Download.microsoft.com



Windows 7Customer Solution Case StudyConstruction Firm Boosts Mobility with Notebook PCs and Feature-Rich Operating SystemOverviewCountry or Region: United StatesIndustry: ConstructionCustomer ProfileGafcon is an award-winning construction consulting firm with offices throughout California. The company handles all types and phases of development, construction, and project management.Business SituationGafcon sought an operating system that would streamline daily tasks, improve office efficiency, boost everyday system performance, and offer greater ease of use for mobile employees.SolutionWindows 7 Professional and the Dell Latitude E6400 notebook met Gafcon's computing needs with stronger mobile accessibility, quicker startup times, improved search capabilities, intuitive desktop customization, and more.BenefitsFaster startup saves 5 minutes per dayApplications load 10 percent fasterFile copying is 61 percent fasterNetwork connections are 75 percent fasterSearch saves 5 minutes per employeeFile handling improved with 64-bit processing“Windows 7 Professional has just been a revolutionary tool for us. There’s been an amazing amount of progress from earlier operating systems. We couldn’t be more impressed.”Josh Sebert, Chief Financial Officer, Gafcon With 23 years of experience and numerous awards, Gafcon is highly regarded in its industry. This construction and development firm prides itself on delivering every phase of a project with ease, excellence, and top-level customer service.The sluggishness of Gafcon's computer systems, however, was hampering the productivity of the team of architects, construction managers, market analysts, civil engineers, and real estate economists. Gafcon needed a computing solution to match its growth and level of expertise, and that would support its rigorous standards of quality and customer service. The introduction of the Windows 7 Professional operating system has resulted in significant operational improvements for Gafcon. By boosting everyday performance, mobile access, search functionality, and security, the upgrade has enabled this construction firm to move boldly ahead.SituationGafcon is an award-winning construction consulting firm located in Southern California. With offices in San Diego, Los Angeles, and Orange County, the company has a staff of 120 employees serving 75 clients across the state. The team is focused on delivering project management, engineering, and land planning expertise to residential, government, public, and private clients.Gafcon has earned a reputation for impeccable service. In addition to receiving Gold and Silver Constructech Vision Awards, the company has been recognized among Engineering News Record's Top 100 Construction Management Firms.Despite well-deserved praise, Gafcon has been challenged by computing issues. Users complained of sluggish startup times and connections, sometimes requiring up to five minutes to connect to remote networks and up to eight minutes to launch applications.Other problems included sluggish response times and difficulty locating files and documents. Gafcon was in need of a new operating system that could accommodate its fast-paced operations and adapt to its method of doing business.“We used to have to manually select the default printer for the current network we were using. Now the operating system switches it automatically. It’s been a huge time saver.” Ashley McElravy, Business Development Representative, GafconSolutionWith the introduction of Windows 7 Professional on the Dell Latitude E6400 notebook,* Gafcon has found a computing system that's a perfect fit for the way the company works. The operating system offers reliable mobility and simple personalization features that streamline everyday computer use, while Dell PCs are designed for improved performance, security, and reliability—the perfect combination for a business like Gafcon.“The Dell E6400 with Windows 7 Professional has just been a revolutionary tool for us," says Josh Sebert, Chief Financial Officer at Gafcon. "There’s been an amazing amount of progress from earlier operating systems. We couldn’t be more impressed."BenefitsUsing the Dell Latitude E6400 with Windows 7 Professional, Gafcon expects to gain the following benefits:Getting More Done on the RoadOne of Gafcon's primary goals with the Windows 7 Professional operating system was to improve network accessibility and other mobility features for employees who needed to do business at off-site locations or conduct presentations for clients. The Network Connection Wizard in Windows 7 Professional has exceeded Gafcon’s needs with improved wireless detection and speedier access. “I absolutely love the Mobility Center!” says Ashley McElravy, Business Development Representative. “I dock when I get back to my office, and I have it on dual view across two monitors. Every time I come to a conference room, it’s much faster, which saves me time and money.”Speedier networking saves employees roughly five minutes each time they change wireless networks—which happens frequently throughout the day as they move around the building—and makes off-site presentations more seamless and professional.Location Aware Printing in Windows 7, which automatically updates the default printer when users move to a different network, has also been vital in saving time and improving efficiency. “We used to have to manually select the default printer for the current network we were using,” says McElravy. “Now the operating system switches it automatically. It’s been a huge timesaver.” Speed and EfficiencyAnother big advantage of the Dell and Windows 7 pairing has been the improvement in computer speed and performance. Says McElravy, “Not only does the Dell machine look really nice, but everything is running really, really quickly. It’s saving a ton of time. We click on an application, and it loads instantly. No problem.”Long startup times and slow-loading applications were among Gafcon's chief complaints with older operating systems, both of which have been dramatically improved with Windows 7.“Copying files from different network locations is incredibly fast with Windows 7. We can drag and drop, copy and paste, and everything is instantaneous—even with large files.”Josh Sebert, Chief Financial Officer, Gafcon “Copying files from different network locations is incredibly fast with Windows 7,” adds Sebert. “We can drag and drop, copy and paste, and everything is instantaneous—even with large files.”The Microsoft Office 2010 suite has become another big timesaver for Gafcon employees. The facility and ease of the improved applications allows them to work more quickly, whether they're creating broadcast presentations with the Microsoft PowerPoint 2010 graphics presentation program or using Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 and the Microsoft OneNote 2010 note-taking program to share information among Gafcon staff."It's not so much that the changes to Office 2010 are totally new, revolutionary things," says Sebert. "It's that it's brought it all together in a very easy, intuitive way."Easy and Intuitive Access Gafcon employees have enjoyed the time savings provided by the new desktop personalization capabilities, which allow them to streamline access to the programs and documents they use most often.Data access is also dramatically improved with the Windows 7 search function. This tool allows for more intuitive searching, making it faster and easier for users to locate documents.“The Windows Search function is much more user-friendly," says Sebert. "And I like that it sort of helps you if you’re not spelling something correctly—it’s like it predicts what you’re thinking. It’s so intuitive."* As part of the solution deployment through the Windows 7 SMB Evidence Program, the customer received complimentary notebooks and technical support from Microsoft and Dell.Software and ServicesWindows 7 ProfessionalMicrosoft OfficeMicrosoft Office 2010HardwareDell Latitude E6400PartnersDellThis case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.Document published September 2010For 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:For more information about the Dell products and services, call (800) 456-3355 or visit the website at: For more information about Gafcon products and services, call (800) 731-6110 or visit the website at: Windows 7Works the way you want: Windows 7 will help your organization use information technology to gain a competitive advantage in today’s new world of work.Your people will be able to be more productive anywhere. You will be able to support your mobile workforce with better access to shared data and collaboration tools. And your IT staff will have better tools and technologies for enhanced corporate IT security and data protection, and more efficient deployment and management.For more information about Windows 7, go to:windows/windows-7 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download