Lebanese Multinational Engineers Largest Leading-Edge Infrastructure in Middle East

Microsoft Windows Server System Customer Solution Case Study

Overview “The transformation from the new Microsoft Country or Region : Lebanon technologies was dramatic from a cost perspective Industry: Manufacturing and in terms of efficiency advancements across the Customer Profile whole Indevco Group.” Indevco Group is a Lebanon-based industrial group with operations around Ghassan El Khazen, IT Group Manager, Indevco Group the world. Forty-seven manufacturing and commercial companies operate Indevco Group is a Lebanon-based multinational manufacturer within its three core divisions employing with more than 6,500 staff worldwide. The existing IT more than 6,500 people. infrastructure consisted of unconnected, disparate domains that Business Situation failed to provide a framework for best practice. There was no Indevco Group’s existing IT infrastructure was failing to provide the systems Internet-based connection to desktops. For example, employees necessary to establish a framework for worked without access to their files once outside their offices. best practice. Increasingly, resources went on network maintenance. Indevco turned to Microsoft® Gold Certified Partner Procomix to transform the legacy environment. It implemented a centralised Solution Indevco Group turned to one of their infrastructure supporting Microsoft Windows Server™ 2003, part qualified communication engineers, Mr. of Microsoft Windows Server System™. In addition, it deployed Ghassan El Khazen, and longstanding adviser Microsoft to transform its entire Microsoft Exchange Server 2003, Microsoft Internet Security network infrastructure and and Acceleration (ISA) Server 2004, and Microsoft Windows® communication environment and create a leading-edge, enterprise-level XP on desktops. The improvement in e-mail messaging helped infrastructure. the organisation make major savings in network management

Benefits across the entire Indevco Group.  Standardising best practice  Improving collaboration between staff  Reducing network management costs Situation The organisation faced management and Indevco Group is a multinational industrial deployment issues because of its group, based in Lebanon, with three core decentralised infrastructure. Increasing divisions producing paper and amounts of resources went on simple containerboard, flexible packaging, and management tasks, such as deploying disposable consumer products. Forty- software updates as administrators needed seven manufacturing and commercial to work on desktops individually. Plus, the companies operate within these divisions cost of implementing future line-of-business employing more than 6,500 staff. systems was too high, as there was no centralised solution for testing and The company is spread globally with implementing new technologies. employees located in many different countries. However, regardless of the Ghassan El Khazen, IT Group Manager, diversity among staff, it is vital that Indevco Group, says: “Our management employees share at least one common and the workforce were feeling the interest: the promotion of the business’s pressure of doing business in an “The solution had to overall economic interests. Key to increasingly competitive global promoting this is the information systems marketplace. But the network was failing to offer reliability so that that establish industry-standard business deliver the information to ease the pressure employees knew the processes guaranteeing efficiency and cost that personnel were under. effectiveness. necessary data was “We needed to find a solution that gave available whenever But, the existing IT infrastructure failed to employees access to the kinds of provide the systems necessary to establish information that drives our business. The required.” a framework for cementing best practice. solution had to offer reliability so that Ghassan El Khazen, IT Group Manager, This was due to the following: employees knew the necessary data was Indevco Group •The organisation’s environment comprised available whenever required.” disparate domains running applications from different vendors, such as PeopleSoft Solution and JD Edwards. Indevco Group turned to one of their •Sales staff once outside the office worked qualified communication engineers, Mr. without access to desktop files across the Ghassan El Khazen, and longstanding Internet. adviser Microsoft to transform its entire •Employees operated without an e-mail network infrastructure and communication system so that to collaborate on business environment, and create a leading-edge, projects they relied on data being faxed. enterprise-level infrastructure. •Customers could not send e-mail inquiries to departments through the company’s Indevco had full trust in the network and Web site in real time. A third-party communication technical design company forwarded queries to the engineered by Mr. Ghassan El Khazen, company at the close of each business which connected all group affiliates day. worldwide in Lebanon, KSA, Egypt, U.K. and Cyprus. The world was at the fingertips Indevco Group examined the system’s of all group staff. application infrastructure software. They deployed Microsoft SQL Server™ 2000, a The new technical design was to centralise Web-compatible database that provides the domain environment that supported core support for extensible markup Microsoft® Windows Server™ 2003 language (XML) and next-generation operating system, part of Microsoft advanced business applications. Windows Server System™ integrated server software. The server software was Key to the project was improving crucial in creating an infrastructure collaboration between staff. As such, the delivering cost-effective information parties deployed Microsoft Exchange systems that standardised processes. The Server 2003 communication and new system is designed to provide high collaboration server, which delivers reliability and security, but with low industry-standard e-mail–based messaging operational costs. services with security and reliability. It gives information workers better control of their Indevco Group rolled out Active Directory® business communications to make directory service, to raise levels of decisions more efficiently. efficiency in network management. The directory service centralises management On the client side of the network, they tasks and is considered ideal for distributed implemented the Microsoft Windows® XP environments. It gives network managers a Service Pack 2 operating system with central information repository from where to Microsoft Office Professional Edition 2003 manage network users and services. to further improve collaboration. As a result, each desktop offers a solid set of The solution included the implementation of communication tools for information two key aspects of the server system’s sharing between personnel. operational infrastructure. Both promote efficiencies through simplified deployment, The transformation project, which launched management, and security. three years ago, is ongoing. But staff •Microsoft Internet Security and across all departments within the Indevco Acceleration (ISA) Server 2004: Besides Group now have access to the enterprise- being an enterprise-class firewall providing level infrastructure and class-leading secure Internet connectivity, it offers application software. Indevco Group high-performance Web proxy and cache services. Benefits •Microsoft Systems Management Server Standardising Best Practice (SMS) 2003: Apart from ensuring cost- Business Processes effective scalable change and configuration For Indevco Group, the migration project management for desktops and servers, it deployed systems providing the needed helps IT administrators distribute security efficiency and cost effectiveness for best updates throughout the business. practice. El Khazen says: “The transformation from the new Microsoft technologies was dramatic from a cost security over its desktop estate. It means perspective and in terms of efficiency that staff can search the Internet for work- advancements across the whole Indevco related information knowing their Group.” As a result, the organisation made computers have a built-in firewall to guard savings and cost reductions in network against Web-based intruders. management across the entire group. Increased Resourcing of Core Raising Web-Based Sales Revenue Business to 14 Per Cent For Indevco Group, the new infrastructure Now, visitors to the Indevco Group Web delivered an opportunity to focus more site can send e-mail messages in real time resources on its core businesses. The to divisions within the group, including the system offers improved reliability and lower Indevco Group Export Division. Before, a operating costs through solutions such as third-party organisation collated the e-mail Active Directory. Furthermore, by deploying messages and then passed them on to the SMS 2003, IT staff are resolving network company at the end of each day. issues remotely from a centralised helpdesk, enabling a single IT department “The solution and By deploying ISA Server 2004, the based out of Lebanon to manage the entire organisation has greater confidence in network spanning four countries. technology used has offering better Web-based support to been a major factor in customers. The class-leading, cost- As a result, the organisation streamlined its effective firewall offers advanced internal IT and third-party support needs reducing staff numbers safeguards for the internal network. It filters and redirected those resources to other and third-party incoming communications at the areas of the business. El Khazen says: application layer where modern-day viruses “The solution and technology used has support.” and worms are sometimes found. been a major factor in reducing staff Ghassan El Khazen, IT Group Manager, numbers and third-party support.” Indevco Group Better Collaboration Between Staff Improving Service More Detailed Roadmapping for The new collaborative software means Better Returns employees can manage customer accounts Indevco IT personnel now have a more efficiently. They have a centralised centralised system for managing the information store in Exchange Server 2003, network and a data store using SQL Server which offers access from inside and 2000 that can support next-generation outside the network. When away from their applications delivering Internet-based offices, sales staff can connect to the store services. The centralised system offers using Microsoft Office Outlook® Web efficiencies that will deliver long-term Access, part of Microsoft Office Outlook benefits to the organisation. They will 2003 messaging and collaboration client. release more resources for roadmapping new line-of-business applications. Furthermore, with the advanced security technologies in Windows XP Service Pack Higher Levels of Customer 2, Indevco Group has class-leading Satisfaction For More Information Indevco Group customers are responding Microsoft Windows Server System

