Getronics Cuts IT Costs, Builds Future Services with Windows 7

Windows 7 Customer Solution Case Study

Overview “If you do only one thing, deploy Windows 7. It will Country or Region: The Netherlands Industry: Information and save you a significant amount of money and pay for communication technology (ICT) itself.” services Lee Nicholls, Global Solutions Director, Getronics Customer Profile Headquartered in Zoetermeer, The Getronics is a leading international provider of information and Netherlands, Getronics has offices in communication technology services and solutions. In 2009, Getronics 18 countries, with worldwide annual revenue of €2.2 billion (U.S. $3.1 began evaluating the capabilities and costs of the Windows® 7 operating billion) and about 14,100 employees. It system. The pilot program was part of the company’s initiative to make is the largest ICT service provider in the Netherlands-Benelux region. remote and mobile PC connectivity easier to use and less expensive to support, and to make remote computing more accessible from satellite or Business Situation To extend its Future-Ready home offices. The solution uses deployment, security, and data access Workspace™ initiative and retain capabilities of Windows 7, including BitLocker®, BitLocker To Go™, leadership in workspace management services, Getronics needed a PC AppLocker™ and BranchCache™, as well as Microsoft® Application operating system solution that would Virtualization, part of the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack. A reduce IT costs while delivering compelling, on-demand business business value analysis projected quantifiable benefits, including direct IT services to customers worldwide. savings valued at €77 (U.S. $111) per PC per year, and PC user

Solution productivity benefits of 20 hours per PC user per year. Those results To optimize its deployment program, indicate that Windows 7 can drive significant and tangible benefits even Getronics deployed automated data access, security, and deployment tools in a highly-optimized desktop environment like Getronics. About 1,000 of the Windows® 7 operating system. Getronics PCs are expected to run Windows 7 by the end of 2009.

Benefits Getronics is so pleased with the outcome of the pilot program that it IT direct-cost savings of €77 (U.S.$111) plans to migrate its entire enterprise environment to Windows 7 by the per PC per year, and a financial payback within 6 months. end of 2011.

Works the way you want “Windows 7 is that point Situation As a forward-looking IT company,  Make PC deployments faster and on the horizon we’ve Getronics has a highly mobile workforce easier than was previously possible. and a highly centralized IT infrastructure  Make Getronics mobile PC been looking for. that the company views as essential to operations easier and more cost- Windows 7 leverages our maintaining its leadership role in IT effective to manage and support. services. This vision is implemented by  Reduce the number and complexity investments, provides the company’s Global Workspace of help desk service requests. Alliance and Future-Ready Workspace™  Enable more secure computing significant cost savings, initiative. throughout the company. and provides end-users  Enable new business scenarios for Getronics recognizes that supporting the company’s highly mobile with productivity these efforts requires secure, easy-to- workforce. manage, and cost-effective desktop  Help the company’s highly mobile improvements. Windows solutions. Getronics tests and uses its employees work more efficiently from 7 is a win for Getronics.” solutions internally before they are rolled home and remote offices. out to customers. Known within  Provide user interface Paul Slot, Director, ICT Organization, Getronics as “drinking one’s own enhancements that help employees Getronics champagne,” this process is designed to work more productively. test the impact of solutions from an end- user perspective. Participation, which Getronics evaluated Windows 7 as part includes members of the IT staff, IT of a relatively modern IT infrastructure leaders, and an early adopter program of that already included the Windows knowledge workers outside of IT, Server® 2008 R2 operating system, an extends across business lines. It is element that was required to take designed to test the impact of solutions advantage of some advanced features in from an end-user perspective. Windows 7.

