Content Customer evidenCe - July 2008
Infrastructure and Platform Optimization 6
Association of Serbian Banks (ASB) BTI Hellas Raiffeisenbank
Austria Caspian Pipeline Consortium Krka Latvian University of
Agriculture PKO Bank Polski Post of Slovenia C. Rokas SA Zapp
Adverticum American Chamber of Commerce in Russia ASSA ABLOY Athens
University of Economics and Business BRE Bank SA Group EFG Factors
Galeb Group HDS Polska Na Homolce Hospital Tartu Municipal
Government
Core Infrastructure Optimization Business Applications
Become a Success Story
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
46 47
48 49
SECAR BOHEMIA Baltika Breweries Seventh Continent INA Latvian
Procurement Monitoring Bureau Power Systems Research Audi Hungaria
Motor Ministry of Informatics T-Com Yuzhkuzbasugol The Guide to
Microsoft
in the Enterprise 2008
Application Platform Optimization Index
32 70
Cason Genesis Pharma Ministry of Economy and Finance, Greece
Ministry of Education, Research, and Youth National Bank of Greece
Piraeus Bank VostokGazprom Allianz-Tiriac Asigurari Food Express
Lietuvos Spauda Tarkett DOO Village Cinemas
Business Productivity Infrastructure Optimization Other
Initiatives20 56 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69
Customer Evidence - Solution View Technology Index - Part 1
Technology Index - Part 2 Customer Evidence - Industry View
70 71 72 73
Podravka SOK Group Mellon Mostecká uhelná a.s. MVideo Akrapovic
Exhaust System Polkomtel Košice Self-Governing Region UTECO VTB
24
Become a Success Story Customer evidenCe - July 2008
4 5
People like to read stories about business success. First of all,
they are inspiring, but they can also provide real guidance for
making good business decisions.
microsoft has been active in Central and eastern europe since the
early 1990s. the region is growing fast —Central and eastern
europe’s GdP equals that of China, it attracts more direct foreign
investment and it is estimated that it will be the fastest-growing
region in the world for the period between 1999 and 2011. this is
microsoft’s fastest-growing market and one we value and continue to
invest in.
our customers in the Cee region have some great success stories and
we want to share some of them with you. these stories describe
broad and innovative use of our software, as well as software and
services provided by our partners. together, they really begin to
reveal what an exciting time this is to be in the it market-
place.
this booklet also highlights the breadth of microsoft® solutions,
our commit- ment to innovation and the continued evolution of our
core technologies. An important thing to remember is that while
these stories are, on one level, technology stories, they are also
people stories. this is important because we at microsoft believe
that people drive business success. Human imagination creates the
ideas that move business forward. Human conversations and human
effort shape those ideas into products and services for the market.
the unique ability of people to listen, respond, persuade, and
think for themselves helps companies to sell effectively, serve
their customers, and work together with their business partners in
rich, satisfying ways that create lasting, high-value
relationships. microsoft helps customers create their People-ready
Business. We believe that
software’s impact goes well beyond process automation and personal
productivity. We believe that people drive the most important
business outcomes, including growing customer relationships,
accelerating innovation, driving corporate perfor- mance, managing
governance, risk and compliance, and improving operations.
research shows that companies that invest in software as a
strategic asset for their people perform better.
today, the ideas behind a People-ready Business are an important
part of our conversations with microsoft customers and they will
increasingly be a central part of our customer stories. What this
means is that when you read about a microsoft implementation of any
kind, the emphasis will be on the end-user.
Customer testimonials are one crucial way to make this real and
tangible by showing the impact people can have with new software
tools.
so read on and be inspired. Become a success story.
Florian Zink
Director - Enterprise and Partner Group (EPG) Microsoft Central and
Eastern Europe
Infrastructure and Platform Optimization
today more and more pressure is being placed on it to lower costs
while fueling innovation and growth to drive greater busi- ness
value. one underlying factor causing this spotlight on it is the
constantly changing and competitive nature of the global
marketplace.
According to the Gartner 2008 study, “Making the Difference: The
2008 CIO Agen- da,” staying ahead of these ever increasing business
demands requires a methodical approach to assessing how to best
align business imperatives with the it invest- ments that enable
the greatest business impact.
the microsoft optimization models offer Cios a robust and
systematic process for assessing their it infrastructure and the
platform capabilities needed to build a dynamic it roadmap. this
transformative and iterative process shifts it from a cost center
focus into an innovative business growth enabler.
microsoft has developed three models—focusing on core
infrastructure, business productivity infrastructure, and the
application platform—that outline a progres- sion through four
stages of optimization. each of the models illustrates the
strategic value and business benefits of moving from a “basic”
stage of optimization, where the infrastructure and platform are
generally considered a “cost center,” toward a “dynamic”
infrastructure, where the business value of the infrastructure is
clearly understood. Within each microsoft optimization model are
key capabilities and sub-capabilities that enable it to map
business drivers and priorities to technology solutions that are
integrated across platform capabilities. the output is a phased
capability and solutions adoption approach that minimizes risks and
delivers incre- mental benefits throughout the implementation
process.
Gaining dramatic cost savings and enabling business growth are
primary benefits of executing an optimization roadmap to progress
towards a dynamic it. By align- ing business priorities and
strategies to the technologies that will help deliver the desired
business outcomes, it can deploy solutions that empower people to
reach customers more effectively, harness critical business
insight, and collaborate across boundaries.
6 7
Business Enabler
Strategic Asset
Dynamic
the microsoft optimization models have been developed using
industry best practices and microsoft’s own experiences with its
enterprise customers. A key goal for microsoft in creating the
models was to develop a simple way to use an optimization framework
that is flexible and can be easily used as a benchmark and a
roadmap for technical capability and business value.
Uncoordinated, manual
automation and knowledge
captured and reused
Fully automated management
Core Infrastructure Optimization
the Core infrastructure optimization (Core io) model can help an
organization understand the current state of their it
infrastructure and what that means in terms of cost, security,
risk, and operational agility. organizations can realize large cost
savings by moving from an un-managed and nonstandard environment to
an environment that has automated management, standardization, and
dynamic resource usage. security improves from highly vulnerable in
a basic infrastructure to dynamically proactive in a fully
optimized infrastruc- ture. it infrastructure management changes
from highly manual and reactive to highly automated and
proactive.
Core infrastructure optimization helps an organization better
understand and move toward a more secure, well-managed, and dynamic
core it infrastructure that will help reduce overall it costs, make
better use of it resources, and make it a strategic asset for the
business. this model supports it professionals in the management of
servers, desktops, mobile devices, and applications, and in
achieving efficient resource usage to help you eliminate
unnecessary cost and complexity, ensure that your business is
always up and running, and establish a responsive
infrastructure.
For more information visit
http://www.microsoft.com/infrastructure/default.mspx
it and security Process
security & networking
8 9 Cu
sub-Capabilities
Serbian Credit System Reduces National Loan Debt from 3.5 PerCent
to 1.18 PerCent
The Association of Serbian Banks (ASB) wanted to improve the
control and monitoring of credit ratings in Serbian finan- cial
markets. Investigations into credit ratings took days, and results
were often inaccurate. The association needed a system that could
compile and send precise reports in real time. ASB decided to set
up a Credit Bureau that could provide credit rating details on
individuals and businesses. The association chose a solution based
on Microsoft® technology and developed by Microsoft Gold Certified
Partner E-Smart Systems. The solution operates on Windows Server®
2003, and application support was developed using Microsoft Visual
Studio® .NET 2003. Serbian financial institutions can now access
comprehensive credit rating reports that are compiled in seconds,
while the system has reduced the number of un-repaid loans
nationally from 3.5 percent to 1.18 percent.
Organization Profile The Association of Serbian Banks, founded in
Belgrade in 1921, helps its members develop a uniform approach to
Serbia’s financial and interbank IT systems.
Business Situation Serbian financial markets had no reliable method
for controlling and monitoring credit ratings. A system was
required that could provide data on client debt and distribute
real-time reports.
Solution The Credit Bureau solution operates on Windows Server®
2003, and appli- cation support was developed using Microsoft®
Visual Studio® .NET 2003.
Benefits • Reduction in individual loan debt. • Faster loan
processes. • Reports compiled and sent in seconds. • Platform for
future expansion.
