unlock the benefits of the contemporary workplace

Unlock the benefits of the contemporary workplace

Computacenter and Microsoft in partnership

®

Workplace Collaboration Microsoft CC.indd 1 1/27/2012 5:04:30 PM

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• • • UNLOCK THE BENEFITS OF THE CONTEMPORARY WORKPLACE • • •

More for less has become an eternal mantra for the workplace. Whether it is more time and less cost or more growth and less risk, organisations have to be able to achieve their goals with reduced effort and expense if they are to survive.

But the workplace rules have changed – and organisations need to sharpen their game with optimised IT. The workplace is no longer just an office. It’s an employee’s dining room, a hotel, an airport, a service station or even a beach.

To maximise productivity and minimise cost in this dynamic operating environment, organisations must remove more than just physical boundaries in the workplace; they must also eliminate technological constraints. They must be ready to embrace change.

Exploiting the new rules If workplace rule number one is greater mobility, the second is increased collaboration. Instant messaging, videoconferencing, social networking and file sharing via the cloud are just some of the collaboration tools that are transforming workplaces around the world.

To leverage the efficiency and financial gains that come with these innovations, organisations need to ensure that they have the right IT foundations in place.

Legacy operating systems, email platforms and back-end infrastructures were not built for today’s fast and flexible business landscape, and will not only slow down benefits realisation but also result in increased risk and support costs.

These challenges will be exacerbated as support for old operating systems and applications are withdrawn, which will jeopardise not only business continuity but also profitability. This risk coupled with the pace of change in the workplace means it is no longer a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’ an organisation will transform its client infrastructure. Microsoft’s latest productivity solutions, such as Windows 7, Exchange 2010 and Office 365 will be central to this transformation.

These solutions have been specifically designed to help organisations exploit the new rules of business. As well as empowering employees to work faster and smarter, the Microsoft solutions remove cost and complexity through reduced IT support requirements and greater integration.

Computacenter and Microsoft enable organisations to optimise workforce productivity and cost control with the latest productivity tools and industrialised processes.

Social Networking

Instant Messaging

Greater Mobility

Improved Collaboration

Maximised Productivity

Reduced Costs



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Repeatable processes, guaranteed outcomes, proven partnership As Microsoft’s number one enterprise partner for corporate accounts and the third Large Account Reseller in the UK, Computacenter can help organisations source, deploy, transform and manage their workplace technologies.

We have developed a suite of repeatable best practice processes that reduce implementation time, risks and costs and accelerate time to value from Microsoft technologies. For example, Computacenter has developed a modular Desktop Migration methodology, which brings consistency and control to Windows 7 projects.

As a member of Microsoft’s early adopter programme, Computacenter has been implementing Windows 7 since 2009. Many large and diverse organisations have embarked on their Windows 7 journey with Computacenter’s help.

From project definition and infrastructure remediation to data migration and user training, Computacenter’s industrialised approach encompasses an end-to-end set of processes, procedures and tools to optimise the delivery of Microsoft technologies to the workforce and ensure guaranteed outcomes.

Simplifying the transformation journey Deploying the latest Microsoft offerings, however, is just one piece of the workplace transformation puzzle. Organisations also need to consider other changes, including workstyle profiling, application virtualisation, remote access and new delivery models, such as cloud computing.

Thanks to our broad expertise, we can help organisations transform their underlying workplace infrastructure and select a licensing and delivery model that suits their budget, user base and risk profile.

With key Microsoft software packages now available via the cloud in the form of Office 365, organisations need to evaluate if the traditional on-premise approach still represents best value.

Computacenter has developed a range of cost modelling tools to evaluate the capital and operational overhead associated with the different delivery models for key workplace applications, such as Exchange 2010 or Windows 7 as well as potential efficiency gains and cost savings from software licensing.

With so many changes to consider and implement, it is not surprising that industry experts are urging organisations to allow between 18 and 24 months for operating system upgrades and up to nine months for email migrations.