Maintaining its competitive advantage Solution requires Getronics to continually reduce The Getronics workforce is highly mobile internal IT costs and deliver compelling, —more than 70 percent of company PCs cost-effective, on-demand business are laptops, and more than 40 percent of services to its global network of company employees are road warriors. customers. Getronics has a longstanding Windows 7 capabilities support the reputation for integrating technologies Getronics Future-Ready Workspace that help customers gain competitive vision by enabling company IT advantage. To fully evaluate the impact professionals to provide services that are of the Windows® 7 operating system, easier to deploy, manage, and support Getronics ran a pilot program with 630 with less assistance from the help desk. internal users to test the capabilities of the new desktop operating system. In Easier-to-Deploy PC Environment this pilot, Getronics sought to determine New Windows 7 capabilities enable whether Windows 7 could: IT staff to streamline an already-

Works the way you want “By deploying Windows optimized PC deployment process and efficiently migrate the Getronics The deployment improvements helped 7, we take big strides PC environment to Windows 7 from make the business case to migrate the the Windows XP and Windows Getronics PC environment to Windows 7 toward our goal of Vista® operating systems. from Windows Vista by enabling establishing a highly Getronics to accelerate its PC refresh  Built-in multi-language capability. program. mobile and agile The Windows Imaging Format, automated driver provisioning, and the Getronics estimates that Windows 7 workforce. Windows 7 ability to add critical updates to an improvements will reduce PC migration capabilities, which image during deployment help times by 30 minutes per computer and Getronics move towards a true single- reduce IT labor cost by 60 percent and IT automate many aspects image environment, reducing both IT staff time by 29 percent, saving an labor and complexity in the desktop estimated €19 (U.S. $27) per PC per year. of ICT operations environment. Considering that Getronics had already including data invested heavily in optimizing its  Microsoft® System Center deployment processes, this is a management and Configuration Manager played an significant and tangible benefit. important role in keeping desktop security tasks, remove deployment costs low. Together with Easier-to-Manage Mobile PC Services serious obstacles to the Windows 7 deployment tools, System Windows 7 systems management Center Configuration Manager helps capabilities enabled Getronics IT development and reduce the effort of managing the professionals to manage mobile users deployment process throughout the with fewer resources and less manual distribution of our Getronics IT infrastructure. effort than was possible with Windows solutions worldwide.” Vista.  Migration and deployment tools Lee Nicholls, Global Solutions Director, such as the User State Migration Tool  Seamless network access. By Getronics (USMT) 4.0 and the Microsoft enabling seamless access to the Deployment Toolkit 2010, along with corporate network, DirectAccess improved scripting support streamline (enabled through Windows Server the process of deploying an image to a 2008 R2) will help the IT staff manage PC. In addition, file hard-linking is a computers located outside the office, new feature of Windows 7 that helps allowing them to service remote reduce IT effort by eliminating the computers on a regular basis and need to back up data before deploying ensure that the computers stay in the new operating system. compliance with corporate policies without requiring users to connect Together, these improvements remove through a virtual private network potential obstacles from a Windows 7 (VPN). deployment plan by making the process both easier and less expensive to  Improved diagnostics. By using execute. Windows 7 features such as improved

Works the way you want “In Windows 7 we now network diagnostics and elevated rights. As a result, more users troubleshooting, Group Policy are able to run computers with have a very reliable management of wireless standard rights that limit changes to configurations and Wireless Wide Area supported settings and that help the IT operating system which Network or mobile broadband staff programmatically avoid many enables us to move to a abilities, the IT staff gains efficiencies types of service desk calls. while also ensuring that users have a single configuration. seamless and transparent PC  Improved self-healing. Windows 7 experience. self-healing capabilities automatically Windows 7 helps us detect and resolve many known better support our  Better management. Microsoft problems, requiring little or no effort System Center Configuration Manager of the help desk staff. environment.” provides Getronics IT professionals with a single console from which they  Reduced help desk calls. Windows Kris Bries, Infrastructure Manager, Getronics can manage and change client 7 restore points help reduce service configuration and application settings. desk calls by automatically returning Lower-Cost Support for Mobile PC system files and settings to an earlier Users point in time without affecting The Getronics information and personal files. communications technology (ICT) organization, Getronics’ internal IT group, has outsourced its help desk tasks to the Getronics Global Service Center (GSC), the same business unit that serves the needs of Getronics’ external customers (another way in which Getronics “drinks its own champagne”). The GSC is focused on providing the highest level of service desk efficiencies for both internal and external customers.

Windows 7 and capabilities in the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) for Software Assurance provided the opportunity to reduce both the number and complexity of help desk service requests to the GSC.

