had a really bad start with Microsoft but, to their credit, they listened to us and we now have a very, very strong relationship with them.
What was the problem? “We had an issue with Exchange. It was going up and down like a yo-yo and it was critical to us to get it resolved. We eventually raised the issue at the highest level. We put together an action plan and we got a much better relationship from it.
So what made you interested in Premier Support? “It was the problem resolution. We are more and more dependent on IT and we have so many Microsoft products that if one failed it would be a critical risk to us. We do not have the expertise in-house at the very, very detailed level that we need. So it was that gap we wanted to fill. “I want to really leverage what I can get from the Enterprise Agreement [that Microsoft has with the NHS] and the Premier Support contract can help me to do that.”
And do you have good problem resolution now? “We do. Since our problem with Exchange was resolved, we have had a few, smaller problems and they have all been resolved very rapidly and professionally.
What about the more proactive elements of the contract? “We are starting to take advantage of the strategic part of the package. In fact, we have really turned the contract on its head. Problem resolution is much less of a focus and we are starting to use Microsoft pro-actively, so there are fewer problems to resolve.
“We are very much looking at the Infrastructure Optimisation route. We have undertaken an assessment and we are between the basic and the dynamic levels. So we are looking at some areas where we need to move up the levels.
Are there any projects you are looking at in particular? “We are looking at light touch deployment and a standardised service desk. We are interested in an integrated telephony presence and we’re working with BT and other partners on that.
“And we’re very interested in Business Intelligence, so we’re looking at the servers we’d need to do it and at Microsoft Performance Point.
“I want to really leverage what I can get from the Enterprise Agreement [that Microsoft has with the NHS] and the Premier Support contract can help me to do that, while taking account of NHS Connecting for Health’s requirements.
“The cost of Premier Support can be recovered by getting best use out of the EA. I think it is a false economy not to get involved in that way.
Have you made use of the workshops? “The workshops are another element that we have really taken advantage of. We have got personal development plans for all our technicians and we use Premier Support to deliver them.
“That means all our people are growing in their knowledge of Microsoft products and how to support them. The only disadvantage is that we upskill our people and they go off and get other jobs. “But that’s life - and it’s good, in a way, because it shows we’re developing a marketable commodity in our people. "We have had envisioning sessions, looking at what we could be doing in the future, so we are developing a real partnership."
“Hopefully, it also means they are happy while they are here. They certainly get to see new products that we might not even know about if we did not have Premier Support, because it’s hard to keep on top of everything that is released.
“We also learn a lot of operational stuff - tips and tricks and the way Microsoft does things - that are really useful.
So this really is a relationship? “It is very much a relationship. It is not a case of us and them: us the customer and them the supplier.
“We have very few strategic partners - BT, Novel and Microsoft are the big ones – and we have got them working together. We have had envisioning sessions, looking at what we could be doing in the future, so we are developing a real partnership. Lots of people in the NHS like to bash their suppliers: but it’s not actually good for anyone.”
Matthew Watkins: ICT services manager: Leeds Partnerships Foundation trust:
When did you become a Premier Support customer? “We are coming up to our third renewal. We started with Premier in April 2006. Basically, we had an underpinning contract with another service provider but the opportunity arose to see what else might be available.
“We found out about Premier by sheer luck, because Microsoft was not pushing it in the NHS at the time. We had a really good look at the market and we did due diligence, but we just couldn’t find anything like what Microsoft was offering for the same cost. “For trusts in our position, with all Microsoft core products, it is a puzzle to me why more people do not use it.”
What appealed about Premier Support? ““The good thing [about Premier Support] is that Microsoft really works with us; they transfer knowledge instead of just doing things to us or for us. We have really seen the benefit of that.
“The support levels are very, very good; we really do get support when we need it. Our technical teams are more knowledgeable than they were on Microsoft products. There is a definite sense that we are moving forward; the baseline assessments that we did in the first year and the reviews that we have done since have definitely helped us.
“We have a very good technical account manager (TAM), so the account itself is very well managed. The only real drawback is that we cannot take advantage of everything that we find out about and everything that we might get from the contract.
How has the split between reactive and proactive hours worked out? “There was some guesswork in deciding what the split should be initially. On the proactive side, the first year was very much about conducting base line assessments of where we were and the next year was about moving forward. Now we are into development.
Are you looking at any projects in particular? “We are upgrading some Microsoft products - we are moving to Office 2007 and SharePoint 2007- and we are looking at others.
“We are very interested in Systems Center [which collects information about infrastructure and systems and provides tools to make them easier and cheaper to manage]. That would pull together some products and gives us a new [management] front end. We use a lot of Microsoft technology, so that product could really help us.
Do you think many NHS trusts would benefit from Premier? “If you are mostly based on Microsoft, you will get a lot of benefits from Premier. In fact, for trusts in our position, with all Microsoft core products, it is a puzzle to me why more people do not use it. Premier is such a great fit. It delivers so many advantages.
“It’s true that I am enthusiast and that I’m always positive about this. But it really is a two way thing. Customers have to take some responsibility; Microsoft cannot do it all. But we have really got a strong relationship with them, and we are getting huge benefits from it.”
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Tags: BT, EA, enterprise agreement, Exchange Server 2007, IO, John Taylor, John thornbury, Leeds Partnerships Foundation trust, managed support, Matt Nelson, Matthew Watkins, Performance Point, Premier Support, TAM, technical account manager, technical support, Worcesterhsire Health ICT