Organization Association of Serbian Banks (ASB)
Country Serbia
Company Size 500 employees
Software and Services Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 Microsoft
Internet Security and Acceleration Server 2006 Microsoft SQL Server
2005 Microsoft Visual Studio .NET Microsoft Windows Server 2003
Standard Edition
Partner(s) E-Smart
“Individuals and businesses are less likely to accumulate excessive
debt. With the Credit Bureau system in place, the number of
un-repaid loans has decreased from 3.5 percent to 1.18
percent.“
Veroljub Dugalic General Secretary, Association of Serbian
Banks
To view this case study in full, please visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/casestudy.aspx?casestudyid=4000000719
10 11
Equipment Supplier Uses Integrated IT Environment to Boost Employee
Productivity
BTI Hellas, based in Athens, Greece, is a leading graphic arts
equipment supplier for the Greek market. The company’s mixed IT
environment was expensive to manage, and its messaging solution did
not support business communications for the sales force, which
relied on faxes and phone calls, resulting in hour- or day-long
delays in customer service. BTI Hellas standardized on an
integrated Microsoft® com- munication and collaboration solution,
saving €107,000 [U.S.$139,000] on software acquisition costs by
signing a Microsoft Open Value Volume Licensing Agreement. Now,
sales staffers respond to calls instantly, and technical support
engineers serve customers within minutes. Microsoft Software
Assurance provides extra IT support for the two-person IT
department plus additional training and software home-use options
for staff, which generated productivity gains of ap- proximately 43
percent.
Organization Profile With a turnover of €17 million [U.S.$21
million] in 2006, BTI Hellas is one of Greece’s largest suppliers
of graphic arts equipment and supplies. It employs 54 people.
Business Situation BTI Hellas wasted resources managing three
operating systems in an IT infrastructure that did not support
interdepartmental collaboration or mobile access to corporate
data.
Solution BTI Hellas signed a Microsoft® Open Value Volume Licensing
Agreement to cover a unified communication and collaboration
solution based on the Microsoft server product portfolio.
Benefits • Reduce customer response time 75% • Saved €16,000 Euros
[U.S.$20,800] in paper, printing costs • Reduced training costs 40%
• Cut desktop management time 30% • Reduced software licensing
management 50% • Saved €30,000 [U.S.$39,000] in licensing
fees
Organization BTI Hellas
Software and Services Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Microsoft
Internet Security and Acceleration Server 2004 Microsoft Office
Outlook 2003 Microsoft Office Professional 2007 Microsoft Office
Professional Edition 2003 Microsoft Outlook Web Access Microsoft
SQL Server 2000 Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition
Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Partners Lex Computers
“Choosing a Microsoft IT infra- structure enabled the IT depart-
ment to provide solutions that allow us to do more at less cost.
We’ve expanded our customer base by 23 percent and not hired a
single new employee.“
Dr. Tsafaridis Iordanis IT Manager, BTI Hellas
To view this case study in full, please visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/casestudy.aspx?casestudyid=201219
12 13
The Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) manages a 1,510-kilometre,
U.S.$2.6-billion pipeline that connects oil fields in Kazakhstan
with a new sea terminal in Russia. To operate effectively, the
company relies on IT systems that monitor 24-hour production
processes and support communications between employees at 10
regional offices in Russia and Kazakhstan. To ensure constant
availability of these critical systems, CPC has upgraded its IT
infrastructure based on the latest Microsoft® technologies,
including the Windows Server® 2003 enterprise operating system. As
a result, critical systems are now fully fault tolerant, ensuring
the continuity of business processes 24 hours a day. In addition,
the company has increased overall network security, improved
communications for mobile users and contractors, and streamlined
project management.
Organization Profile The Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) manages
a 1,510-kilometre pipe- line that connects oil fields in Kazakhstan
with a new sea terminal in Russia and achieves annual profits of
U.S.$1.5 billion.
Business Situation To ensure constant availability of critical
production monitoring and business productivity tools, CPC decided
to upgrade its IT infrastructure based on the latest Microsoft®
technologies.
Solution CPC deployed a new IT environment based on Windows Server®
2003, Microsoft Exchange Server 2003, and Microsoft Internet
Security and Acceleration Server 2000.
Benefits • Excellent availability for IT services. • Enhanced
network security. • Streamlined IT administration. • Effective
project management. • Support for future growth.
Organization Caspian Pipeline Consortium
Software and Services Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Microsoft
Internet Security and Acceleration Server 2000 Microsoft Office
2003 Microsoft Operations Manager (MOM) 2005 Microsoft Windows
Server 2003 Enterprise Edition Microsoft Windows Server 2003
Standard Edition
“Accurate planning, training of internal IT professionals, and
expert advice from Microsoft specialists ensured that employees did
not experi- ence downtime during the rollout.“
Alexander Snurnitsyn IT Manager, CPC
To view this case study in full, please visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/casestudy.aspx?casestudyid=201486
Oil Company Upgrades IT Infrastructure to Ensure Constant
Availability of Systems Infrastructure Upgrade
Financial Institution Chooses Virtualization to Cut Costs, Improve
Business Continuity
Based in Zagreb, Raiffeisenbank Austria (RBA) strives to offer the
widest range of financial products and services in Croatia.
Challenged by recent expansion, the Bank’s IT department wanted to
reduce costs and better support the business with responsive,
reliable IT services. It began by solving inefficiencies in its
overcrowded data center. Many RBA servers hosted single
applications that could not be deployed in a clustered environment.
Using a Microsoft® virtualization solution, IT staffers deployed
these applications as virtual machines in a host clustering
environment, increasing reliability through automated failover.
RBA’s virtualization solution also reduced hardware, licensing, and
data center costs. IT labor costs are also down because IT staffers
use integrated Microsoft virtualization management tools to
simplify the administration of their virtualized environment.
Organization Profile Raiffeisenbank Austria (RBA) differentiates
itself from its competitors through a variety of innovative
financial services. Based in Zagreb, RBA has 56 branch offices and
employs about 2,000 people.
Business Situation RBA wanted to reduce costs associated with
managing its growing data center. It needed to consolidate services
on its underutilized servers, which hosted applications that could
only run in isolation.
Solution RBA used Microsoft® Virtual Server and the clustering
feature in Windows Server® 2003 to create a virtualized failover
cluster environment. It manages with Microsoft System Center
Virtual Machine Manager.
Benefits • Improved reliability and business continuity • Increased
operational agility • Cut data center costs by 50 percent • Saved
U.S.$31,800 on hardware, licensing costs • Saved 30 percent in
server management costs
Organization Raiffeisenbank Austria
Company Size 2000 employees
Software and Services Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine
Manager 2007 Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 Windows Server 2003
R2 Enterprise x64 Edition Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard x64
Edition
“With a Microsoft virtualization solution, we have saved money,
improved server management, and boosted the reliability of our
infrastructure. Today, we have a better platform for growing the
business.“
Marko Pranic Deputy Executive Director of IT and Direct Banking
Division, Raiffeisenbank Austria
To view this case study in full, please visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/casestudy.aspx?casestudyid=4000001790
Pharmaceutical Firm Manages Seldom-Connected Laptops, Cuts
Licensing Costs
Pharmaceutical company Krka needed to manage its technology
environment—including laptop computers that connected to the
network infrequently. Its solution: Microsoft® System Center
Configuration Manager 2007. The company uses the Internet-based
Client Management capability to push out regular updates to laptops
over the Web. And the solution’s Asset Intelligence enables Krka to
cut software licensing costs while making software more
available.
Organization Profile Krka, based in Novo mesto, Slovenia, develops
high-quality generic medicines with added value, marketed as
branded products. The company’s main products are human
medicines.
Business Situation The increase in laptop use in Krka, combined
with the broad geographic dispersal of those laptops and the limits
on available resources, made an automated, remote management
solution highly desirable to reduce support costs, particularly in
the Russian market.
Solution Krka is gaining control over its remote laptops—and the
rest of its technology infrastructure—thanks to Microsoft System
Center Configura- tion Manager 2007, the successor to Systems
Management Server 2003.
Benefits • Configuration Manager brings control over the IT
environment. • Internet-based Client Management accelerates the
update schedules for laptops and other personal computers.. •
Configuration Manager helps to validate compliance with the
licensing agreements.
Organization Krka
Country Slovenia
Industry Pharmaceuticals
Software and Services Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager
2007 Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2007
“Thanks to Configuration Manager, we have the level of control over
our environment that we need. The result is that our environment
operates more efficiently. We can manage the environment the way we
should, without the limitations we had before.“
Ivan Lukšic Head of Information Infrastructure, Krka
To view this case study in full, please visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/casestudy.aspx?casestudyid=4000000990
Latvian University Implements New e-Learning System to Help
Distance Learners
The IT faculty at the University of Agriculture in Latvia wanted a
modernized e-learning environment to support both classroom and
distance learners. The previous open source system lacked
flexibility, and was expensive to operate. Microsoft® Gold
Certified Partner Datorzinibu Centrs recommended Windows®
SharePoint® Services, which not only supports all the e-learning
curriculum needs, but also automates many previously manual
processes. It is already opening up channels for better
collaboration and communication between students and
teachers.