 Flexibility with control. Enhancements to User Account Control (UAC) enable users with standard user rights to perform more operations that previously required

Works the way you want  Enhancements to the self-help Getronics anticipates that its “new way of capabilities built into Windows 7, work” - enablement of remote and such as the Windows mobile computing - will reduce and Troubleshooting Platform, help possibly eliminate the cost of supporting further reduce service desk calls by some remote offices. enabling PC users to quickly and efficiently resolve common problems and get back to being productive.

 Faster Resolutions. In the event that a service desk call is still required, new features such as the Problem Steps Recorder and remote access to reliability data will help the service desk staff quickly and efficiently diagnose issues.

Together, Getronics estimates that these improvements will result in nearly 25 percent fewer operating system–related and application-related calls to the help desk, a savings of more than €32 (U.S. $46) per PC per year. That’s a significant improvement for a company that already places a high priority on user uptime and service desk efficiencies.

The Getronics “New Way of Work” initiative promotes working from home or remote offices. The built-in remote work capabilities of Windows 7 provide a solid foundation from which the Getronics initiative can succeed.

For example, enabling PC users to work effectively from anywhere—including home offices and other remote locations —has the potential to significantly influence Getronics facilities costs in the future.

Works the way you want “Although the 35 Robust Security Capabilities Kris Bries, Getronics Infrastructure Organizations like Getronics devote a lot Manager comments, “Using BitLocker, percent cycle-time of attention to making certain that their AppLocker, and Group Policy together environment and information assets are enables our IT team to spend 13 percent savings is significant, secure. Windows 7 measurably helps less time performing security threat Application Virtualization Getronics improve desktop security by assessments and 5 percent less time providing tools that enable the IT staff to applying security updates and helps us deliver the right do more with less effort. responding to security incidents.” applications to the right  Continuous data protection. New business capabilities and users with fewer process BitLocker® and Bitlocker To Go™ benefits. Beyond IT-centric process together help ensure that sensitive improvements, Getronics found that obstacles. The result is Getronics data is protected, whether it Windows 7 directly affects other forms of is stored locally on a PC or on an financial benefits and enables new greater agility for our external storage device. business capabilities. global business.”  Improved desktop management.  More efficient network operations. Lee Nicholls, Global Solutions Director, AppLocker™ enables the Getronics IT Network traffic throughout the Getronics staff to proactively decide which Getronics IT environment was applications may be installed on supported by local servers at each specific user machines. This adds satellite office. BranchCache™ enables tremendously to their ability to content from file and Web servers on a manage complexity in their desktop wide area network (WAN) to be Microsoft Application Virtualization environment. cached on PCs or servers at a local (App-V), a technology in the Microsoft branch office. By caching content Desktop Optimization Pack, provided  several tangible benefits to Getronics. Improved network protection. The locally, BranchCache reduces built-in Network Access Protection application response time and WAN Improved application (NAP) client, in conjunction with a traffic, enabling Getronics to operate compatibility. App-V reduces Windows Server 2008 infrastructure, its mobile operations with an application deployment and helps protect the Getronics network by estimated 25percent fewer servers at application-to-application ensuring that clients are in compliance branch offices. Getronics estimates the compatibility-related service with security policies before allowing decrease in branch server infra- requests by transforming network access. structure will reduce operating applications into centrally expenses by €13 (U.S.$19) per PC per managed virtual services that are Getronics estimates that these year. never installed and don’t conflict capabilities drive a 10 percent with other applications. improvement in compliance with its  Lower power costs. Windows 7 power Reduced application delivery desktop security policies. This important management capabilities enable the IT time. App-V enables the Getronics best practice should result in a decrease staff to centrally manage PC power IT staff to reduce the time in the number of service desk calls settings with greater granularity. involved in application delivery arising from faulty configurations. Taking advantage of this capability is from an average of 10 days to less estimated to save Getronics nearly 10 than 7 days. percent of desktop-related electricity IT labor savings per PC. Use of App-V provided an estimated 19 percent reduction in IT labor

