Customer Case Study
American University of Beirut
3/6/2007
University Delivers Credential Synchronization to Heterogeneous Systems, Drives Innovation
American University of Beirut (AUB) is a prestigious Middle Eastern university with a worldwide reputation for academic excellence. The university and its affiliated teaching hospital use a variety of application and operating systems, and the IT staff needed a way to give users easy access to all systems, exchange data between systems, and cost-effectively manage them. AUB decided to standardize on the Windows Server® 2003 operating system and Active Directory® directory service as its interoperability "backbone," providing users with a unified logon to Windows®, UNIX, NIS+, and Linux-based systems, and improving data security. The interoperability backbone has simplified system administration, giving the IT staff more time to develop new services for end users and enabling an abundance of innovation at AUB.
Industry: Higher Education
Size: Large, 3500 employees
Country: Lebanon  Lebanon

Customer Profile
http://www.aub.edu.lb/
American University of Beirut (AUB) was founded in 1866 and has a worldwide reputation for academic excellence. AUB serves more than 7,500 students and employs more than 3,500 faculty and staff.
Business Situation
AUB has a diverse technology environment consisting of multiple platforms and applications. This resulted in high management costs, information inconsistency, and user frustration in accessing data.
Solution
AUB made Windows Server® 2003 and Active Directory® directory service its interoperability "backbone," providing a uniform authentication process and automated management efficiencies.
Benefit
  • Low-cost path to interoperability
  • Freed-up IT staff redirected to new development efforts
  • Improved data security
  • Flexibility to support change
Software
  • Microsoft Active Directory
  • Microsoft Operations Manager 2005 Enterprise Edition
  • Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003
  • Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition
Quote
"Using Microsoft software, we're more in control of our Windows user environment. We are better able to integrate new solutions and take advantage of the technology to support change in the university business requirements."
Rim Kadi
Assistant Director for Customer Relations and User Support, Computing and Networking Services, American University of Beirut