Organization Profile The Latvian University of Agriculture’s IT
faculty—founded in 2001—offers educational qualifications in IT at
bachelors, masters, and doctorate levels for campus-based and
distance learners.
Business Situation The faculty is a Microsoft IT Academy program
member, and also takes advantage of the Microsoft Academic Resource
Center for customizable curriculum and in-class programs. For this
reason, Arhipova and her col- leagues wanted a system that would
easily integrate with their existing IT assets.
Solution The faculty chose a solution based on the Microsoft
Learning Gateway Framework, an integrated solutions environment for
connecting people, information, and processes in education. The
technology building blocks involved Windows SharePoint Services 3.0
collaboration technology, Windows Server® 2003 operating system,
and Active Directory® services for identity management.
Benefits • Low total cost of ownership. • Simple to support. •
User-friendly interface. • Management information system. • Easy
integration with existing IT. • Meets the needs of all learners. •
New features for learning. • Conforms to global standards.
Organization Latvian University of Agriculture
Country Latvia
Partner(s) Datorzinibu Centrs
“The new SharePoint solution helps us break down barriers and
promotes social inclusion, making education accessible to everyone
regardless of age, em- ployment, and where they live.“
Prof. Irina Arhipova Faculty of IT Technologies Dean at the Latvian
University of Agriculture
To view this case study in full, please visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/casestudy.aspx?casestudyid=4000002351
14 15
Large Polish Bank Gains Advanced Public Key Infrastructure with New
Server Solution
One of the largest banks in Poland wanted to build a public key
infrastructure (PKI) to centralize the authentication of users,
devices, and applications. The bank also wanted a mechanism to
electronically sign and encrypt documents and e-mail messages.
After a thorough evaluation, the bank deployed Windows Server®
2008—which offers built-in support for PKI—in a pilot environment,
along with Microsoft® System Center Operations Manager 2007. The
initial deployment was so successful that the bank plans to extend
the solution throughout the organization by the end of 2008. The
centralized authentication increases security by providing
authorized access to both information and bank facilities. Improved
efficiency helps accelerate decision mak- ing. And, when the
deployment is complete, the bank might extend its market
opportunities by offering electronic banking services to its
customers.
Organization Profile The bank is one of the largest in Poland,
providing services to both institu- tional and individual
customers.
Business Situation The bank sought to improve the security of
information access. It also wanted to find a mechanism for
electronically signing and encrypting docu- ments and e-mail
messages.
Solution With the help of Microsoft® Services, the bank deployed
Windows Server® 2008 and Microsoft System Center Operations Manager
2007.
Benefits • Increases security • Accelerates decision making •
Simplifies management • Extends market opportunities
Organization PKO Bank Polski
Software and Services Microsoft System Center Operations Manager
2007 Windows Server 2008
“The public key infrastructure that we created through our
deployment of Windows Server 2008 has fundamentally increased the
level of information security that we have at the bank.”
Security Director, Large Polish Bank
To view this case study in full, please visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/casestudy.aspx?casestudyid=4000002019
Postal Service Improves Application Protection and Remote Access
with IT Solution
The Post of Slovenia provides postal services to customers
throughout Slovenia. The company manages a large group of post
offices and regional centers. Because it wanted to make remote user
applications more accessible and more secure, the organization
deployed Windows Server® 2008. IT administrators can now manage
applications more easily while providing better remote access and
improved protection.
Organization Profile The Post of Slovenia, based in Maribor,
Slovenia, is responsible for manag- ing postal services for the
country. The company has nearly 6,700 employees throughout
Slovenia.
Business Situation The company needed to publish user applications
from terminal servers at each regional center. One application the
organization needed to provide access to is “Universal Postal
Office,” which is used to enter postal transaction data. However,
the Post of Slovenia did not have the capability to publish remote
applications.
Solution The Post of Slovenia is using the Windows Server 2008
Terminal Services RemoteApp™ feature, which helps IT administrators
configure terminal serv- ers to provide users with access to
individual applications that are integrated with the local
desktop.
Benefits • Easier application management • Simplified branch office
access • Improved protection
Organization Post of Slovenia
Partners Avtenta.si
“Managing the IT infrastructure is far easier because of Windows
Server 2008 Terminal Services. To publish an application, for
example, we just have to install it on the terminal server and make
it available to users.“
Smiljan Švarc Head of System Engineering, Post of Slovenia
To view this case study in full, please visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/casestudy.aspx?casestudyid=4000001804
16 17
Mobile Phone Operator Increases Productivity and Decreases IT Costs
with Licence Agreement
Zapp, a Romanian mobile phone operator, needed to build a more
efficient IT infrastructure and consolidate its network. After
entering into a Microsoft® Enterprise Agreement, it was able to
deploy a new, simplified infrastructure that improved
collaboration, increased productivity, and helped employees share
information. System administration also became easier, increasing
the flexibility of the Zapp IT team.
Organization Profile Zapp is a mobile phone operator offering
integrated communications services in Romania. The rapidly growing
company needed a consolidated IT infrastructure to address current
and future business requirements.
Business Situation Zapp, a rapidly growing mobile communications
provider based in Roma- nia, has used Microsoft technology since
its formation in 1992. It purchased licences for both OEM and OPEN
licensing programs, which resulted in a complicated licensing
situation. As the company grew, employees found it increasingly
difficult to share documents and information with col- leagues
because of conflicting product versions and various file
formats.
Solution To streamline network administration and give employees
the business support they required, Zapp invested in an Enterprise
Agreement with Microsoft in 2005. With the agreement, Zapp could
add new software and desktops as needed, and with a pre-determined
price structure. In addition to capping licence fees, the agreement
incorporated other Microsoft soft- ware tools. Zapp implemented
Microsoft Exchange Server 2003, along with Microsoft Internet
Security and Acceleration Server 2004 and Microsoft Systems
Management Server 2003. The company is in the final stage of
implementing Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server® 2003 and has begun
deploying Windows Rights Management.
Benefits • Structured IT Spending. • Easy System Management. •
Improved IT Support. • Improved Systems, Greater Productivity. •
Greater Flexibility.
Organization Zapp
Country Romania
Software and Services Microsoft Active Directory Microsoft Exchange
Server 2003 Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration Server
2004 Microsoft Office SharePoint Server Microsoft SQL Server 2000
Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003 Microsoft Windows Server
2003 Enterprise Edition
“By using Systems Management Server 2003, we have been able to
achieve better control over the installation of new software
products and updates of exist- ing products.“
Iulian Pipoiu Senior IT Manager, Zapp
To view this case study in full, please visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/casestudy.aspx?casestudyid=4000000032
18 19
Founded in 1958, C. Rokas SA is a leader in renewable energy
sources and electromechanical projects. Since building the first
private wind farm in Greece in 1998, Rokas has se- cured a
considerable market share in Greece’s energy sector, with an
installed capacity of 193.3 megawatts. In addition, the company
continues to expand in the design, construction, and installation
of lifting and handling equipment, and other complex steel
structures. Today the company is in its fifth year of an Open Value
Subscription agreement with Microsoft, and has recently completed a
major upgrade of its client and server systems to Windows Server®
2003, Windows® XP, and Office 2003. The IT department is planning
to upgrade soon to Windows Vista™, the 2007 Microsoft® Office
system, and the latest suite of server software from
Microsoft.
Organization Profile C. Rokas SA is a leader in renewable energy
sources and electromechani- cal projects. The company employs 250
people and manages 70 desktop systems.
Business Situation Before switching to Microsoft volume licensing,
Rokas’ IT team managed an array of PCs and servers running numerous
versions of different appli- cations. The team was faced with
compatibility and security issues, as well as maintenance
inefficiencies.
Solution Microsoft Open Value Subscription licensing enabled Rokas
to upgrade and unify all its systems, with a single license key.
Rokas has recently upgraded to Windows Server® 2003 and Windows®
XP.
Benefits • Greater flexibility • More predictability in managing
software • Doesn’t require a large initial investment
Organization C. Rokas SA
Company Size 250 employees
Software and Services Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Microsoft
Office System Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition
Windows Vista Business
“I cannot overstate the stability we are experiencing now that we
have a completely new infrastructure, installed from scratch, and
all under a single Microsoft license agreement.“
Manos Karavelis System/Network Engineer, C. Rokas SA
To view this case study in full, please visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/casestudy.aspx?casestudyid=4000000216
Microsoft Open Value Subscription Licensing Puts the Wind in Rokas’
Sails
Business Productivity Infrastructure Optimization Business
Productivity infrastructure optimization helps streamline the
management and control of content, data, and processes across all
areas of your business. it helps simplify how people communicate
and share expertise, helps make processes and content manage- ment
more efficient, and helps improve the quality of business insight
while enabling your it department to increase responsiveness, have
a strategic impact on the business, and amplify the impact of your
people.
