Windows 7 Professional Works as Business Accelerator for IT Consulting Firm

1. Windows 7
Customer Solution Case Study
Windows 7 Seen as Business Accelerator for
IT Consulting Firm
Overview “Since managed services means we deliver IT support
Country or Region: United States
Industry: IT Consulting, Professional
for a fixed monthly fee, we must solve customer
Services computer problems fast. Problem Steps Recorder
Customer Profile
precisely captures the problem for quick resolution.”
With eight offices in five mid-west states, Joddey Hicks, Account Manager, Heartland Technology Solutions
HTS provides its IT expertise to small and
mid-sized businesses via 81 engineers and
staff.
With an eight-office presence across five states, Heartland
Business Situation Technology Solutions (HTS) cuts a wide swath of small and mid-size
As a fixed-fee, managed services IT
consultant, HTS must constantly seek ways business IT expertise across Middle America. Like the farm land
of streamlining its business operations
while maintaining quality service. and businesses surrounding its operations, HTS‟s passion is
focused on growth, productivity and quality. As a Microsoft®
Solution
Windows 7 features such as Problem Steps Certified Gold Partner and Small Business Specialist, HTS has been
Recorder, Location Aware Printing and new
desktop navigation tools speed up invited to be part of an exclusive pre-launch Windows® 7
workflow for HTS engineers.
Professional program called Ignite. It means both HTS and some of
Benefits its customers will test-drive the new operating system under actual
 Faster Problem Identification
 Faster Printer Connections business conditions. HTS is discovering features with Windows 7
 Faster, More Pinpointed Searches that are speeding up its business and making everyday tasks
 Faster Customer Tutorials
 Faster Work Resumption easier, while safeguarding business operations.

2. Situation
Founded in 1985, Heartland Technology HTS technicians move from one network to
Solutions (HTS) has always focused on the another.
technology needs of medium and small
business customers in the market areas it Taskbar Customization
serves. Core competencies include network Jump Lists allow HTS users to see the most
infrastructure, security, document imaging, recently used files by right-clicking on the
telephony, surveillance, global positioning Taskbar.
systems, disaster recovery services and
business consulting. HTS has eight offices Hibernate, Sleep
with 81 employees in five states, giving the In most instances, Windows 7 starts up,
company a strong Midwest footprint. shuts down, resumes from standby and
responds faster than previous operating
The ongoing challenges faced by HTS center systems. For HTS users, this means
around maintaining its quality of service while technicians can quickly get back to work as
having that service delivered as efficiently as they move from one client or project to
possible. another.
“As consultants we‟re always trying to do Federated Search
things better and faster,” said Arlin Sorensen, This feature deepens search capabilities,
chief executive officer, Heartland Technology essentially making Windows 7 a giant search
Solutions. “And we often lean on technology engine that scours local PCs, HomeGroup,
to help us accelerate our business and be network, external drives and the Internet. In
more efficient.” addition, users can type questions or phrases
in the Instant Start Search box because the
control panel, tasks and command-level can
Solution now be searched.
HTS has found several features within
Windows 7 that will accelerate its own Internet Explorer 8
business and make its customers‟ Features within IE8 such as Search
businesses more productive and secure. Suggestions, Accelerators and Slices speed
up the search process by making key
Snap, Shake, Peek word/phrase suggestions, provide ancillary
HTS engineers can navigate through services like maps using Accelerator, and
documents and projects more efficiently, track changes on favorite web sites with
saving valuable time while managing costs. Slices.
Network Connection Wizard Problem Steps Recorder
HTS users have an easier, faster desktop This feature captures a detailed screen-by-
connection to wireless, VPN and LAN screen view with keystroke information.
networks. It means HTS engineers can more Problems can be more clearly communicated
quickly identify all network connection to HTS staff. It is also a powerful tutorial
options within a single window. creation tool, enabling the consultant to
develop How-To instructions for clients to
Location Aware Printing address chronic IT issues.
Location Aware Printing automatically
recognizes each new default printer as