The longer an organisation takes to start its optimisation journey, the longer it will take to realise the business benefits. In today’s competitive business landscape, this delay could become a defining factor between failure and success.

To stay in the game, organisations need to play by the new rules. They need to seize the opportunity.


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• • • UNLOCK THE BENEFITS OF THE CONTEMPORARY WORKPLACE • • • • • • UNLOCK THE BENEFITS OF THE CONTEMPORARY WORKPLACE • • •

Nina Sundberg Director, Enterprise Partner Sales

Microsoft

Computacenter is a key partner for Microsoft in helping organisations maximise their investment in our technologies. Their extensive experience and consistent results enable customers to embrace the latest productivity tools with minimal risk and cost.’

Empower, enable, energise Computacenter and Microsoft enable organisations to achieve more for less. By combing best-of-breed productivity tools with industrialised processes, we will help you to:

Make financial savingsMicrosoft’s latest workplace technologies have been designed to be as cost-effective as possible. Self-service options, simplified IT administration and reduced power consumption are just some of the enhancements that will help to lower operational overheads. At the same time, capital expenditure can be minimised through the adoption of cloud-based models.

Minimise riskLegacy workplace technologies lack stability, which means business continuity and data integrity cannot be guaranteed. These risks will be intensified when support for Windows XP ends in April 2014. By upgrading to newer workplace technologies, organisations will be able to ensure quality of service is maintained. This will not only safeguard revenue generation but also prevent reputational damage and regulatory breaches.

Increase productivityWith a raft of collaboration tools at their fingertips, employees will be able to work faster and smarter from any location. There will also be fewer outages due to unstable legacy technologies, which means staff can spend more time on activities that drive profitable growth and improve customer service levels. An empowered flexible workforce also means greater competitive advantage and business agility.

A powerful partnership: Microsoft and Computacenter

• ComputacenterholdsGoldPartnerstatus for Desktop, Virtualisation, Volume Licensing, Software Asset Management, Server Platform and Identity and Security

• Wehavemorethan300MicrosoftCertifiedSystems Engineers who hold MCP qualificationsinarangeoftechnologiesincludingWindows7andExchange2010

• Computacenterhasdeployedmorethan260,000Windows7and335,000Exchange2010seatsforitscustomers

• ComputacenterisoneofthetopLargeAccount Resellers (LAR) in the UK and a key Enterprise Partner for Group Corporate Accounts

• Unlikethemajorityofthe18UKLARs,weare able to provide consultancy, design and deployment services for Microsoft solutions

£Cost Reduction

Risk Avoidance

Growth / Business Change



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Microsoft Solutions in Action

How Computacenter can help

• Buildabusinesscaseforthemigration and evaluate the impact on the organisation

• Simplifythedeploymentandotherworkplace transformation activities with industrialised processes

• Identifyapplicationrationalisationopportunities and mitigate compatibility issues

Windows 7

What's new

• Enhancedsecurityespeciallyonmobile devices

• Fasterboottimesandimprovedperformance

• Bettersupportfordesktopvirtualisation

• Morefreedomtopersonalisethedesktop experience based on different user requirements

Business outcomes

• Greaterworkforceflexibilityandbusiness agility

• Lowersupportoverheadsandpower consumption

• Stableplatformtosupportnextgeneration applications and business growth


• Deploynetworkinganddatastorage backbone needed to supportUnifiedCommunication&Collaboration solutions

• Simplifythecustomerjourneyfromentitlement through to enablement

• Integrateseamlesslybothcommunication and messaging platforms into existing infrastructure

• Providecrossplatforminterconnectivity for existing room based or immersive video conferencing systems into Lync video

Microsoft Lync

What’s new

• UnifiedCommunication&Collaboration platform including voice, instant messaging, audio, video and web

