Responsible for communications, brand, and social media, it was only natural Jenny Burns should take the lead in a digital transformation programme sweeping through RSA like wildfire. Called The Big Upgrade, it uses a BT One Cloud platform hosting Microsoft Outlook, Skype for Business, and SharePoint throughout the RSA world.Freed to do their jobs in fundamentally different ways, RSA people can operate in three distinct workstyles – roamers, hoppers or residents. They collaborate globally with customers, partners and each other. Desktop video conferencing is just one of the technologies catching on as the new cool.

Digital transformation makes collaboration cool

Costs have fallen and we’re getting competitive advantage through better customer service and faster time to market for new products.”Jenny Burns, Communications, Brand and Social Media Director, RSA

RSA

Case study

Business tends towards social media trendsIf you’re going to upgrade, why not do it big? Global insurance giant RSA had transformed its UK estate. People from three ex-offices now worked together under one roof in London’s iconic walkie-talkie building at 20 Fenchurch Street.

But with 19,000 employees across the world, RSA wanted more. Almost half those people are Generation Y. That’ll rise to 75 per cent by 2020. To flourish, they’ll need the right technology. “Most of our employees use social media at home. Giving them similar technologies for their business lives was a no-brainer,” says Jenny Burns, director of communications, brand and social media.

So RSA launched The Big Upgrade. “Our aim is to bring all our 19,000 people together under one virtual roof so they can collaborate globally, boost customer service, reduce costs and maximise productivity,” Jenny continues.

Not that the company was totally new to such technology. Yammer has been in use since 2012. A private social network, it brings together people with the same goals at all levels – making it easy to get work done and share ideas.

“Our aim is to bring all our 19,000 people together under one virtual roof so they can collaborate globally, boost customer service, reduce costs and maximise productivity.”Jenny Burns, Communications, Brand and Social Media Director, RSA

Case study

RSA

Global teams will huddle closer in the cloudA BT One Cloud platform was chosen for The Big Upgrade. It hosts Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Skype for Business, and Microsoft SharePoint everywhere in the RSA world, served from BT Compute global data centres. James Sandell, group IT delivery director, says: “Ultimately we needed a secure, high-availability environment with a trustworthy partner to manage it effectively.”

BT One Cloud is a component of the BT cloud of clouds vision. This network-centric model is aimed at helping large organisations connect easily and securely to the applications and data they need, regardless of where they’re hosted. Cloud of clouds is a practical route into cloud computing that meets the need for choice, flexibility and compliance with a supplier who knows how to make it all work together.

The global unified comms platform offers video and audio conferencing, presence and instant messaging, project management and document sharing capabilities. RSA people will be able to switch in an instant between those modes of communication. James adds: “The main opportunity for us was how we could collaborate around the world. How we could get, for example, pricing and underwriting people really sharing their knowledge and experience across borders.”

The rollout started with RSA people in the walkie-talkie. Following them are the rest of the UK and Ireland, Scandinavia, North America, and Latin America. Richard Phillips, group IS finance director, says: “BT has played a central role in delivering The Big Upgrade programme for us. They’re our prime technology delivery partner providing co-ordination across each of the different regions.”

Changing people’s culture and the way they workWith staff now able to operate in one of three distinct workstyles – roamers, hoppers and residents – The Big Upgrade is freeing RSA people to do their jobs in fundamentally different ways. A mark of that is walkie-talkie desk occupancy, which is running at 130 per cent unlike 80 per cent before the move.

“The Big Upgrade is going to change the way we work forever – with customers, with brokers and with each other,” confirms James. “We’ve seen email traffic fall by over 40 per cent because we can engage with people instantly online.”

The RSA team knew it would have to create a groundswell and help drive culture change. It took a bottom-up approach, starting with the delivery team itself. Jenny says: “Now we’ve identified special people called trailblazers who’ll be championing the technology during the rollout as evangelists of the new ways of working.”

BT cloud-based solution sees social media-style collaboration sweep through RSA global organisation

Digital comms becomes the new coolUsers can access the BT One Cloud tools on any device – including smartphones and tablets – so they can contribute new ideas whenever inspiration strikes them: at home, on the road, or at the office. Federation means external contractors and experts can be securely brought into the conversation, enabling them to contribute to important projects.

“The Big Upgrade is going to change the way we work forever – with customers, with brokers and with each other.”James Sandell, Group IT Delivery Director, RSA

Case study

RSA

“The Big Upgrade is really helping RSA become a digital company,” says Jenny, “making us more agile and more efficient.”

Employees are finding the new tools cooler than traditional comms. They’re now more likely to collaborate with colleagues using desktop video conferencing.

Richard says: “It’s been a real success so far and we’re well set up to continue the journey not just through the delivery phase but also as the technology becomes embedded within our organisational culture.”

The Big Upgrade rollout is set to complete in 2016 and will undoubtedly evolve as it progresses and even newer technologies appear on the horizon. The BT cloud of clouds concept is bound to feature in that exciting future.

James concludes: “Cloud services are on our roadmap and as we find new opportunities to deploy other apps we’ll be looking at those with BT.”

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© British Telecommunications plc 2015

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07/15

Core services ¾ BT One Cloud globally-hosted Microsoft

Outlook, Microsoft Skype for Business and Microsoft SharePoint apps

¾ BT Compute data centres

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