3. Power Management “If I guessed how much faster Windows 7 is
HTS laptop batteries can last longer with to boot and get me solving problems, I‟d say
power-saving features like Battery Power 30 percent,” said Humemuller. “As an
Management. engineer, I get sensitized to waiting and
quickly notice improvements in speed.”
Advanced Backup
Advanced Backup easily backs up any file, Mini-Productivity Tools
including all local files, or an entire business “Features like Peek, Shake, Snap and un-
network. pinning Gadgets are micro-productivity tools,”
said Humemuller. “Even these tiny
Action Center improvements in the time it takes to get a
Action Center consolidates alerts from 10 project done make us more efficient.”
Windows features that deal with security and
maintenance. Faster, More Pinpointed Searches
“Federated Search speeds up our work. It‟s
fast becoming the place to start everything,”
Benefits said Hicks. “I can find applications, emails,
Faster Problem Identification control panel settings and documents
“Since managed services means we deliver IT anywhere on my hard drive, network and
support for a fixed monthly fee, we must Internet. For example, I plugged in a second
solve our customer‟s computer problems monitor and got stuck connecting it up.
fast,” said Hicks. “Problem Steps Recorder Entering „monitor‟ in the Search box, I got a
precisely captures the problem for quick dual monitor option. With two mouse clicks I
resolution.” had two monitors working.
Speed Features “I use Web Slices in IE8 to monitor eBay
“In our estimation, a leaner, faster Windows 7 purchases of the headset and desktop
with enhanced navigation and productivity scanner gear we need for Heartland,” said
features like Jump Lists, Pinning, faster Hicks. “It keeps me tuned in to the bids and
startup, Location Aware Printing and Problem deadlines in a simple, unobtrusive way.
Steps Recorder is saving us up to one half
hour a day per engineer-recouping. This is as “Live Search Suggestions is another IE8
much as 20 hours a month,” noted Hicks. feature that makes for more efficient
searches. It starts to recommend the most
“Network Connection Wizard allows me to common search terms or phrases,
see all of the available networks in one view,” sometimes sparking better and more
noted Chet Humemuller, senior engineer, pinpointed search criteria,” said Hicks.
Heartland Technology Solutions. “It really
speeds up and simplifies the seven to eight Faster Printer Connections
times a day I have to connect. “Location-Aware Printing means our CEO
doesn‟t print out a balance sheet in our
“ReadyBoost allowed me to use Windows 7 Oklahoma office when he‟s sitting in the Iowa
on an older machine at home that only had office,” said Hicks. “Windows 7 „knows‟ what
512K of RAM,” commented Humemuller. “I network is being accessed and automatically
plugged in a 4 GB USB stick, and it worked selects the local default printer. No more
perfectly. waiting and wondering.”

4. For More Information Resume Work Faster “Restore Previous Version adds an extra layer
For more information about Microsoft “Windows 7 is just plain faster,” noted Chet of document security to our business,” said
products and services, call the Microsoft Hunemuller, senior engineer, Heartland Hicks. “If a document is accidentally deleted
Sales Information Center at (800) 426- Technology. “From Sleep to full boot is a few or lost, we know we can usually get it back.
9400. In Canada, call the Microsoft seconds. I‟m up and being productive quickly
Canada Information Centre at (877) 568- no matter how many times I jump on and off “Action Center is aptly named. All Windows 7
2495. Customers who are deaf or hard-of- my computer.” users have a single place to go to find out the
hearing can reach Microsoft text telephone security and maintenance status of our
(TTY/TDD) services at (800) 892-5234 in Faster Customer Tutorials computers. Hunting for the right window is
the United States or (905) 568-9641 in “Problem Steps Recorder is also a great gone.
Canada. Outside the 50 United States and training aid as we can create a tutorial in
Canada, please contact your local minutes rather than struggling to “We estimate the vast majority of our XP
Microsoft subsidiary. To access information communicate solutions over the phone or in customers will migrate to Windows 7 quickly,”
using the World Wide Web, go to: email,” said Hicks. said Sorensen. “Many have already upgraded
www.microsoft.com hardware and compatibility issues have
User Security Level Options largely been resolved. The timing for adoption
For more information about Heartland “Some of our clients had such an allergic is perfect.”
Technology Solutions products and reaction to the User Account Control
services, call 712-744-3619 or visit the interruptions in Windows Vista that they Windows 7
Web site at: downgraded to Windows XP,” said Hicks. “The Faster and more reliable: Windows 7 will help
www.heartlandtechnologies.com ability to adjust the level of User Security your organization use information technology
Level Options in Windows 7 is a great selling to gain a competitive advantage in today‟s
point.” new world of work. Your people will be able to
be more productive anyway. You will be able
Enhanced Security for Customers to support your mobile work force with better
“Though Heartland‟s network security is access to shared data and collaboration
buttoned-down, that‟s not always the case tools. And your IT staff will have better tools
with our customers such as schools, adoption and technologies to enhance corporate IT
agencies and non-profits,” said Hicks. security, data protection, and more efficient
“Windows 7 is going to benefit them right out deployment and management.
of the box with built-in features like Advanced
Backup, Restore Previous Version and Action For more information about Windows 7, go to:
Center.” www.microsoft.com/windows/business
Software and Services Hardware
 Products  Lenovo
− Microsoft Windows 7 Professional  HP
− Microsoft Windows Vista Professional
− Microsoft Office 2007 Professional
− Windows Small Bu
This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT
MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS
SUMMARY.
Document published May 2009