Each optimization model includes specific technical capabilities
that provide a comprehen- sive set of solutions to help advance a
customer’s infrastructure and platform optimization levels. The
Business Productivity Infrastructure optimization model includes
five capabilities that are necessary to build a more agile,
cost-effective it infrastructure.
20 21 Cu
• Collaborative Workspaces & Portals • social Computing
• Performance management • reporting & Analysis • Conferencing
• data Warehousing
• document & record management • Forms • Web Content
management
Basic Standardized Rationalized Dynamic
sub-Capabilitiessu b-
Ca pa
bi lit
ie s
22 23
Croatia-based Food Giant Reduces Telephony Costs by 50 Percent for
International Calls
Based in Croatia, Podravka is a leading food and beverages company
covering a large part of Europe. Because of tight margins, the
company constantly seeks new business efficiencies. Recently, it
has focused on reducing business travel and the cost of telephony,
while improving the speed of decision making. With these goals in
mind, Podravka deployed Microsoft® Office Communications Server
2007 and Microsoft Office Communicator 2007 to create a low-cost IP
telephony network that also delivers Web conferencing and presence
awareness. The company expects to halve the costs of international
calls and save up to HRK11 million (U.S.$2.1million) in the first
five years from easier management. What’s more, executives will
travel 20 percent less for meetings, choosing to book a Web
conference instead of an airplane ticket. And by using presence,
employees can communicate 20 percent quicker, accelerating
decision-making.
Organization Profile Podravka, headquartered in Koprivnica,
Croatia, produces a range of branded food and pharmaceutical
products. It employs nearly 7,000 people, who are distributed
across multiple locations.
Business Situation The company wanted to reduce telephony costs and
increase the productivity of employees through real-time
communication and collaboration IT services.
Solution Podravka deployed Microsoft® Office Communications Server
2007 and Mi- crosoft Office Communicator 2007, integrating the
software with its Ericsson MD110 PBX using a Dialogic TIMG300DTI
(DMG2030) Media Gateway.
Benefits • Telephony costs cut by 50 percent • Low-cost calls with
good sound quality • Twenty percent less business travel • Twenty
percent faster communication • Improved communication
Organization Podravka
Country Croatia
Software and Services Microsoft Active Directory Microsoft Office
2007 Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 Microsoft Office
Communicator 2007
Partner Polycom
“Because Office Communicator 2007 gives executives a cred- ible
alternative to face-to-face meetings, we expect business travel to
drop by 20 percent.“
Mario Vrhoci System Integration and Development Leader,
Podravka
To view this case study in full, please visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/casestudy.aspx?casestudyid=4000000898
Russian Conglomerate Handles Deluge of Spam While Automating e-Mail
Management
One of the largest privately held organizations in Russia, SOK
Group encompasses more than 40 companies. It had a highly complex
IT infrastructure and was using several manual processes to monitor
traffic on its e-mail servers and to deploy new domains. The
company decided to upgrade to Microsoft® Exchange Server 2007
Service Pack 1 (SP1) for its numerous capabilities for automated
monitoring and reporting and for combating malicious software. The
IT staff is now using new features within Exchange Server 2007 SP1
to create customized tools and reports and to extend protection
against spam. Through integration with Microsoft Operations Manager
2005, the company has reduced calls to its help desk. With the new
solution, the company is enjoying a more reliable e-mail
infrastructure, greater security against malicious software
attacks, and improved management of its server.
Organization Profile Based in Samara, Russia, with more than 50,000
employees, SOK Group includes enterprises in various industrial
sectors, but focuses primarily on automobile manufacturing and road
and bridge construction.
Business Situation The company needed a more reliable e-mail
infrastructure, one that would improve remote access, eliminate
malicious software, and let the IT staff develop custom-tracking
applications.
Solution SOK Group upgraded to Microsoft® Exchange Server 2007
Enterprise Edi- tion Service Pack 1 to manage and monitor its 60
e-mail domains located throughout Russia.
Benefits • Fewer mundane tasks for IT • Less downtime • Less
malicious software • Easier remote access
Organization SOK Group
Company Size 60000 employees
Software and Services Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1
Microsoft Operations Manager (MOM) 2005 Microsoft Outlook Web
Access
“The most important feature for us was the antispam engine in
Exchange Server 2007 SP1 because we get up to 100,000 spam e-mail
messages a month.“
Petr Grachev CIO, SOK Group
To view this case study in full, please visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/casestudy.aspx?casestudyid=4000000798
Collection Agency Improves Customer Service with Integrated
Software Solution
Mellon Collection Services, based in Athens, Greece, wanted to
upgrade its IT environment and its aging debt collection software
to improve operational efficiencies and customer service. It
acquired new Microsoft® development tools for its IT staffers and
productivity enhancing desktop software for its information workers
using a Microsoft Open Value Volume Licensing agreement. Mellon
anticipates increasing its customer engagements by 10 percent with
its new Web-based collection services software—a flexible,
customizable solution that integrates easily into clients’
workflows. Productivity among its information workers is already up
10 percent. Under the terms of its licensing agreement, Mellon has
upgraded 50 percent of its personal computers to the 2007 Microsoft
Office release and Windows Vista™ operating system—at no extra
cost.
Organization Profile Mellon Collection Services provides debt
management services to the financial, retail, and
telecommunications sectors. The company, along with its
subsidiaries, employs more than 500 people and has 400 desktop
computers.
Business Situation Mellon needed to replace its aging, custom-built
collection software with a customizable, secure, and reliable
solution that would better integrate with clients’ workflows and
business rules.
Solution Mellon rebuilt its solution using Microsoft® .NET
technologies to create a workflow application that it can reuse for
its clients. It also standardized on Microsoft desktop productivity
tools.
Benefits • Cut license administration costs by 50% • Saved 50% on
new software costs • Saved 20% on software upgrade costs •
Anticipated 10% sales increase • Increased information worker
productivity by 10%
Organization Mellon
Country Greece
Software and Services .NET Framework 3.0 Microsoft Access 2002
Microsoft ASP.NET Microsoft Internet Information Server Microsoft
Office 2003 Microsoft Office 2007 Microsoft Office Excel 2007
Microsoft Office Project Professional 2007 Microsoft Office Visio
2003 Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Microsoft Terminal Services
Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Microsoft
Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition Windows Vista Enterprise
Windows Workflow Foundation
“We used Software Assurance to upgrade half our PCs with the 2007
Microsoft Office system and Windows Vista. We saved 20 percent and
used the newest software versions ahead of our competitors.“
Dr. Stephen Panayiotou Chief Information Officer, Mellon Collection
Services
Czech Coal Producer Boosts Productivity and Mobile Access with New
Messaging Solution
Mostecká uhelná a.s., or MUS, is a leading producer of brown coal
in the Czech Republic. The company’s core business is the
prospecting, mining, processing, and selling of brown coal.
Employees at MUS used Novell GroupWise for messag- ing, but the
company wanted a solution that offered stronger support for remote
and mobile users. MUS decided to move away from GroupWise and
switch to Microsoft® Exchange Server 2007, together with Microsoft
Office Outlook® 2007 and Windows Mobile® 5.0 powered devices. With
these products, MUS has a highly reliable messaging solution that
is easier for the IT staff to manage than Novell GroupWise. Em-
ployees find it far easier to schedule meetings with colleagues and
mobile workers, and they now have the tools they need to stay in
touch while away from the office.
Organization Profile Mostecká uhelná a.s., or MUS, is one of the
major producers of brown coal in the Czech Republic.
Business Situation MUS, which was using Novell GroupWise as its
messaging solution, wanted to offer employees higher quality
service, especially in the area of mobile access to data.
Solution After testing Microsoft® Exchange Server 2003 with
positive results, MUS decided to switch from its GroupWise solution
and deploy Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 with Microsoft Office
Outlook® 2007.
Benefits • Increased performance • Improved system administration •
Increased user productivity • Improved remote and mobile
access
Organization Mostecká uhelná a.s.
Software and Services Microsoft Active Directory Microsoft Exchange
Server 2007 Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 Microsoft Outlook Web
Access Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2 Windows Mobile 5.0
Partner AutoCont CZ a.s.
“The existing infrastructure did not allow us to offer high quality
services to our internal customers, mainly in the area of mobile
access to information.“
Pavel Chyla Head of IT Strategy Management, Mostecká uhelná
a.s.
