Windows IntunePartner Solution Case Study

IT Firm Expands Revenue Opportunities with Cloud-Based PC Management

OverviewCountry or Region: GermanyIndustry: Information technology

Partner ProfileinfoWAN Datenkommunikation GmbH is an IT management consultancy based in Germany that delivers consulting, training, support, software development, and software distribution services to customers of all sizes.

Business SituationTo support a growing customer base for cloud-based services and to deepen its new penetration into that market, infoWAN wanted to deliver managed desktop services to companies with less than 500 PCs.

SolutionIn 2010, the company began preparing to offer Windows Intune, a subscription-based PC-management solution, to new and existing customers.

Benefits More revenue Simplified, standardized PC

management Enhanced security management Opportunities for growth

“I’m confident that once our customers see what we can do for them with Windows Intune, they won’t turn back.”

Lars Riehn, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, infoWAN

infoWAN Datenkommunikation GmbH is an IT management consultancy based in Unterschleissheim, near Munich, Germany. Over the past two years, the company has expanded its customer base by offering cloud-based managed services such as online messaging and collaboration solutions that includes Microsoft Office programs. To enhance its penetration into that growing customer base, infoWAN wanted to offer more managed services to companies with less than 500 PCs, but it needed a simple solution it could deliver at low cost. In 2010, infoWAN began preparing to add Windows Intune, a subscription-based solution that simplifies how businesses manage and secure PCs, to its suite of offerings. Now, infoWAN can expand its services—and its revenue streams—by delivering standardized PC management and enhanced security to new and existing customers.

SituationSince 1996, infoWAN Datenkommunikation has provided IT management and consultancy services to companies all over Germany. With offices in Munich, Frankfurt, Jena, and Regensburg, Germany, and in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the company delivers software development and distribution services, training, and IT support for customers that range from newer, midsize companies with a few hundred PCs, to major enterprise organizations with tens of thousands of employees and workstations.

infoWAN has significant experience installing and maintaining complex IT infrastructures for its customers. But the company was quick to see the business opportunities of cloud technology—computing resources hosted in offsite data centers and delivered as online services. Several years ago, infoWAN began offering managed services, and the company has expanded its market by introducing customers to the Microsoft Business Productivity Online Standard Suite (BPOS), a collection of hosted online messaging and collaboration solutions from Microsoft.

According to Lars Riehn, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at infoWAN, most of the company’s accounts were with new customers, many of them smaller companies than infoWAN had typically served. “Normally, companies with 50 to 100 computers don’t want to spend resources on building a server infrastructure in-house,” he says. “They still want better performance and better security, but they want it at a lower price and with low complexity. So BPOS was very attractive in that market.”

To support this growing customer base and deepen its new penetration into that market, infoWAN wanted to develop more ways to deliver meaningful services to companies with less than 500 PCs. “Employees at small companies still need to communicate, store and share documents, and develop workflows,” says Riehn. “And as businesses of all sizes require an increasingly mobile workforce, companies are also demanding enhanced security for both in-house and remote employees.”

The company wanted to start offering cost-effective PC management services for small to midsize companies, but it anticipated several challenges. Many small companies often maintain outdated or mixed operating systems across PCs, which can make PC management more complicated. According to Riehn, most of the company’s smaller customers would be eager to upgrade and standardize their computer environments, but they often find it difficult to justify high licensing costs or the complexity and uncertainty sometimes associated with a companywide operating-system migration. Similarly, most of infoWAN’s smaller customers want to avoid the investments in hardware and software that traditional PC management solutions often require.

For its own infrastructure, infoWAN also wanted to avoid a high investment while being able to monitor customer PCs, deploy security updates, and respond to IT issues remotely, no matter where the user may be located. The company wanted to find alternative ways to support its customers—and grow its business— by

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“Normally, companies with 50 to 100 computers don’t want to spend resources on building a server infrastructure in-house. They still want better performance and better security, but they want it at a lower price and with low complexity.”

Lars Riehn, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, infoWAN

helping them standardize and manage their PC environments.

