With the help of Windows 7 Professional Small Gains in Productivity Amount to Big Deal with Swiss Software Developer

1. Windows 7
Customer Solution Case Study
Small Gains in Productivity Amount to Big
Deal with Swiss Software Developer
Overview “If you took my Windows 7 computer away from me
Country or Region: Switzerland
Industry: Professional Services, Software
right now, I’d be very upset. I’ve made the full
Development commitment in terms of files and documents and I
Customer Profile
really like the 20 percent boost in productivity.”
Yellow-B is a software development Ian Griffiths, Chief Operations Officer, Yellow-B
company located near Lausanne,
Switzerland. It specializes in JAVA, J2EE,
AJAX and .Net development. It was founded
in 1999, has 15 employees and 30 PCs
Yellow-B is a best-kept secret. As a specialist in JAVA-based
Business Situation
Poised to replace its three-year old languages and AJAX, the developer has been quietly solving big
Windows XP machines, Yellow-B wanted to problems for even bigger companies. For example, the highly skilled
examine new OS options in its search for
incremental benefits in productivity. Yellow-B team created a dynamic, interactive Web presence for
Orange, one of the largest telecom firms in Europe. However, it did
Solution
Yellow-B has discovered new Windows 7 it the hard way, linking a disparate collection of legacy systems that
features like Taskbar Customization, the it crafted into a highly functional solution. With the IT expertise of
Aero® desktop experience, Problem Steps
Recorder, and Network Connection Wizard Ordin-ere, a Lyon, France consultant and Microsoft® Gold Certified
that are producing productivity gains. Partner, Yellow-B explored the new Windows® 7 operating system as
Benefits it contemplated replacing its own three-year-old Windows XP®
 Finding Errant Files Faster machines. It was pleasantly surprised as features like Taskbar
 Sold On OS Migration
 Faster Problem Resolution
Customization, the Aero® desktop experience, and Trigger-Start
 Faster Boot, Resume, Navigation Services are saving tiny bits of time that add up to productivity
 Productivity Boost 20 Percent
increases of 20 percent.

2. Situation to be more efficient. In fact, because we build
Yellow-B was founded in 2000 by a group of software for a living, we get annoyed at
developers who had been working together having to wait on the computer. We are very
on Java projects since 1998. The company is sensitive to small amounts of time either on
based in Epalinges, near Lausanne in the plus or the minus side.”
Switzerland, 40 miles from Geneva airport.
The company specializes in Java Solution
development, both on a client and a server Federated Search
level. After a number of projects, it This functionality enables the Yellow-B team
developed JET (Java Enabling Technology), a to find any type of file anywhere on local
J2EE compliant development framework that drives, networks, and the Internet. Searches
addresses issues around the complexity of are deeper and more comprehensive.
application development, integration to
legacy systems and the reduction of system Problem Steps Recorder
maintenance. JET has progressively Problem Steps Recorder helps Yellow-B staff
expanded to provide the backbone for server, to precisely capture and communicate a
client and standalone applications on J2EE, computer problem. It also enables staff to
J2SE and J2ME. With JET project control, document fixes and create tutorials and
Yellow-B has a system to develop and reference materials for customers.
maintain projects of every size and
description. Aero desktop experience
The Windows 7 Aero Snap feature lets Yellow-
In addition to major development projects for B users view windows side-by-side by
Orange, one of Europe’s largest telecom dragging them to left and right borders. Users
companies, Yellow-B has tackled a Web- can grab and shake a screen to make all
based e-voting solution for the Swiss other screens disappear. Peek lets users
government and a comprehensive state peer past all open windows straight to the
administrative Web site. This Swiss Windows 7 desktop. Users simply point to the
administrative site handles items from right edge of the taskbar, and open windows
license renewals to driving test instantly turn transparent, revealing hidden
appointments, negotiating tax payment icons and gadgets.
deadlines, and land ownership. Yellow-B is
also involved in the creation of the British Taskbar
Horse Riding Federation site as part of the Features like Pinning and Jump Lists,
2012 Olympics in London. The common accessed conveniently from the taskbar,
factor in all of these solutions is a hodge- streamline document navigation. Yellow-B
podge of entrenched legacy systems from users have their files more readily available.
which Yellow-B has shaped powerful Web
solutions. Trigger-Start Services
The more background services in the system,
While Yellow-B is clearly an expert in the more memory, I/O, CPU, and power they
developing software solutions, it has also consume. Trigger-Start Services is a new
become an expert in judging improvements in mechanism in Windows 7 that fires up an
speed when interacting with a computer. application’s services, such as a webcam
According to Ian Griffiths, chief executive software update, in a more efficient manner.
officer, it is often not fast enough. “Almost Windows 7 consolidates or batches service
every business, especially consultants, wants