To view this case study in full, please visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/casestudy.aspx?casestudyid=4000000348
To view this case study in full, please visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/casestudy.aspx?casestudyid=200096
24 25
Project Management Solution Streamlines Processes and Improves
Collaboration
As one of the fastest-growing retail companies in the Russian
market, household appliance and electronics retailer M.VIDEO was
finding it increasingly difficult to manage the opening of new
stores and the development of information systems. It wanted to
introduce a corporate standard for project management and
approached Microsoft® Gold Certified Partner Bogdanov and Partners
to help optimize its processes. The company implemented the
Microsoft Office Enterprise Project Management (EPM) Solution based
on Microsoft Office Project Professional 2003. With standardized
project management processes, M.VIDEO has enhanced collaboration
across the business and dramatically improved its data collection
and reporting processes. In addition, managers can allocate
resources more effectively, while employees have a clearer
understanding of their roles and responsibilities.
Organization Profile M.VIDEO is the second-largest retail chain in
sales of household appliances and sales in Russia. It also
currently has the highest growth rates, sales volume per store, and
sales volume per employee.
Business Situation As the fastest-growing retail chain in the
Russian market, M.VIDEO now opens up to six stores a month. The
company wanted to introduce a corporate standard for project
management.
Solution M.VIDEO worked with Microsoft® Gold Certified Partner
Bogdanov and Partners to implement the Microsoft Office Enterprise
Project Management Solution based on Microsoft Office Project
Professional 2003.
Benefits • Enhanced collaboration. • Improved resource allocation.
• Streamlined operations.
Organization MVideo
Country Russia
Partner Bogdanov and Partners
“Building a new store involves a whole series of formalized
procedures and coordination of our different company departments.
We used to open five to six stores every year. Now, we’re opening
five to six a month. This is a huge burden, not just on our Retail
Network Development Department, but on the company as a whole. This
burden cannot be lightened without the use of a project management
system.“
Sergei Ivanov Corporate Development Director, M.VIDEO
To view this case study in full, please visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/casestudy.aspx?casestudyid=4000001662
26 27
Organization Akrapovic Exhaust System
Company Size 500 employees
Software and Services Exchange Server 2007 Enterprise Edition
Microsoft Office Project 2007 Microsoft Office Project Server 2007
Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 Microsoft Outlook Web
Access
Partner Alarix
“By upgrading to Exchange Server 2007, we have dramati- cally
improved support for our employees who work outside the office with
mobile devices. They now have the reliability and data security
they need.“
Aleš Tancer Chief Information Officer, Akrapovic Exhaust
System
To view this case study in full, please visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/casestudy.aspx?casestudyid=4000001105
As a competitor in a demanding global market, manufacturer
Akrapovic constantly looks for new ways to improve its operations
and support more efficient working for employees. With the help of
Microsoft® Gold Certified Partner Alarix, the company decided to
implement a broad portfolio of Microsoft products. These included
the 2007 Microsoft Office system, Microsoft Office SharePoint®
Server 2007, Microsoft Office Project Server 2007, and Microsoft
Exchange Server 2007. These products form a powerful system for
increased personal productivity, information sharing, and employee
collaboration. The organization now has the tools in place to
support users and ensure it can maintain its market-leading
position.
Organization Profile Akrapovic Exhaust System manufactures
high-performance exhaust systems for four-stroke motorcycles and
all-terrain vehicles. It is a global market leader.
Business Situation The company looked for a solution that would
help it to increase individual productivity and improve messaging,
collaboration, and group work.
Solution The company implemented a range of Microsoft® products,
including Microsoft Office Outlook® Web Access, Microsoft Office
SharePoint® Server 2007, and Microsoft Exchange Server 2007.
Benefits • Improved efficiency and messaging. • Familiar tools. •
Central document management system. • Streamlined project
management. • Foundation for the future.
Polkomtel Prioritizes Projects More Effectively with Project
Management Solution
Polkomtel is a leading telecommunications company in Warsaw,
Poland. At Polkomtel, project management is a vital part of its
everyday business. The company implements several projects related
to deploying new services for clients, developing business
applications, and extending its infrastructure. Polkomtel uses
Microsoft® Office Project Professional 2003 and Microsoft Office
Project Server 2003, which help to improve project management at
the operational level; however, the company needed a solution that
provided easy consolidation of information for department managers
and division directors. Polkomtel deployed Microsoft Office Project
Portfolio Server 2007 and plans to integrate the solution with its
financial systems. As a result Polkomtel has gained greater
objectivity in decision making, better project prioritization, and
more-efficient resource use.
Organization Profile Polkomtel is a leader in the Polish
telecommunications market. Headquartered in Warsaw, Polkomtel
provides services to more than 12 million customers and employs
almost 3,500 people.
Business Situation The Polkomtel IT department needed a project
management system that consolidated information on progress status,
resources, and budgets for a number of projects.
Solution Polkomtel became one of the first companies in Central and
Eastern Europe to deploy Microsoft® Office Project Portfolio Server
2007, a com- prehensive project portfolio tracking solution.
Benefits • Greater objectivity in decision making • Better
prioritization of projects • More efficient use of resources
Organization Polkomtel
Country Poland
Industry Telecommunications
Software and Services Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 Microsoft
Office Project Portfolio Server Microsoft Office Project
Professional 2003 Microsoft Office Project Server 2003
“By deploying Office Project Portfolio Server 2007, we obtained a
simple, efficient measure of how much attention we should give to
launching each project.“
Piotr Drozdzyk Management Systems Development Department Director,
Polkomtel
To view this case study in full, please visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/casestudy.aspx?casestudyid=4000000947
28 29
Slovakian Regional Assembly Cuts Costs with Efficient Document
Management Solution
A regional assembly in Slovakia relied on manual data management
and information distribution—producing documents of up to 500 pages
per assembly member for a single meeting. Working with a Microsoft
partner, it developed a document management system based on
Microsoft® Office SharePoint® Server 2007. All legislative
procedures are now automated. There has also been a reduction both
in administrative costs and the assembly’s carbon footprint.
Organization Profile The Regional Assembly of the Košice
Self-Governing Region serves more than 800,000 citizens in
Slovakia. Its responsibilities include managing public services, as
well as regional development and urban planning.
Business Situation Until 2007 the governing body struggled to
manage the large amounts of paperwork involved in its
administrative and legislative activities. This includes listing
resolutions passed, registering legal regulations and mandatory
statutes, scheduling the assembly session agenda, and sending
invitations to assembly members.
Solution The assembly conducted an internal survey to identify its
employees’ document management requirements. It concluded that the
most suitable option for this system was Microsoft technologies, as
staff were already familiar with the user interface through having
worked on Microsoft Office Outlook® 2003 previously.
Benefits The intranet portal and the Internet site went live in
February 2007. The assembly went into session eight times during
the year and efficiently passed several resolutions without having
to manually produce any hard copies at all, compared to 500 pages
per member previously.
Organization Košice Self-Governing Region
Partner Innovative Complex Original Solutions
“Microsoft technologies helped us build a far more sophisti- cated
solution than we had first planned. It is a major step towards
building e-governance in the Košice Self-Governing Region.“
Frantisek Kohanyi IT Manager for the Košice Self-Governing
Region
To view this case study in full, please visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/casestudy.aspx?casestudyid=4000002144
Manufacturer Saves IT Costs with Integrated Environment and Volume
Licensing
Greek industrial and marine automation systems manufacturer UTECO
had a heterogeneous IT infrastructure. UTECO standardized on the
Microsoft® server product portfolio, acquired with a Microsoft Open
Value Volume Licensing agreement. Now the IT staffer saves time
using automated software update management, and employees have a
secure collaboration solution. UTECO used Software Assurance to
upgrade to the 2007 Microsoft Office system at no extra cost.
Organization Profile Based in Piraeus, Greece, UTECO manufactures
industrial and marine automation systems. UTECO employs 45 people
and has 35 desktop computers.
Business Situation During the early years of this family-owned
business, the company acquired hardware and software without an
overarching strategic plan. The result was an aging, mixed IT
environment that required more time and money to administer than it
delivered in business value. By the time Michael Pallis arrived as
IT Generalist in 2005, the company faced daily IT
malfunctions.
Solution Pallis proposed to management that it create a homogeneous
IT infra- structure based on the Microsoft® server product
portfolio.
Benefits UTECO employees are taking advantage of the new portfolio
of integrated Microsoft software and desktop products to reduce IT
costs and improve productivity and collaboration across the
enterprise.
Organization UTECO
Country Greece
Company Size 45 employees
Software and Services Microsoft Active Directory Microsoft Exchange
Server 2003 Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration Server
2006 Microsoft Office 2007 Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal
Server 2003 Microsoft Office Small Business Edition 2003 Microsoft
SQL Server 2000 Microsoft Systems Management Server 2.0 Microsoft
Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition Windows Vista Business
“We decided on Microsoft because of the quality of its products
geared for midsized companies. As I’m the entire IT department, I
need IT solutions that are reliable and easy to use.“
Michael Pallis IT Generalist, UTECO
Leading Russian Bank Strengthens Employee Corporate Identity with
New Portal
VTB 24—a leading provider of banking services in Russia— has a
rapidly growing workforce of more than 10,000 em- ployees. The
organization wanted to improve internal com- munications by
implementing a centralized portal. With an intranet based on
Microsoft® Office SharePoint® Server 2007, employees can now access
and share personal and company information. Colleagues can build
relationships more easily, and feel more connected with the
organization.