Works the way you want “Customers tell us that costs as well as measurably help Getronics achieve its sustainability Jump Lists in the Windows 7 taskbar, Windows 7 responds goals, an important corporate improved start-up times, enhanced citizenship initiative. power savings, and native enterprise well to their hot-button search all tangibly contribute to issues: It’s very Overall, Windows 7 delivers functionality greater PC user efficiency that helps Getronics measurably improve responsive, accomplishes best practices in several key areas such  Faster network access. Networking as security compliance, desktop improvements such as VPN reconnect tasks quickly, and standardization, and application delivery. mean that Getronics PC users will switches immediately Windows 7 helps make mobile and spend less time waiting for access to remote computing capabilities more resources on the corporate network. between applications. It accessible, more cost-effective, and easier to manage throughout the  Less time with self-help. The gives them what they Getronics global ICT infrastructure. Windows 7 Action Center and need to get the job done Windows Troubleshooting in Windows Tangible end-user impacts. Although 7 enable PC users to perform routine with less time and effort Getronics made the business case for operating system tasks more quickly Windows 7 solely on the basis of direct and diagnose and resolve desktop than previous versions of IT cost savings, the migration also problems more easily. These Windows.” delivers significant benefits in PC end- improvements result in a measurable user productivity. While PC end-user reduction in the amount of time that Daan Linden, Professional Services productivity is not generally considered a users spend managing their own PCs. Director, Getronics direct benefit, many organizations place a value on IT capabilities that measurably When used together, these Windows 7 improve it. The Windows 7 pilot program capabilities enable each Getronics user at Getronics uncovered several areas, in to spend approximately 20 hours less per which the new desktop operating system year doing “IT-like” tasks. In addition to helps PC users work more effectively. the recovered user time, Getronics estimates that overall PC user desktop More user uptime means more satisfaction has increased nearly productivity. Improved reliability means 20percent as a result of their Windows 7 that users will spend less time recovering experience. or re-creating data lost due to system crashes. Daan Linden, Professional Services Director at Getronics, comments, “The  Improved user efficiency. time is right to move to Windows 7. Enhanced PC performance, including We’ve received lots of positive response reduced time to boot or wake a PC from early adopters and reference from sleep, in conjunction with user customers. Customers tell us that interface improvements help users Windows 7 responds well to their hot- switch between tasks and applications button issues: It’s very responsive, more rapidly and seamlessly. accomplishes tasks quickly, and switches

Works the way you want immediately between applications. It project by extrapolating from pilot- gives them what they need to get the job program results. Based solely on direct IT done with less time and effort than benefits, when the Windows 7 migration previous versions of Windows. Already, a is completed, Getronics expects to realize number of Getronics customers are a strong positive return on investment, interested in having Getronics deploy with a net present value (NPV) of €149 Windows 7 to their own enterprise (U.S. $215) per PC with a payback period environments.” of less than six months.

Compelling Findings Several key factors helped reduce The experience gained during the Getronics’ deployment costs and drive Windows 7 pilot program prompted the company’s Windows 7 business case. Getronics to begin an accelerated First, Getronics had a Microsoft migration of to the Windows 7 operating Enterprise Agreement with Software system. Deployment of 630 pilot users is Assurance in place. Therefore, Getronics complete, and Getronics plans to deploy did not incur incremental costs for the approximately 1,000 seats by the end of operating system license. Second, 2009. Getronics is so pleased with the Getronics had already conducted outcome of the pilot program that they extensive application compatibility have set a goal of completing the testing as part of its Windows Vista deployment of Windows 7 to their entire deployment; as a result, very little enterprise by the end of 2011. additional testing was needed to validate applications on Windows 7. Third, Lee Nicholls, Global Solutions Director at Getronics identified that all PC hardware Getronics, notes, “By deploying Windows purchased during the Windows Vista 7, we take big strides toward our goal of timeframe runs Windows 7 equally well establishing a highly mobile and agile or better. The net result is that Getronics’ workforce. Windows 7 capabilities, which IT staff does not need to perform in- automate many aspects of IT operations place hardware upgrades. such as data management and security The cumulative cash flow chart shows the tasks, remove serious obstacles to the expected break-even point for the three- Direct IT Cost Savings development and distribution of our year Windows 7 deployment project. solutions worldwide.”Value Value IT Effort/ (€/PC/ (US $/PC/ Direct IT Savings of €77 per PC per Resources Benefits year) year) Year Results of the pilot program show that Improvements in the operations and DeploymentWindows tasks 7 capabilities€19 enable Getronics$27 management capabilities of Windows 7 Applicationto provide more secure, efficient, lower- enabled the Getronics IT staff to reduce €2 $3 virtualizationcost IT services and help PC end-users annual IT costs by €77 (U.S. $111) per PC work more productively. per year. Overall, this represents a 10 Service desk €32 $46 percent reduction in Getronics’ already- Financial returns were calculated for a low desktop costs. Security tasksthree-year Windows€ 27 deployment$3