• Abilitytosharephotos,filesandlinks during a chat session

• Userscanparticipateinwebconferences either through voice, audio and/or video

Business outcomes

• Increasedworkforceproductivityandflexibility

• Reducedneedforbusinesstravelresulting in lower costs and carbon emissions

• Lessriskofbusinessdisruptiondue to adverse weather conditions or emergencies

• SimplifiedITmanagementduetoconsolidatedUnifiedCommunication&Collaborationplatform


• Evaluatemigrationcostsandbenefitsofdifferentdeliverymodels,for example public cloud versus on-premise

• Enablegreaterflexibilitywithpragmatic cloud offerings, which provide organisations with the optiontodeployExchange2010ona dedicated or shared infrastructure implemented and managed by Computacenter either on-premise or in one of the provider’s high availability environments

• DevelopUnifiedCommunication&Collaborationstrategiesandmaximise integration with other Microsoft tools, such as Lync and SharePoint

Exchange 2010

What’s new

• ReducedI/Ooverheadenablesusers to achieve more on lower specificationhardware

• Self-servicetoolsforvariouscommon processes, including managing email groups, setting up automatic replies and changing address information

• Bettersearchfunctionstoaidlegaldiscovery and larger mailbox sizes

• IntegrationwithotherUnifiedCommunication&Collaborationtools

Business outcomes

• Improvedreliabilityresultinginlessbusiness disruption and greater staff productivity

• ReducedITsupportcostsandcomplexity


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SharePoint 2010

What’s new

• FamiliarOfficeinterfacesimplifiesuser adoption and accelerates time to value

• Consolidatedplatformforintranet,extranet and Internet sites

• CentralisedITadministrationandmanagement features

• Mobileintegration

Business outcomes

• Moreinformeddecision-makingand greater agility

• SimplifiedITmanagementandlower maintenance and training costs

• Enhancedcollaborationfeaturesincrease employees’ productivity


• FivecustomisedComputacenterofferings accelerate deployment and provide frameworks for commonSharePointprojects,suchas intranet, website and extranet development

• EnablegreaterflexibilitywithC3Collaboration offering organisations the option to deploy SharePoint2010onadedicatedorshared infrastructure implemented and managed by Computacenter either on-premise or in one of the provider’s high availability environments

Office 2010

What’s new

• RemoteaccesstodocumentsviaWindowsLiveSkyDriveandMicrosoftOfficeWebApps

• Photoandvideoeditingcapabilitieswithin PowerPoint

• PowerPointBroadcastenablesstaff in remote locations to view material in real-time including live video and audio

• Enhanceddataanalysiscapabilitiesin Excel, eg. Spark Lines, which enable greater visualisation of data

Business outcomes

• Improvedworkforcemobility• Increasedproductivity• Improvedemployeecollaboration


• Buildabusinesscaseforthemigration and evaluate the impact on the organisation

• Simplifythecustomerjourneyfromentitlement through to enablement

• Reducetheimpactontheservicedesk during migration

Office 365

What’s new

• Cloud-basedversionsofExchange,SharePoint,OfficeWebApps and Lync

• Applicationcomponentscanbe purchased individually or as preconfiguredoffers

• Extensivesecuritymeasurestosupport public key encryption and digital signatures

• Earlieraccesstoapplicationupgrades than on-premise users

• Moneybackguaranteeifservicelevel agreements are not met

Business outcomes

• Eliminatetheneedforemailupgrades, backup and security patching resulting in reduced cost and complexity

• Moreresponsivetobusinessgrowth and change

• Predictablemonthlyexpenditure


• Evaluateifusersandapplicationsare suited to a cloud delivery model

• Quantifymigrationcostsandsavings that can be realised

• Adviseonmostcost-effectivelicensing options and the impact on existing Microsoft agreements



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MorrisonsisthefourthlargestsupermarketchainintheUKwith456storesand131,000employees.Toensureitgetstherightproductsontherightshelvesattherighttime, Morrisons operates a number of manufacturing and logistics facilities, including around20factories,16warehousesand15distributionsites.