Organization Profile VTB 24, part of the VTB Bank Group, is a
leading provider of banking services throughout Russia. The
organization offers a wide range of products—including mortgages,
loans, credit cards, money transfers, and safe deposit boxes—to
individuals, private business professionals, and small enterprise
customers.
Business Situation Employees posted and accessed documents stored
in shared folders on network drives and within Microsoft Office
Outlook® 2003 messaging and collaboration client. But without a
centralized area for communication, employees could not share
information efficiently.
Solution The project team—consisting of a project manager from the
PR team, members of the human resources team, and the IT
department—drew up a specification to create an intranet portal.
After investigating a number of potential technologies, it chose to
implement Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007.
Benefits More than 10,000 employees at VTB 24 can now access a
centralized por- tal from any of the organization’s business
locations. Employees can view comprehensive details on company
structure, read bank news, see what colleagues are writing in
forums, and feel more connected with each other.
Organization VTB 24
Company Size 10000 employees
Partner Actis Systems
“The portal—based on Office SharePoint Server 2007—builds
relationships between colleagues, creates a stronger corporate
culture, and, ultimately, leads to improved operational efficiency
throughout the organization.“
Mikhail Galushko Head of the Internet Department, VTB 24
To view this case study in full, please visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/casestudy.aspx?casestudyid=4000000180
To view this case study in full, please visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/casestudy.aspx?casestudyid=4000002015
30 31
Application Platform Optimization the microsoft Application
Platform is a set of integrated technologies and tools that enable
your business to innovate and create strategic advantage. By
enabling you to extend and unlock the value in your existing
applications, and to rapidly develop new applications that
differentiate you from your competition, you can make significant
gains in time to value, productivity, and total cost of
ownership.
“ We are delighted to find that we can rely on Microsoft as a
partner that enables the growth of our business, and that we made
the correct decision to select their platform a few years
ago.“
Petr vacek deputy Chairman, seCAr BoHemiA
For more information visit
http://www.microsoft.com/applicationplatform/default.mspx
& integration
• data infrastructure - Custom loB • data infrastructure - isv loB
• data Warehousing Basic Standardized Rationalized Dynamic
sub-Capabilities
su b-
Ca pa
bi lit
ie s
Russia’s Baltika Breweries Links its ERP Databases using SQL Server
2008 Replication
Baltika Breweries, the largest producer of beer in Russia, has
about 12,000 employees and 11 breweries. Its popular brands have
been the market leader in Russia for more than a decade and are
exported to 46 countries. The company coordinates enterprise
resource planning (ERP) across its operations using an ERP solution
created by Microsoft® Certified Partner Monolit-Info. To enhance
management of several geographically dispersed ERP databases
holding more than 2 terabytes of information, the company de-
ployed them as a 6-node multi-server configuration. Baltika is
upgrading to Microsoft SQL Server® 2008, from the earlier version,
to take advantage of new features introduced in SQL Server 2008.
Baltika’s lab testing demonstrated that SQL Server 2008 provides
the efficient replication required for its operations, as well as
reliability.
Organization Profile Based in St. Petersburg, Russia, Baltika
Breweries is the country’s largest producer of beer. With 11
breweries and 12,000 employees, its brands are market leaders in
Russia and exported to 46 countries.
Business Situation The company sought better integration of the
databases hosting its Monolit-Info enterprise resource planning
(ERP) application in geographically dispersed locations across
Russia.
Solution After testing Microsoft® SQL Server® 2008, Baltika
Breweries is upgrading its ERP database infrastructure to SQL
Server 2008 running on the Windows Server® 2008 operating
system.
Benefits • Efficient replication • Easier database management •
Reliability • Ease of upgrade
Organization Baltika Breweries
Software and Services Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Windows Server
2008
Partners AMD Monolit-Info
“SQL Server 2008 replication proved to be very predictable and
reliable in our testing. This helps us to create flexible and
scalable replication solutions. Reliability must be at the
foundation of all that we do.“
Sergey Elchinsky Leading System Engineer, Baltika Breweries
To view this case study in full, please visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/casestudy.aspx?casestudyid=4000001468
34 35
Microsoft SQL Server 2008 improves supervision of 20,000 company
cars
SECAR BOHEMIA operates automobile tracking systems, systems for
monitoring vehicles, people and objects, and fleet management
services including electronic drive logging. One of the products
serving for monitoring called SHERLOG Trace is provided in
collaboration with Telefónica O2 Czech Republic under the brand “O2
Car Control”. Users had been requesting new reporting and
geographical data features, while Telefónica O2 required
improvements in system reliability and availability. This is why
SECAR BOHEMIA decided to evaluate a new Microsoft product: SQL
Server 2008. The evaluation having been a success, the companies
resolved to deploy Microsoft SQL Server 2008 in order to support
the requested features in O2 Car Control and improve system
stability and reliability.
Organization Profile SECAR BOHEMIA operates automobile tracking
systems, company car monitoring systems, and electronic drive
logging.
Business Situation Users requested new reporting and geographical
data features, while Telefónica O2 required improved system
reliability and availability.
Solution The pre-release version of Microsoft SQL Server 2008 has
met all the requirements.
Benefits • New features for the CarControl service • Improved
system stability and availability • New development opportunities
for CarControl • Simplified data management • Users enjoy more
friendly and streamlined CarControl experience
Organization SECAR BOHEMIA
Country Czech Republic
Company Size 120 employees
Software and Services Microsoft Office System Microsoft SQL Server
2008
Partner KAKTUS Software
“We are delighted to find that we can rely on Microsoft as a
partner that enables the growth of our business, and that we made
the correct decision to select their platform a few years
ago.“
Petr Vacek Deputy Chairman, SECAR BOHEMIA
To view this case study in full, please visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/casestudy.aspx?casestudyid=4000001771
Croatia-Based Oil Firm Enhances Operations, Achieves 100 PerCent
Accurate Retail Data
INA is a leading oil and gas provider in Croatia. Established in
1964, the company employs more than 15,000 people at its regional
offices, and gas and retail stores. Until 2006, INA business and
marketing teams relied on the sales data provided by gas and retail
stores to manage stock and plan new marketing initiatives. However,
the process for consolidating data was unreliable and employees
frequently worked with inaccurate and outdated information. In June
2004, INA collaborated with Microsoft® Gold Certified Partner IN2,
to develop a service-orientated architecture. With the new
solution, based on Microsoft BizTalk® Server 2006, marketing and
business teams can access real-time data from the company’s systems
and use this to effectively support business operations. The new,
automated system has eliminated the seven days needed by the IT
team to administer sales data.
Organization Profile Established in 1964, INA is a leading oil and
gas provider in Croatia. The company employs more than 15,000
people and generates an annual turnover of U.S.$2.4 billion.
Business Situation Marketing and operational teams at INA received
inconsistent business data from the company’s retail outlets and
could not easily support routine operations.
Solution INA worked with Microsoft® Gold Certified Partner IN2 to
implement a service-orientated architecture based on Microsoft
BizTalk® Server 2006. The solution provides staff with reliable
information.
Benefits • Data is up-to-date and accurate. • Business operations
are improved. • IT team reduces support time.
Organization INA
Country Croatia
Industry Convenience and Gas
Company Size 15000 employees
Software and Services Microsoft BizTalk Server 2006 Microsoft SQL
Server 2005 Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition SAP on
Microsoft Technologies
Partner IN2
“With Microsoft BizTalk Server 2006, our head office receives and
distributes data between more than 500 gas and retail stores in
just 15 minutes, rather than six hours.“
Zorislav Mihaljevic Advisor to the Retail Division Executive
Director, INA
To view this case study in full, please visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/casestudy.aspx?casestudyid=4000001774
36 37
Supermarket Chain Boosts Competitive Advantage with Efficient
Development
Seventh Continent is a leading supermarket and hypermarket chain in
Russia. The company differentiates itself from competitors by
internally developing and deploying business applications that
boost employee productivity and operational efficiency. As the
company grew in size and complexity, it needed to update its
development environment to support a more agile IT group. Seventh
Continent teamed with Microsoft® Consulting Services and Microsoft
Gold Certified Partner Luxoft to deploy the Microsoft Visual
Studio® Team System development system, including Microsoft Visual
Studio Team System 2008 Team Foundation Server. The company used
its development platform and Microsoft SQL Server® 2008 to enhance
its existing warehouse and supply management system. Today, Seventh
Continent has a more collaborative, measurable, and faster
development process and scalable, secure business
applications.
