Windows 7 Customer Solution Case Study

Utility Upgrades Software to Cut IT Work by 1,000 Hours Annually, Save Energy

“We will save 1,000 hours annually just in deploying client computers. That’s more time our staff has to make our systems better and help users.” Martin Dahling, IT Manager, Eidsiva Energi Eidsiva Energi is a Norwegian utility that wants to make its 900 employees as productive as possible and minimize computer management work. By upgrading to the Windows 7 operating system, Eidsiva Energi will cut software deployment time by 1,000 hours annually and reduce computer support work by 20 percent. It will also reduce energy consumption, enhance security, and increase user productivity by more than 200 hours a day companywide.

Business Needs serves 140,000 customers, has 900 Eidsiva Energi is a Norwegian employees, and posted annual electric cooperative owned by revenues of NOK 4 billion (about Oppland and Hedmark counties and U.S.$697 million). 26 municipalities in those counties. The Hamar, Norway–based utility

This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. Document published July 2010

Works the way you want Eidsiva has 900 client computers (700 advantage of the enhanced and BitLocker To Go features to portable and 200 desktop) that the performance, security, and better secure systems. “We use utility’s information workers, management efficiencies. “We have AppLocker to identify and gate out engineers, field technicians, and other deployed about 200 systems so far unauthorized programs that users employees rely on to do their jobs. and are currently deploying about install on their systems, and Until recently, all 900 computers ran five computers a day,” Dahling says. BitLocker To Go helps keep files the Windows XP operating system. As “Windows 7 runs at least as fast as private, even if a portable computer employees became more dependent Windows XP, and usually better, or flash drive is lost.” on computerized applications and even on three-year-old computers.” spent more time in front of their Benefits computers, they began to complain The Eidsiva IT staff uses automated With the upgrade to Windows 7, about lengthy start-up and shut- Windows 7 configuration and Eidsiva Energy will reduce its down times. Occasional instability deploy-ment efficiencies to speed desktop management and support often led to failures, which required operating system deployment to work, trim energy costs, and improve employees to restart their computers. new and redeployed systems. “Plus, user productivity and data safety. Users also had trouble finding all our client computers now look information in overflowing email alike,” Dahling adds. “They have the Deployment Work Trimmed by inboxes, hard drives, and file shares. same settings and consistent 1,000 Hours Annually application configuration, which IT staff members now spend five The IT staff had problems of its own. helps resolve support issues faster.” minutes deploying the operating “We had to manually install Windows A full 95 percent of the utility’s system on each system, rather than XP, which took up to two hours for applications worked with Windows 7 the two hours it took before. “We each system,” says Martin Dahling, IT with no compatibility problems. will save 1,000 hours annually just in Manager for Eidsiva Energi. “We deploying client computers,” Dahling deploy, or redeploy, a total of 500 Employees really like the operating says. “That’s more time our staff has computers annually. This consumed system, especially Federated Search, to make our systems better and help most of the time of our five or six IT which they use to sift through users.” staff members assigned to desktop thousands of documents and email computer management.” Also, messages and immediately find Support Work Cut by 20 Percent because the staff had to install the what they need. Their computers are The IT staff will save additional time operating system and applications also more stable and quicker to start in the support area. “We now have a manually, Eidsiva computers were not and shut down, which eliminates consistent, automated operating standardized, which made support unproductive delays throughout the system deployment methodology, difficult. day. “We actually haven’t had that so all our computers are much response to the migration, standardized, which makes support With more employees using portable which is a good thing,” Dahling says. easier,” Dahling says. “Our client computers, the IT staff was also “We usually only hear when things computers are also more stable concerned about securing data on are not working well.” running Windows 7, which reduces those systems. “We wanted to deploy help-desk calls. All in all, we’ll be encryption software, but that would Dahling’s staff uses management able to reduce our support work by have been expensive,” Dahling says. efficiencies in Windows 7 to 20 percent using Windows 7.” streamline its work and better Solution secure the utility’s growing portable Increased User Productivity Eidsiva Energi decided to upgrade all computer fleet. It uses Group Policy With faster search, faster computer its client computers to the Windows 7 settings to define and enforce start-up and shut-down times, and Enterprise operating system to take desktop policies and the AppLocker increased stability, Dahling estimates

This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. Document published July 2010

Works the way you want that each user could gain 10 minutes Windows XP because it caused computers without expensive a day in productivity efficiencies. This compatibility problems with some of investments in third-party adds up to 150 hours of productivity our applications. But with Windows encryption software. “Using gains each day companywide. 7, we can achieve more power BitLocker To Go, we can better savings without application secure sensitive information on our Energy Savings conflicts.” portable computers,” Dahling says. Eidsiva Energi will also save money by “We can also keep users from using the power management Enhanced Security for Portable downloading unauthorized features in Windows 7, which is Computers applications that could introduce important for a utility company. By using the security enhancements viruses or malware onto our Dahling says, “We had disabled the in Windows 7, the IT staff can better network.” power management feature in safeguard information on portable

This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. Document published July 2010

Works the way you want