GaryBarr,ITDirectoratMorrisons,comments:“Upto10,000casesofgoodsanhourhavetobeprocessedateachwarehouse.IfourITsystemsareunavailableforjustafewminutes,weareunabletoprocessstockforstorageordistribution,Thiscanimpactnot only the availability of produce in our stores but also lead to perishable items going out of date.”

In2008,Morrisonslaunchedamajorfive-yearITtransformationprogramme,knownasEvolvewiththeaimofoptimisingefficiencythroughoutallitsoperation.OneofthefirstEvolveprojectswastheupgradeofMorrisons'emailsystemstoMicrosoftExchange.Thisinvolvednotonlymigratingalargeamountofdatafrom8,600users'inboxesbutalso implementing a new backend infrastructure to provide better disaster recovery.

Computacenter designed the new email environment and helped procure and implementallthekeytechnologies.“Theemailmigrationwasahighriskprojectasemailisanimportanttoolinthesupplychain,”commentsBarr.“WepartneredwithComputacenterasithadtheskillsetsandresourcesweneededtodelivertheprojecton time and to budget.”

Theemailupgradehasimprovedstaffproductivityandsatisfactionthroughenhancedcommunication.“ComputacenterhelpussafeguardITservicequality,whichiskeytokeepingoursupermarketshelvesfullystockedinanefficientandcost-effectivemanner,”comments Gary.

Morrisons keeps supermarket shelves fully stocked with Computacenter partnership

Case Studies


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Hertford Regional College (HRC) is a centre of excellence in vocational education. It has nearly4,000full-timestudentsandaround700membersofstaff.

As a further education provider, HRC needs to ensure students are fully prepared for the realworld.RussellBarley,NetworkServicesManageratHRC,comments:“Weneedtoprovide students with access to the same technologies they will use in the workplace, this means we must offer the latest software.”

ThecollegetookthedecisiontoupgradeitsdesktopestatetoWindows7tomeetthisrequirement.“Weneededanexperiencedandtrustedpartnerthatcouldreducetherisksassociatedwiththeprojectandensureourdeadlinewasmet,”commentsRussell.

Computacenterworkedcloselywiththecollege’sITteamtopreparetheinfrastructurefortheoperatingsystemmigration.ThisinvolvedupgradingsomeserverstoWindows2008R2andhelpingtestthecollege’s150applicationstoensuretheywouldrunonthenewWindows7platform.All650studentdesktopsinmorethan25classroomswere migrated to the new operating system over a four-week period during the summer of2010.

BymigratingfromWindowsXPtoWindows7,HRChasbeenabletoprovidestudentsand college staff with a future-proofed and environmentally friendly desktop environment that supports increased collaboration.

Windows7alsooffersgreaterstabilityandfasterperformancethanWindowsXP,whichmeans HRC can provide students and staff with an enhanced computing experience.

“Windows7ismoreintuitiveandeasiertouse,particularlyforstudentsthatarenotparticularlyITsavvy,”commentsRussell.“Wecannowofferourstudentsreliableandhigh-performing computing facilities to ensure they have the maximum chance of gaining success in their chosen career.”

Hertford Regional College reduces risk with MicrosoftWindows7upgrade


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To find out more about how Computacenter can help your organisation work smarter and faster with Microsoft technologies, contact your Computacenter account manager or call 0800 014 7420

Visit: www.computacenter.com/microsoft

More Information


Computacenter (UK) LtdHatfield AvenueHatfieldHertfordshire AL10 9TWUnited Kingdom

T: +44 (0)1707 631000F: +44 (0)1707 639966

www.computacenter.com

Computacenter is a leading independent provider of IT infrastructure services and solutions. From desktop to datacenter, we help our customers minimise the cost and maximise the value of IT to their businesses. We can advise organisations on IT strategy, implement the most appropriate technology, optimise its performance, and manage elements of our customers’ infrastructures on their behalf.

Computacenter operates in the UK, Germany, France and the Benelux countries, as well as providing transnational services across the globe.

© Computacenter 2012


unlock the benefits of the contemporary workplace

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