Windows 7Customer Solution Case Study

Firm Regains 241 Hours Monthly with Robust Operating System and Rugged Notebooks

OverviewCountry or Region: United StatesIndustry: Professional services

Customer ProfileBrandMuscle uses technology to help leading brands—such as Allstate Insurance, BMW of North America, DIRECTV, and more—rise above the competition.

Business SituationBMI needed to find a more responsive and longer lasting system that would help employees work more productively.

SolutionWindows 7 Professional and Dell Latitude E6400 notebook computers combine to give users a more powerful, secure system that helps employees work more efficiently and flexibly.

Benefits Saved 108 hours monthly on restart

time Saved 133 hours monthly with desktop

enhancements Improved security

“The enhanced interface of Windows 7 Professional and sturdy, ergonomic design of the Dell Latitude E6400 is the missing ingredient we needed to boost productivity.”

David Long, Systems Administrator, BrandMuscle

Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, BrandMuscle (BMI) helps to strengthen brands by harnessing the power of technology-based marketing. Leading brands such as Allstate Insurance, BMW of North America, DIRECTV, and more have been turning to the company for its insight and support since its inception in 2002.Technology is the lifeblood of the company, and its leaders are always on the lookout for the most efficient, powerful, and reliable systems to support its employees and better serve its customers. When managers discovered the Dell Latitude E6400 running Windows 7 Professional, they found the combination of speed, power, and performance they had been seeking.

Works the way you want

SituationPerhaps nothing was more frustrating for BrandMuscle (BMI) employees than having to wait for systems to start up, resume, and respond—which could take several minutes at a time and added up to hours of lost time over the course of the year. Adding to this frustration was the fact that employees found connecting to new networks tedious and time-consuming, as they had to walk through multiple steps each time they wanted to connect.

Employees also found that comparing documents side-by-side required taking the time to manually resize windows—detracting from their ability to complete projects as quickly as they would like. While managers wanted to upgrade to a more intuitive system, they wanted to ensure that employees could still work with existing applications and programs.

In addition, BMI leaders needed a more durable system that would last as long as projected, and help ensure files stay safe and highly secure.

SolutionTo overcome these challenges, BMI turned to the Dell Latitude E6400 running the Windows 7 Professional operating system—and were immediately impressed by the results.*

According to David Long, System Administrator at BrandMuscle, “Technology is our lifeline. With Windows 7 Professional and the Dell Latitude E6400, we have exactly what we need to continually deliver unsurpassed solutions to our clients.”

BenefitsUsing the Dell Latitude E6400 with Windows 7 Professional, BMI expects to gain the following benefits:

Increased EfficiencyWith the faster startup, resume, shut down, and standby capabilities of Windows 7, employees noticed a significant difference in terms of how much faster their systems started up and resumed from sleep mode.

“My Dell Latitude E6400 running Windows 7 Professional boots and responds significantly faster than previous systems I’ve used,” says Long. “It’s helping everyone get to work sooner and complete projects faster.”

On-the-go employees use the View Available Networks feature in Windows 7 to easily find and connect to wireless, mobile broadband, VPN, or even dial-up networks. Windows 7 also helps employees apply the appropriate security settings for home, work, or public network connections.

“Waiting even 10 seconds for a network to connect can be a pain,” says Long. “With View Available Networks, there’s no need to fiddle with settings and wait around. It happens automatically.”

Boosted Productivity and FlexibilityEmployees use the Snap feature of the Aero desktop experience in Windows 7 to position windows side by side—quickly and easily—by dragging each document to either side of the screen.

“Snap is my favorite feature,” Long remarks. “I’m constantly comparing windows and

23Works the way you want

“My Dell Latitude E6400 running Windows 7 Professional boots and responds significantly faster than previous systems I’ve used. It’s helping everyone get to work sooner and complete projects faster.”

David Long, Systems Administrator, BrandMuscle

would spend 20 seconds resizing them whereas now I can just snap them together instantly.”

BMI also notes that it can take advantage of the power of Windows 7 Professional while retaining compatibility with legacy programs, using Windows XP Mode. According to Long, “Windows XP Mode will save us thousands of dollars as we can now run legacy applications. That’s more revenue we can add to the bottom line—and the easiest way to do so!”

Enhanced ProtectionThe Dell Latitude E6400 notebook features Dell’s Built-to-Last durability and Inspired Design, which provides users with a sturdy yet ergonomic and lightweight system that enhances their ability to get more done. Plus, Dell Physical Data Protection mitigates the risk of hardware failure due to excessive vibration or accidental drops—even from a height of 29 inches.

“The Dell Latitude E6400 leverages ergonomic design with rugged durability—it’s definitely supporting the way we work,” says Long. “With Dell Data Protection combined with Dell Built-to-Last durability, I don’t need to worry about losing critical files.

Windows 7 Professional includes Encrypting File System, adding an extra layer of security by storing files in an encrypted format. ”The Windows 7

Professional Encrypting File System gives us the security we’ve been looking for,” Long remarks. “Notebooks can be lost or stolen and put us at severe risk—not to mention undue stress. That concern has been minimized.”

Long concludes, “The enhanced interface of Windows 7 Professional and sturdy, ergonomic design of the Dell Latitude E6400 is the missing ingredient we needed to boost productivity.”

*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.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:www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7

33Works the way you want

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 Dell Latitude E6400 products and services, call (800)456-3355 or visit the website at: www.dell.com

For more information about BrandMuscle products and services, call (216) 464-4342 or visit the website at: www.brandmuscle.com

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

Document published September 2010

Software and Services Windows 7 Professional

Hardware Dell Latitude E6400

Partner Dell

“Windows XP Mode will save us thousands of dollars as we can now run legacy all of our applications. That’s more revenue we can add to the bottom line.”

David Long, Systems Administrator, BrandMuscle