For more information about Microsoft positively to the new infrastructure. Microsoft Windows Server System is a products and services, call the Microsoft Customers have complimented Indevco comprehensive, integrated, and Sales Information Center at (800) 426- Group on noticeable improvements in interoperable server infrastructure that 9400. In Canada, call the Microsoft services. helps reduce the complexity and costs of Canada Information Centre at (877) 568- building, deploying, connecting, and 2495. Customers who are deaf or hard- El Khazen says: “From conversations with operating agile business solutions. of-hearing can reach Microsoft text our customers, we’ve discovered that the Windows Server System helps customers telephone (TTY/TDD) services at (800) new infrastructure is inspiring them with create new value for their business through 892-5234 in the United States or (905) more confidence in the group’s solutions the strategic use of their IT assets. With the 568-9641 in Canada. Outside the 50 and its employees’ expertise.” Windows Server operating system as its United States and Canada, please foundation, Windows Server System contact your local Microsoft subsidiary. delivers dependable infrastructure for data To access information using the World management and analysis; enterprise Wide Web, go to: integration; customer, partner, and www.microsoft.com employee portals; business process automation; communications and For more information about Procomix collaboration; and core IT operations products and services, call or visit the including security, deployment, and Web site at: systems management. www.pro-comix.com For more information about For more information about Indevco Windows Server System, go to: Group products and services, call or visit www.microsoft.com/ ‌windowsserversyste m the Web site at: www.indevcogroup.com

Software and Services − Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2  Products − Microsoft Office Professional Edition − Microsoft Windows Server 2003 2003 Standard Edition − Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 − Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration Server 2004  Technologies − Microsoft Systems Management − Microsoft Active Directory Server 2003 − Microsoft Office Outlook Web Access − Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 − Microsoft SQL Server 2000

© 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. Microsoft, Active Directory, Outlook, Windows, the Windows logo, Windows Server, and Windows Server System are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Document published March 2006