Organization Profile With a focus on quality products and customer
convenience, Seventh Con- tinent has become one of Russia’s largest
supermarket and hypermarket chains, with over 130 stores across the
country.
Business Situation To support dynamic growth, Seventh Continent is
constantly evolving its business solutions. But to keep the process
agile and solutions reliable, the company needed a more mature
development platform.
Solution The company deployed the Microsoft® Visual Studio® Team
System devel- opment system and upgraded a business application
using the Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 and Microsoft SQL Server®
2008.
Benefits • Improved collaboration • Efficient development process •
Scalable system
Organization Seventh Continent
Company Size 11910 employees
Software and Services Microsoft .NET Framework Microsoft SQL Server
2008 Microsoft Visual Studio Team Foundation Server Microsoft
Visual Studio Team System
Partner Luxoft
“With Visual Studio Team System, we’ve been able to increase the
quality of our development process and enable more control and
transparency—without incurring additional staffing costs.“
Alexander Zubenko Software and Information Director, Seventh
Continent
To view this case study in full, please visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/casestudy.aspx?casestudyid=4000001910
Latvian Government Cuts Costs and Opens Up Public Sector Market
with e-Procurement
The Republic of Latvia has one of the fastest growing econo- mies
in the European Union (EU). Since regaining indepen- dence in 1991,
Latvia has pursued a high-growth strategy in its economy. The
government now wants to open up the country’s public sector
marketplace to greater competition, and make it easier for
companies to bid for government contracts. Against tight deadlines,
Microsoft® Services and Microsoft Gold Certified Partner Rix
Technologies delivered the first phase of a national e-procurement
solution that will eventually connect more than 10,000 public
sector bodies and suppliers subject to changes in the system. The
government anticipates that the new system will bring great
transparency, cut government costs, and create greater competition
in the public sector market. It believes that the new e-procurement
system (including an e-auction solu- tion) will save at least
€250,000 (U.S.$320,551) and create a turnover of about €6 million
(U.S.$7,693,000) a year from 2007 onwards.
Organization Profile The Latvian Procurement Monitoring Bureau
regulates all government procurement. From 2006, a new agency, the
Electronic Procurement State Agency, will provide a single portal
for all public sector buying.
Business Situation The Latvian Government wants to cut costs,
introduce greater transpar- ency, and open up public sector
procurement.
Solution Microsoft® Services and Microsoft partner Rix Technologies
have delivered the first phase of a national e-procurement
solution. Eventually the Web services solution will connect more
than 10,000 organizations.
Benefits • Within three weeks, the pilot system generated
U.S.$0.350 millions in purchase requests • Cutting government’s
internal costs of business • Greater competition in public sector
market • Encourages more companies to enter government
marketplace
Organization Latvian Procurement Monitoring Bureau
Country Latvia
Software and Services Software and Services Microsoft .NET
Framework Microsoft BizTalk Server 2004 Microsoft Commerce Server
2002 Microsoft Internet Information Server Microsoft SQL Server
2000 Microsoft Technology Centers Microsoft Windows Server 2003
Enterprise Edition
Partner Rix Technologies
“Building the working solution was much faster and easier than we
expected. The rich feature set of Commerce Server took months out
of the applica- tion development process.“
Aris Arins Development Manager, Rix Technologies
Power Systems Research Implements a Web-Based Data Portal Built on
Microsoft Software
Power Systems Research is the authoritative source of market
information and business intelligence for the power products and
drivetrain industry. Each year it completes over 20,000 telephone
and onsite interviews with engine manufactur- ers, original
equipment manufacturers, and components suppliers. This information
is managed in market databases. Previously, the firm distributed
the information on computer diskettes, which resulted in highly
ineffective maintenance and shipping procedures. Also, database
content had to be manually updated by users. Implementing a unified
Web- based portal solution, built with Microsoft® .NET Framework
using Microsoft SQL Server™ Reporting Services, Internet
Information Services, and other Microsoft technologies, has allowed
the firm to effectively manage its market data internally and
distribute data to customers worldwide on a real-time basis.
Organization Profile Power Systems Research is a global market
research and consulting company specializing in the engine,
original equipment, and components industries, with offices in the
U.S., Europe, and Japan.
Business Situation The firm needed to alter its database system to
better suit customers and improve internal operations. It required
an internal data management structure to quickly and easily update
its market data.
Solution The firm deployed an online database system that
effectively combines a client database and an internal data
management tool using Microsoft® technologies.
Benefits • Comprehensive Web-based portal • Improved reporting
services • Improved information quality • Improved archive data
history • Lowered TCO and other costs
Organization Power Systems Research
Company Size 500 employees
Software and Services Feature: Reporting Services Internet
Information Services Microsoft .NET Framework Microsoft ASP.NET
Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Enterprise
Edition
Partner ELEKS Software
“This solution was implemented using a standard ‘Web browser/
Internet Information Services/ Reporting Services/SQL Server’ chain
and thus can be easily deployed over the Internet.“
Yevhen Zasoba Support Engineer, ELEKS Software
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To view this case study in full, please visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/casestudy.aspx?casestudyid=201045
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Motor Manufacturer Enhances Operations and Optimizes Data
Management with Solution
With revenue close to €4 billion (U.S.$5 billion) in 2004 and more
than 5,000 employees, Audi Hungaria Motor is Hungary’s largest
exporter. The company manufactures engines for the Volkswagen Audi
Group. The vast quantity of data that the company handles is
received through diverse protocols in a variety of formats, thus
preventing direct analy- sis. To collect and standardize this data,
the company needed a powerful and robust solution that could be
easily config- ured and extended. Audi Hungaria chose Microsoft®
BizTalk® Server 2004 to collate the data and Microsoft SQL Server™
2000 to analyze and store it. In doing so, the company gave its
employees the means to better exploit the potential of production
data and optimize the development process. This immediately reduced
costs, while reinforcing product integrity and enhancing customer
relationships.
Organization Profile Audi Hungaria Motor was established in 1993 to
produce engines for the Volkswagen Audi Group. The division
produced 1.69 million engines in 2005.
Business Situation Audi Hungaria Motor produces large volumes of
data during the engine manufacturing process. The company needed a
powerful and robust solution to collect, standardize, and store
this data.
Solution The company introduced Microsoft® BizTalk® Server 2004 to
harvest and standardize the data before storing it in Microsoft SQL
Server™ 2000. Both run on Windows Server® 2003.
Benefits • Improved operational efficiency. • Enhanced fault
detection. • Ability to handle large quantities of data reliably. •
Flexible and versatile infrastructure.
Organization Audi Hungaria Motor
Company Size 5000 employees
Software and Services Microsoft BizTalk Server 2004 Microsoft SQL
Server 2000 Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition
“Our solution, based on the BizTalk Server, has a direct influence
on the quality of our products and the increase in customer
satisfaction.“
András Györi IT Manager, Audi Hungaria Motor
To view this case study in full, please visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/casestudy.aspx?casestudyid=4000000182
Czech Portal Handles 10 Million Online Forms and Frees Officials
from Paper Systems
The Ministry of Informatics in the Czech Republic wanted to create
a single solution for individuals and organizations to conduct
online transactions with government ministries and public-sector
agencies. It also decided to create a clearly defined
interoperability standard for local software develop- ers to write
their own applications for direct communication with the
eGovernment Gateway, called the Portal of Public Administration
(PPA). Working with Microsoft® Services, the ministry based the
solution on the United Kingdom’s Government Gateway, which uses
open standard Microsoft technology. The project has made a major
contribution to the development of e-government in the Czech
Republic in just three years. By July 2006, 50,000 users had
registered with the gateway and 800,000 online submissions had been
made, representing a total of almost 10 million electronic
forms.
Organization Profile The Czech Republic’s Ministry of Informatics
was set up in 2003 as the central organization responsible for
information and communications technology, telecommunications, and
postal services.
Business Situation The ministry wanted a single solution for
citizens to conduct e-government transactions instead of using
multiple user names and passwords.
Solution The Czech Republic deployed a solution for filing
documents electronically. The solution is based on the U.K.
Government Gateway, which uses open standard Microsoft
technology.
Benefits • Reduction in volume of paper forms. • Standard interface
for e-government. • Ensures one-stop service. • Offers
round-the-clock service. • Stimulates local IT developers.
