Case studies

To keep ahead of its competition, IT provider Digital Systems & Solutions needed a tool that would help its field employees make the most of the technologies available to them. With Windows Mobile 5.0, the Microsoft Messaging and Security Feature Pack, and Microsoft ActiveSync 4.5, the company saw an opportunity to increase efficiency, promote innovation, and improve responsiveness to customer inquiries.

As President and CEO of the Bellingham/Whatcom Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Kenneth Oplinger spends a majority of his time traveling, but found it difficult to be productive while on the road. In 2007, IT solutions provider Hardlines Company encouraged the Chamber to participate in the beta program for Windows Small Business Server 2008, which included using Windows Mobile 5.0 and Windows Mobile 6 devices, and upgrading to the 2007 Microsoft Office system. Thanks to its Windows Mobile powered smartphones, the Chamber is using its newfound freedom to increase revenue and enhance productivity.

In April 2006, Cytec Industries began searching for a mobile solution that would give its global work force around-the-clock access to Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 e-mail and calendars. To meet this need, the company standardized on Windows Mobile phones and smartphones. The solution gives Cytec employees anytime, anywhere access to e-mail and calendars, and it improves time management. In the future, the solution will also help Cytec to offer superior customer service by providing remote access to internal Cytec applications, such as customer relationship management and enterprise resource planning applications.

Sharp Electronics needed the most accurate, most detailed intelligence possible about how its products were faring in retail stores nationwide, and it needed to get that intelligence quickly. To meet its needs, the company turned to Windows Mobile powered devices and the FAST (Field Adapted Survey Toolkit) solution from Microsoft Certified Partner GeoAge. Sharp now updates its surveys 400 percent faster, gains 400 percent more information, and cuts survey time by 67 percent, so that field managers can spend more time building rapport with store personnel and selling product. Sales by field managers are up 500 percent in the year since Sharp adopted the solution.

The Department of Civil Affairs, Taipei City, wanted to increase the response speed for its ongoing maintenance queries and feedback. In the past, these operations were partly paper-based with some Web capability. To offer a more robust system, the department implemented mobile access for its online services. Both the public and staff—equipped with 700 Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocket PC devices—can now submit and access vital information in real time. As a result, the department can carry out remedial actions much faster, there is more active citizen participation, customer needs are met more effectively, and the city runs more smoothly.

Jeff Sweeney, Regional Sales Representative for Plastic Ingenuity, spends nearly 40 percent of his time on the road, meeting with prospective customers and managing projects for existing accounts. With over 1,700 contacts (and growing), Sweeney acquired a Samsung i760 Smartphone with Windows Mobile 6 software and ActiveSync technology, and turned to Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 with Business Contact Manager to help him organize all of his customer information, automate administrative tasks, and free up more time to drive sales results.

Sciformatix wanted to make it easier and more cost-effective for scientists and other laboratory workers to manage information and processes, so the company is developing a new laboratory information management system known as SciLIMS. To do so, Sciformatix used Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 and a software-plus-services delivery model, which will result in a full-featured, subscription-based solution that users can access through rich-client, browser-based, and mobile interfaces. Sciformatix is bringing its solution to market at least 15 percent faster than it could have with other development tools and has reduced development costs by 25 percent or more.

A rapidly growing base of employees who use mobile devices for business activities required Microsoft IT to develop and institute several strategies to meet the challenges of a mobile environment, with regard to the cost of service plans, the availability of devices, and enterprise security. Microsoft IT developed a number of strategies for incorporating a large and growing number of mobile users, including streamlined procurement, more device choices for users to fit their business needs, and technologies to help protect corporate information when devices are lost or stolen.