Server hardware; software €9 $13 maintenance for branch servers

Power savings €13 $19 Works the way you want TOTAL €77 $111 Lower deployment costs. Optimizing Users Spend 20 Fewer Hours Annually the Getronics operating system Tending to PCs deployment program reduced IT labor Although Getronics was able to make the costs by €19 (U.S. $27) per PC per year, a business case for Windows 7 solely on IT 60 percent reduction in IT labor and a 29 cost savings, the migration also delivered percent reduction in deployment time. significant PC user productivity benefits. Improved Windows 7 capabilities Lower management costs. Using enabled each Getronics PC user to spend Microsoft Application Virtualization, a an average of 20 fewer hours per year by: component of the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack, helped the IT staff Improving PC—and PC user—uptime. reduce application management by an Improved reliability means users will estimated €2 (U.S.$3) per PC per year. spend less time dealing with system crashes or application issues. Lower service desk costs. Improvements in the ability to support Making Getronics network and servers remote and mobile PCs are estimated to more responsive. Windows 7 reduced result in a savings of €32 (U.S.$46) per PC the time PC users waited for access to per year. network resources.

Lower security-related IT costs. With Enabling users perform routine less effort needed to ensure security support tasks more quickly. PC users in compliance and respond to security the pilot study spent less time changing incidents, annual security-related IT costs settings and preferences, finding and decreased by €2 (U.S.$3) per PC. organizing information on the desktop, Lower infrastructure costs at branch and switching between files and offices. By reducing the need for servers applications. to cache content at Getronics branches, Windows 7 enabled an estimated €9 (U.S. PC users are more productive. $13) per PC annual saving in branch- Getronics PC users are more effective office server hardware and software because of significant performance maintenance costs. improvements that reduce start time and application responsiveness, and Lower power usage. Advanced idle- improved search capabilities. In addition, resource and device power management enhancements to the Windows Aero® capabilities in Windows 7 are expected user interface, provide a more intuitive to reduce electricity costs by €13 (U.S. interface, allow users to switch quickly $19) per PC per year and help Getronics and easily between tasks. achieve the goals of its environmental Coen Olde Oldhof, Vice President of initiatives by decreasing the company’s Marketing, Alliances, Portfolio and carbon footprint. Strategy for Getronics, comments, “We see a market evolving. Succeeding—no, thriving—in this new world of work

Works the way you want For More Information requires key enablers such as identity Windows 7 For more information about Microsoft management, security, improved Works the way you want: Windows 7 will products and services, call the performance, and user productivity. help your organization use information Microsoft Sales Information Center at Windows 7 has this and more. It’s what technology to gain a competitive (800) 426-9400. In Canada, call the we need to control costs and provide advantage in today’s new world of work. Microsoft Canada Information Centre compelling services to our customers.” Your people will be able to be more at (877) 568-2495. Customers who are productive anywhere. You will be able to deaf or hard-of-hearing can reach Lee Nicholls, Global Solutions Director at support your mobile work force with Microsoft text telephone (TTY/TDD) Getronics adds, “Why did we migrate to better access to shared data and services at (800) 892-5234 in the Windows 7? It provides the robust collaboration tools. And your IT staff will United States or (905) 568-9641 in desktop environment we need to keep have better tools and technologies to Canada. Outside the 50 United States our highly mobile workforce secure, enhance corporate IT security, data and Canada, please contact your local agile, and productive, no matter where protection, and more efficient Microsoft subsidiary. To access they work. And, Windows 7 delivers deployment and management. information using the World Wide strong business value. If you do only one Web, go to: thing, deploy Windows 7. It will save you www.microsoft.com a significant amount of money and pay For more information about Windows 7, for itself.” go to: For more information about Getronics www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7 products and services, visit the Web site at: www.getronics.com

Software and Services  Windows 7  Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack for Software Assurance (MDOP)  Windows Server 2008 R2  System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2

This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. Document published September 2009 Works the way you want