3. requests to use computer resources more
efficiently. Faster Boot, Resume, Navigation
Griffiths represents a typical expert computer
Benefits professional that easily becomes frustrated
Finding Errant Files Faster with having to wait on a computer, but
Finding the right file is one of the most immediately appreciates improvements in
frequent and time-consuming tasks for speed. “Windows 7 gives you back little bits
Yellow-B staff. Griffiths frames this common of time throughout the day that really amount
problem well, “I don’t always name or save a to something. Navigation features like Snap,
file in a perfect way, so it’s easy to lose track Peek, Hover, and Shake are simple but
of where the file was put on the drive. significant time-savers.
Federated Search fixes this problem. Being
perfectly organized no longer matters.” “The Trigger Start Services technology under
the hood of Windows 7 also speeds boot and
Sold On OS Migration resume time. It means we can get to work
After using Windows XP, Yellow-B is ready to sooner whether we’re at home, office or the
make a move. “Because we bought our customer.”
computers three years ago with Windows XP
on them, we never even considered migrating Productivity Boosted 20 Percent
to Windows Vista. However, with great early Evidently Windows 7 has found a new fan in
experiences with Windows 7 and the need for Ian Griffiths. “If you took my Windows 7
new hardware, we’ll confidently make the computer away from me right now, I’d be very
move.” upset. I’ve made the full commitment in
terms of files and documents, and I really like
Faster Problem Resolution the 20 percent boost in productivity.”
Features that are helping solve problems for
Yellow-B are Problem Steps Recorder,
Location-Aware Printing and Network
Connection Wizard. All three speed workflow.
According to Griffiths, “Problem Steps
Recorder could be very helpful for our
customers who are trying to communicate
specific software problems they are having.
Without a tool like this, we waste a lot of
time.
“I’ve been known to accidentally print to a
printer that is 20 miles away. Location-Aware
Printing is a very nice convenience that stops
that from happening. It will save a little paper
and a lot of frustration.
“On our Windows XP machines, getting
connected to a network wasted a lot of time.
If you moved across several networks, the
problem compounded. Network Connection
Wizard now makes it easy.”

4. For More Information Windows 7
For more information about Microsoft Faster and more reliable: Windows 7 will help
products and services, call the Microsoft your organization use information technology
Sales Information Center at (800) 426- to gain a competitive advantage in today’s
9400. In Canada, call the Microsoft new world of work. Your people will be able to
Canada Information Centre at (877) 568- be more productive. You will be able to
2495. Customers who are deaf or hard-of- support your mobile work force with better
hearing can reach Microsoft text telephone access to shared data and collaboration
(TTY/TDD) services at (800) 892-5234 in tools. And your IT staff will have better tools
the United States or (905) 568-9641 in and technologies to enhance corporate IT
Canada. Outside the 50 United States and security, data protection, and more efficient
Canada, please contact your local deployment and management.
Microsoft subsidiary. To access information
using the World Wide Web, go to:
www.microsoft.com For more information about Windows 7, go to:
www.microsoft.com/windows/business
For more information about Ordin-ere
products and services, call 32-49-
6163300, or visit the Web site at:
www.ordin-ere.com
For more information about Yellow B
products and services, call
+41 78 713 94 43, or visit the Web site at:
www.yellow-b.com
Software and Services Hardware
 Products  Lenovo
− Microsoft Windows 7 Professional  Toshiba
− Microsoft Windows Vista Professional  Sony
− Microsoft Office® 2007 Professional  HP
− Microsoft Small Business Server 2003  Dell
− Office Visio 2007
− Office Project 2007
− Microsoft SQL Server®
This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT
MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS
SUMMARY.
Document published July 2009