<p> Windows 7 Customer Solution Case Study</p><p>IT Firm Boosts Revenues by $143,000 Annually with User Productivity, IT Efficiencies</p><p>“Timesavings from Windows 7 add up to 60 Customer: Success Computing Consulting additional billable hours per month, or $108,000 of Web Site: www.sccnet.com additional revenue annually.” Customer Size: 23 employees Erik Thorsell, President, Success Computing Consulting Country or Region: United States Industry: Professional services—IT services Success Computing Consulting (SCC) stays current on the </p><p> latest Windows® operating systems to better help customers and Customer Profile Success Computing Consulting (SCC) is keep employees productive. By deploying the Windows 7 an IT consulting firm in Minneapolis, operating system to all 23 employee computers, SCC has Minnesota, that provides IT services to midsize firms in the Midwestern United realized user productivity timesavings worth U.S.$108,000 in States. SCC has 23 employees. billable revenue and IT timesavings worth $35,000 annually. Software and Services New security features help SCC safeguard its network against  Windows 7 malware.</p><p>Business Needs Most employees run the Windows Vista® Since 1992, Success Computer Consulting operating system on their personal (SCC), of Minneapolis, Minnesota, has computers. SCC has found that staying helped small and midsize businesses in current with latest Windows® operating the Midwestern United States with their system not only helps it offer productivity- technology needs. SCC offers a full range enhancing solutions for customers but also of IT services and is a Microsoft® Gold boost its own staff’s efficiency. The typical Certified Partner with 23 employees. As a SCC employee has 20 to 25 windows services firm, SCC sells its time and open at a time, and workers need to move expertise, so worker productivity is critical quickly among windows and locate to company performance. “We work at a information on their desktops without flat fee for many of our customers, so the delay. sooner we complete our work, the more money we make,” says Erik Thorsell, Shawn Fletcher, Network Technician for President of Success Computing SCC, spent about 10 hours a month For more information about other Consulting. rebuilding systems that failed during Microsoft customer successes, please operating system updates. “That was time visit: www.microsoft.com/casestudies Shawn wasn’t doing billable work for our clients, which was lost opportunity cost, Another support timesaver is the Problem open simultaneously, Windows 7 makes valued at $3,000 a month,” Thorsell says. Steps Recorder feature, a tool that users it a lot easier to switch between tasks,” “Plus, there was additional lost time from turn on to record all the steps leading up to says Brian Hershey, Client Network user disruption.” Even though the Windows a problem. Windows 7 captures screen Engineer at Success Computing Server® operating system provided shots, error messages, and all user Consulting. “I can see quickly what’s automated deployment features that actions, then packages the session as an open so I can just click and get on with benefitted larger clients, SCC was too small MHTML file that support people can use to it. It’s a big timesaver. Even if it only to use those tools. Instead, SCC spent resolve the problem without visiting the saves two seconds each time, I might approximately five hours a month deploying user’s desk. perform this action 500 times a day, and operating systems manually. the timesaving adds up.” SCC is also excited about new security features in Windows 7. The BitLocker To Extrapolated over the entire technical Solution Go™ feature extends the safeguards staff, “Timesavings from Windows 7 add When Microsoft announced the Windows 7 offered by BitLocker™ Drive Encryption to up to 60 additional billable hours per operating system, SCC deployed it removable storage devices and enables month, or $108,000 of additional immediately, to most of its computers. With SCC to manage protection of those revenue annually,” Thorsell says. “Our deployment efficiencies provided by devices through Group Policy. “We store biggest problem is finding qualified Windows 7, SCC was able to deploy the sensitive customer data on our systems,” people, so we need to drive the highest operating system in one hour per machine, Thorsell says. “Being able to secure productivity so we can maximize billable one-fifth the time required for previous removable drives makes our client data time.” deployments. much more secure.”  Reduced IT work boosts Windows 7 performance has been Using the AppLocker™ feature, SCC can revenue by $35,000 annually. excellent, and the interface has received specify the applications that can be SCC is netting similar timesavings in the rave reviews from employees. “It’s very fast installed on user machines, which reduces area of IT management. “Instead of and easy to switch between windows; I just troubleshooting, enhances security, and spending ten hours a month rebuilding hover the cursor over the Windows increases user productivity. SCC also likes machines, I’ll probably spend two with SuperBar, and it provides a preview of all the security improvements made to Windows 7,” Fletcher says. “I can an application’s open document,” says Internet Explorer® 8, including defenses redirect those hours to billable work Brent Morris, Sales Manager for Success against malicious Web sites and automatic worth $20,000 annually in additional Computing Consulting. crash recovery. revenue.”</p><p>Using the built-in troubleshooting tools in  SCC is seeing additional Windows 7, SCC employees have been Benefits timesavings in applying security able to quickly resolve application By making its staff more productive, SCC updates. “Using DirectAccess, I can compatibility issues on their own without estimates that it will reap more billable update computers over the Internet seeking technical support. With time and U.S.$108,000 annually in without employees coming into the DirectAccess, Fletcher can remotely additional revenue. Similarly, by reducing office, connecting over a virtual private connect to user computers even when they IT management chores, SCC will net network, or even logging in,” Fletcher are not on the corporate network to install additional billable hours worth $35,000 says. “Manual updates required eight the latest security and application updates. annually. hours of work each month, which This eliminates the need to manually represents an opportunity cost of about update systems or license a separate  Increased user productivity $14,400 a year. With DirectAccess, I software tool for this purpose. boosts revenue by $108,000 can redirect this time to billable work.” annually. “When I have 20 windows </p><p>This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.</p><p>Document published April 2009  Enhanced security. Fletcher says that DirectAccess also provides greater peace of mind that updates are occurring as scheduled. With Windows 7 security enhancements, SCC can better avoid malware, unauthorized application downloads, and loss of data on mobile storage devices. </p><p>This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.</p><p>Document published April 2009</p>