SolutionAfter the success it has had helping its customers adopt the Microsoft Business Productivity Online Standard Suite, infoWAN was eager to try Windows Intune, a subscription-based solution that infoWAN could use to help its customers manage and safeguard their PC environments using a combination of Windows cloud services and Windows software. In July 2010, the company began testing a beta version of Windows Intune internally and preparing to offer the service to customers.

With Windows Intune, infoWAN can manage its customers’ PCs easily and remotely. Because Windows Intune is cloud based, it is simpler to implement than a traditional PC management solution. Neither infoWAN nor its customers need to buy or maintain costly server hardware and software, and the predictable monthly payments means Windows Intune is attractive to businesses of all sizes. Riehn also believes that infoWAN customers that already use Microsoft Business Productivity Online Standard Suite will be more inclined to understand and adopt Windows Intune because they are comfortable with cloud-based solutions.

Administrators at infoWAN can use Windows Intune to manage customer PCs even if users are not connected to the corporate network—the employee only has to be online with a standard Internet connection that uses a Microsoft Silverlight–enabled browser. That makes it easier to monitor the status and health of

mobile employees’ PCs and to deploy software and security updates as soon as they become available. infoWAN can use Windows Intune to help safeguard its customers’ PCs from computer viruses and other malicious software (malware) with security features built on the same Microsoft Malware Protection Engine used by the Microsoft Forefront Protection Suite.Riehn says that upgrade rights to the Windows 7 Enterprise operating system that are included with Windows Intune subscriptions will be a big driver for infoWAN customers. By standardizing its customers’ PC environments with the most advanced version of the Windows operating system, infoWAN will make it easier for its customers to work efficiently and productively, while making it more efficient for its own technicians to manage their customers’ PCs. They will no longer need to manage disparate operating systems, and they can use tools in Windows 7 Enterprise that make PCs easier to configure, manage, and update.

“By offering Windows Intune and BPOS, we can deliver almost all the IT services many of our smaller customers may need,” says Riehn. “This kind of consolidation makes it easier for them to work and easier for us to manage their environment. Everyone benefits.”

In 2009, one of infoWAN’s customers, Forcelab AG, adopted Microsoft Business Productivity Online Standard Suite to better support its highly mobile workforce. Now Forcelab has adopted Windows Intune. “Forcelab was already using the cloud, wanted to upgrade to Windows 7, and needed a better way to manage its PCs,” Riehn says. “With Windows Intune we can

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“By offering Windows Intune and BPOS, we can deliver almost all the IT services many of our smaller customers may need. This kind of consolidation makes it easier for them to work and easier for us to manage their environment. Everyone benefits.”

Lars Riehn, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, infoWAN

simplify their licensing issues and help them support mobile employees by using Windows Intune to manage routine tasks and quickly identify and resolve issues, no matter where the Forcelab employees are working,”

BenefitsWith Windows Intune, infoWAN will be able to deliver enhanced security and simplified PC management services to new and existing customers for a predictable monthly cost. Now they can develop expanded and recurring revenue and growth opportunities while delivering enhanced services and higher value for their customers.More RevenueInterest in cloud-based services has been building among infoWAN’s customers, and the company has made inroads into that market with Microsoft Business Productivity Online Standard Suite. Now infoWAN can use Windows Intune to deliver more services and generate more revenue. Offering Windows Intune subscriptions to existing and new customers will provide recurring revenue for infoWAN, and because each Windows Intune subscription includes an option for Windows 7 Enterprise, the company can take advantage of deployment, upsell, and cross-sell opportunities.

“Naturally, customers that use BPOS or other Microsoft cloud services are going to be very interested in adding Windows Intune,” says Riehn. “They will be able to manage their PCs through the cloud, which they already love, and get upgrade rights to Windows 7 Enterprise at the same time. We expect to increase our cloud-related

revenues by a factor of three to five within the next year.”

