<p> Microsoft Technology Center Customer Solution Case Study</p><p>Real Estate Firm Sees Technology in Action, Solidifies Strategy at Technology Center</p><p>“There can be so many variables in a migration project …. We needed to know about some of the difficulties that we might run into, and the MTC gave us that nuanced understanding.” Eric Rees, Director of IT, Intero Real Estate Services Intero Real Estate Services wanted to migrate to a Google Apps messaging system but had doubts about whether the system was enterprise-ready. Intero investigated another possibility at a Microsoft Technology Center (MTC), where company decision makers saw Microsoft Exchange Online in action. Thanks to its experience at the MTC, Intero was able to make a smarter technology decision and develop an informed strategy for its migration project.</p><p>Business Needs States and around the globe, and it Intero Real Estate Services is one of continually expands its thinking when the premier real estate firms in it comes to setting trends in the northern California. The company has industry. extended its reach across the United </p><p>This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. Document published June 2010 Because Intero is based in the heart of Intero to discuss cloud strategy and As of May 2010, Intero is in the Silicon Valley, with its history of products, specifically Microsoft process of a companywide migration technological innovation, the company Exchange Online, a hosted enterprise to Exchange Online, having decided uses “out-of-the-box” thinking when it messaging solution offered through that it makes more sense for the comes to its use of technology. For Microsoft Online Services. “There was company than Google Apps. Intero example, having outgrown its some initial skepticism at that expects to complete its migration by messaging system that was based on meeting,” recalls Rees. “Our executives July 2010 and also anticipates that it Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 email are experts in real estate, not cloud will adopt SharePoint Online as a messaging and collaboration software, computing, so it was difficult for them centralized document repository by Intero decided to move from a to understand how Exchange Online the end of 2010. traditional email server infrastructure to would really work. The Microsoft team a Google Apps web-based system. In was selling them on a theory—an Benefits early 2009, one of Intero’s franchisees intangible thing.” At the MTC, Intero gained first-hand went through a rebranding effort and, knowledge and experience of as part of that process, migrated its The Microsoft team invited Intero to a Microsoft technologies, which helped email system to Google Apps. Company Strategy Briefing at the Microsoft the company make decisions about its executives believed that moving the Technology Center (MTC) in Mountain internal technology road map and gain whole company to a Google system View, California, to illustrate the uses a greater level of technical would be easy and would represent and benefits of Exchange Online. As understanding. “For me, the MTC was Intero’s image as a trend-setting part of the engagement, the group like a chance to test-drive a car and company. from Intero—a combination of get my hands on the technology,” says business executives and technical staff Rees. “For our executives, the MTC However, there were concerns about —visited the Envisioning Center, where presented an opportunity to see the the enterprise readiness of the Google MTC architects demonstrated how full benefits that Microsoft Apps platform and whether it could various Microsoft solutions worked in technologies could offer our offer the full, feature-rich environment real-world scenarios. The discussion company.” Visiting the MTC resulted that Intero agents and corporate went beyond Exchange Online, in: employees had come to expect, showing how other technologies, such including integration with the Microsoft as Microsoft SharePoint Online and More informed decisions. Through the Office Outlook 2007 messaging and Microsoft Office Live Meeting, could MTC, Intero gained exposure to a number of technologies, which clarified the collaboration client. “It was one thing to help Intero increase efficiency and, company’s needs and helped executives migrate a small team of 15 franchise ultimately, sell more houses. make a smarter business decision. “The users to Google Apps, but I suspected MTC gave our executives a chance to that it was another thing entirely to Another facet of the Strategy Briefing witness the full potential of Exchange move the company’s more than 2,000 included a technical discussion about Online and related technologies, and it also helped convey a sense of the ‘cool’ users,” says Eric Rees, Director of IT for the scope of the company’s proposed factor of cloud computing,” says Rees. Intero Real Estate Services. migration to Exchange Online. “Our “Seeing the technology at work really got environment’s mix of personal their mental wheels turning as to how Intero was not sure about the computing environments was bound multiple Microsoft offerings could benefit Intero.” alternatives in the market or which one to cause complications in the move to would make sense for the company cloud computing,” says Rees. “So we Higher degree of confidence. The from both a business and technology appreciated having Microsoft illustrate company’s MTC experience helped its perspective. our options and help us draw up a leaders confidently set a new strategic direction. “We came away with peace of migration strategy. We got answers to mind about what we were getting into with Solution a lot of our questions and also heard cloud computing. What I learned at the In November 2009, a group of about the Microsoft road map and MTC calmed my nerves and gave me the Microsoft representatives met with how it fit into our five-year plan.” reassurance that I need to be able to, in turn, keep reassuring the company that </p><p>This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. Document published June 2010 we’re heading down the right path,” says Greater project understanding. The with a complex, heterogeneous Rees. “In fact, our executives are now so company increased its knowledge of cloud environment like ours,” says Rees. “We comfortable with our technology decision computing and the considerations needed to know about some of the that they’re highlighting it in presentations involved with moving forward with the difficulties that we might run into, and the to agents and potential franchisees.” migration. “There can be so many MTC gave us that nuanced variables in a migration project, especially understanding.”</p><p>This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. Document published June 2010</p>