Organization Ministry of Informatics
Software and Services Microsoft BizTalk Server 2002 Microsoft
BizTalk Server 2006 Microsoft Commerce Server 2002 Microsoft
Internet Security and Acceleration Server 2004 Microsoft Operations
Manager (MOM) 2005 Microsoft SQL Server 2005
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“From January 16, 2006, to the end of July 2006, the gateway
processed and submitted 396,869 electronic transactions, compared
with 394,849 transactions in the whole of 2005. These figures show
the use of the gateway for submitting documents is gaining in
popularity.”
Jindrich Kolár Head of eGovernment, Ministry of Informatics of the
Czech Republic
Telecommunications Company Employees Improve Service with New
Customer Care System
T-Com is a leading provider of Internet, telephony, and IP services
to customers throughout Croatia. Its customer contact center is the
largest of its kind in Croatia, and employees field hundreds of
customer enquiries every day. Until recently, each request involved
accessing as many as 10 different applications to get the
information required for customers. T-Com worked with Microsoft®
Services to implement the Microsoft Customer Care Framework, which
integrated all of its applications into an easy-to-use agent
desktop application.
Organization Profile T-Com is a division of Germany’s Deutsche
Telecom. It delivers DSL Internet access and telephone and IP
services to more than 1.5 million customers.
Business Situation A complex network of applications, required to
provision new and existing services, was causing delays in customer
service.
Solution T-Com implemented the Microsoft® C.ustomer Care Framework
to integrate its different line of business applications into an
easy-to-navigate customer care desktop application.
Benefits • Customer requests addressed quickly. • Errors reduced
through single data entry. • Contact center agents able to provide
personalized services. • Reduction in staff training time.
Organization T-Com
Country Croatia
Industry Telecommunications
Software and Services Microsoft BizTalk Server 2006 Microsoft
Office Communications Server Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Microsoft
Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition
“It is much easier for employees to retrieve information from the
system to help customers, and they now have more time to complete
other tasks.“
Davor Maric Assistant Director for Customer Care Services,
T-Com
Coal Company Reduces Operational Costs with Centralized Network
Management
Yuzhkuzbasugol is one of Russia’s largest coal mining companies,
supplying coking coal to the leading steel and by-product coke
plants in Russia and the CIS. The stability and management of its
business operations rely on the security and performance of its IT
infrastructure. With more than 1,500 desktops spanning multiple
teams and departments, Yuzhkuzbasugol’s network required
significant effort by employees and created a large financial
overhead for the company.
Organization Profile Yuzhkuzbasugol is one of Russia’s largest coal
mining companies. It is based in Kemerovskaya oblast.
Business Situation Yuzhkuzbasugol wanted to improve workflow
processes for all of its employees by centralizing its IT
infrastructure. The company needed to reduce its IT overheads while
standardizing more than 1,500 workstations.
Solution The company piloted the Microsoft® Business Desktop
Deployment Enterprise Edition, a cost-effective solution allowing
Yuzhkuzbasugol to consolidate its current software investments
while standardizing desktop applications across company.
Benefits • Centralized network management. • Optimized IT
expenditure. • Remote management of desktops. • Increased IT
services. • Better security.
Organization Yuzhkuzbasugol
Country Russia
Software and Services Microsoft BizTalk Server 2004 Microsoft
Office 2003 Microsoft Operations Manager (MOM) 2005 Microsoft SQL
Server 2005 Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003 Microsoft
Windows SharePoint Services Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Partner Softline Consulting Services
“Softline Consulting Services helped us to implement our system
with minimal costs. Our pilot allowed us to assess the usability of
our new system and design the configura- tion to meet the
requirements of our company. We’re now using System Management
Server 2003 as the basis for using the Microsoft Business Desktop
Deployment Enterprise Edition throughout the entire company.“
Vladimir Afanasiev Head of system support division,
Yuzhkuzbasugol
To view this case study in full, please visit:
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To view this case study in full, please visit:
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Business Applications
sales, marketing, Customer service & Finance: effective
business management software (erP and Crm) is key to timely and
insightful business decisions.
Are you looking to build more profitable relationships with your
customers and culti- vate a high-performing, agile customer focused
organization? We offer technology that enables your company to
access and share information and insight, whether in the office, on
the road, or across the globe. Microsoft offers customer
relationship management, collaboration, business intelligence,
communication, and productivity software that empower sales,
service and marketing teams to be able to quickly and accurately
access and share information internally or with customers,
regardless of network or geographic boundaries, and increase
individual and team productivity.
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Additionally are you looking for ways to help people throughout
your organization make informed strategic decisions and ensure
compliance with changing external regulations and internal
policies? Microsoft finance and performance management applications
break down the barriers between finance and the rest of the
organization by making financial and performance data usable for
more business users.
Cu st
o m
er e
vi d
en Ce
Hungarian Application Services Provider Improves Customer Service
with CRM Solution
Adverticum Zrt, based in Hungary, is an application service
provider (ASP), developing software and providing online content
services for clients across the country. The company also has a
printed media division that publishes and distributes IT-related
publications on subscription. Adverticum Zrt was established in
2000 by merging media group Prim Media with content management and
traffic-boosting online services from Adverticum.
Organization Profile Adverticum Zrt., founded in 2000, is a
Hungarian publisher and application services provider (ASP). It
specializes in content and hosting tools and produces IT guidance
publications.
Business Situation The company needed a central, reliable system to
manage customer infor- mation so that it could respond faster to
client queries and better serve its customers’ needs.
Solution Adverticum implemented Microsoft Dynamics™ CRM 3.0 Small
Business Edition running on Windows Small Business Server
2003.
Benefits • Improved customer service. • IT employees have more
time. • Clearer cross-selling opportunities.
Organization Adverticum
Country Hungary
Company Size 400 employees
Software and Services Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 Microsoft Windows
Small Business Server 2003
Partner KerSoft
“Microsoft CRM is a proven, easy-to-deploy, highly scalable, and
user-friendly solution.“
Ferenc Szutor Sales Director, Adverticum
Russian Business Network Strengthens Customer Relationships with
Management
The American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Russia provides market
information and events for 800 companies. Since 1994, it has grown
more than 600 percent. To provide clients with the best possible
service, AmCham decided to invest in a customer relationship
management (CRM) system based on Microsoft Dynamics™ CRM 3.0. Now
employees have faster access to automated business information and
have more time to develop customer relationships.
Organization Profile The American Chamber of Commerce in Russia is
the country’s largest foreign business organization. It represents
more than 800 American firms from offices in Moscow and St.
Petersburg.
Business Situation AmCham provides advice, information, and
analysis on priority issues among its client companies. These
include membership to the World Trade Organization, regulation of
direct foreign investment, financial sector reform, and corporate
governance. In addition, it organizes targeted networking and
business development opportunities such as conferences, seminars,
roundtables, and sporting events. Members can also advertize in the
company’s magazine, AmCham News, and on its website.
Solution After evaluating several products on the market, Microsoft
Dynamics™ CRM 3.0 from Microsoft Gold Certified Partner Softline
Solutions stood out as the best fit for AmCham. This decision was
based on ease of integration with the company’s existing systems
and a good predicted return on investment (ROI).
Benefits AmCham now has a consolidated system for its marketing and
communication, finance, and policy information. Since deploying
Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0, employees work more efficiently with
reliable customer data that they can share easily. With access to
client details in real time, they can respond to customer requests,
and provide targeted information, faster.
Organization American Chamber of Commerce in Russia
Country Russia
Industry Government - National / Federal
Company Size 40 employees
Software and Services Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 Microsoft Office
Outlook 2003 Microsoft SQL Server 2000
Partner Softline Solutions
“With better insight into cur- rent activities, together with
improved contact and client management, we can address more
potential customers and strengthen our existing relation-
ships.“
Irina Zerniva Vice President of Operations, AmCham
To view this case study in full, please visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/casestudy.aspx?casestudyid=200573
To view this case study in full, please visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/casestudy.aspx?casestudyid=4000001847
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Employees at Lock Systems Maker Save Five Hours Each Month with
Integrated Solution
Employees at ASSA ABLOY rely on state-of-the-art technology to help
turn their innovative ideas and planning into workable lock
solutions. But manufacturing more than 5,000 different products
involves many complex processes. Workers need to manage systems in
a way that ensures all customers receive their orders in the right
place and at the right time.
Organization Profile The Romanian subsidiary of Sweden-based
company ASSA ABLOY produces a variety of lock systems that can be
found in private homes and businesses.
Business Situation In early 2003, ASSA ABLOY Romania deployed
Epicor solution iScala to manage its logistics, planning, and stock
purchasing. A separate application handles production requirements.
But with no integration be- tween the two systems, personnel found
the workflow difficult to manage. Few user licenses for iScala also
made it expensive to run, and support costs were increasing.
Solution Management employees researched the market for solutions
that would best meet the company’s business needs. They chose
Microsoft Dynamics AX 3.0 and procured the business management
software through the Microsoft Enterprise Agreement.
Benefits Employees