Riehn also believes that the simple Windows Intune billing model and a predictable monthly fee is an attractive option to price-sensitive customers. “Most companies now want to know that a new solution is either going to save them money or make them money before they’ll invest,” says Riehn. “Because Windows Intune is not a server-based solution, and it’s priced per month and per seat, it fits perfectly into that investment mindset.”

Simplified, Standardized PC ManagementinfoWAN can use Windows Intune to better track hardware and software inventory, reconcile licensing gaps, and access the same cloud services for every PC at every customer. “Windows Intune is very intuitive,” says Riehn. “It’s surprising how smooth it is to connect to the cloud and then send all the necessary updates to each PC, make sure each PC has the right software, and check that licenses are up-to-date. That way we can recommend necessary upgrades right away to our customers to keep them updated before any compliance issues arise.”

For example, Riehn notes that many of his clients are running multiple versions of the Windows operating system. Since Windows Intune gives them upgrade rights to Windows 7 Enterprise, customers can allocate spending in other areas. “Standardizing everything to Windows 7 Enterprise will be a big step forward for any business—and we’ve been suggesting our customers make the switch,” says Riehn.

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“With Windows Intune, we can deliver ongoing desktop management to our customers without a huge investment. We know Windows Intune will provide us opportunities to conquer new business.”

Lars Riehn, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, infoWAN

Enhanced Security ManagementWith Windows Intune infoWAN can help ensure that its customers’ employees always have the latest security updates, with endpoint protection built on proven Microsoft technologies. IT administrators at infoWAN can monitor every customer PC from a central, web-based console, no matter where the user or the administrator is working, so infoWAN customers can better support—and safeguard—their mobile workers’ PCs.

Customers who upgrade to Windows 7 Enterprise with Windows Intune will be able to take advantage of features in Windows 7 Enterprise that make it easier to safeguard information. For example, Riehn thinks BitLocker and BitLocker To Go drive encryption will be important to infoWAN customers that want to better protect sensitive business data from physical theft or loss of PC hard disk drives and removable storage.

Riehn also believes that delivering enhanced security management will also help infoWAN grow its business with new and existing customers. “Ensuring a mobile workforce that’s secure and managed is a big driver for Forcelab,” he says. “And we expect that to be the case for a growing number of companies.”

Opportunities for GrowthBy offering an expanding suite of cloud-based services, infoWAN can deliver enhanced support to its existing customers

while also attracting new business, without straining its own resources. infoWAN can use Windows Intune to grow its customer base and create longer-lasting customer relationships. “With Windows Intune, we can deliver ongoing desktop management to our customers without a huge investment,” says Riehn. “We know Windows Intune will provide us opportunities to conquer new business.”

Riehn also notes that small companies and startups love the Windows Intune billing model. “Customers often worry that PC management will cost more than they can spend, but a business can try out Windows Intune with 10 people for three months for just a few hundred dollars,” he says. “By reducing the risk, I can get them to try it. And I’m confident that once our customers see what we can do for them with Windows Intune, they won’t turn back.” Windows IntuneWindows Intune simplifies how businesses manage and secure PCs using Microsoft cloud services and Windows 7, so your computers and users can operate at peak performance from almost anywhere. You can provide a better experience for your workforce that's easier to manage by standardizing your PCs on Windows 7 Enterprise or on an earlier version of Windows—it’s your choice. Windows Intune fits your business by providing a comprehensive desktop solution that gives you big tech results with a small tech investment.

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For More InformationFor more information about Microsoft products and services, call the Microsoft Sales Information Center at (800) 426-9400. In Canada, call the Microsoft Canada Information Centre at (877) 568-2495. Customers in the United States and Canada who are deaf or hard-of-hearing can reach Microsoft text telephone (TTY/TDD) services at (800) 892-5234. Outside the 50 United States and Canada, please contact your local Microsoft subsidiary. To access information using the World Wide Web, go to:www.microsoft.com

For more information about infoWAN Datenkommunikation GmbH products and services, visit the website at: www.infowan.de

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

Document published March 2011

Software and Services Windows Intune Windows 7 Enterprise

For more information about Windows Intune, go to:www.windowsintune.com

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