Windows 7Customer Solution Case Study

Wireless Retailer Saves Energy, Boosts Efficiency with Operating System and PC

OverviewCountry or Region: United StatesIndustry: Wireless telecommunications industry

Customer ProfileABC Phones is a privately owned premium retailer for Verizon Wireless, offering cellular phones, services, and customer service from roughly 85 stores in seven states.

Business SituationABC Phones sought to improve its overall computing speed and efficiency with an operating system that would allow the company to streamline operations and save time, money, and energy.

SolutionAfter using Windows 7 Professional on Dell Latitude E6400 machines, ABC Phones enjoyed a significant improvement in the speed, accuracy, and efficiency of virtually all computing tasks.

Benefits Saved 8 hours a day with faster startup Faster network connections Improved productivity Saved 5 hours a week with mobility

“Windows 7 and Dell is the whole package—efficiency and style.... [W]e’re getting more done, and looking good doing it.”

Rich Balot, CEO and President, ABC Phones

ABC Phones of North Carolina, Inc. (also known as "A Wireless") was launched in 1996 as an agent for U.S. Cellular. After many years of selling communication products from Cingular, Sprint, and T-Mobile, ABC Phones is now an exclusive premium retailer for Verizon Wireless. With over 500 desktop and 30 notebook computers scattered across 85 stores, it was in need of a computing system that would improve speed and performance, increase efficiency, and prevent the delays and system failures that were common to older computers and operating systems. By combining Windows 7 Professional with the power of the Dell Latitude E6400, ABC Phones found a computing system that solved all its routine operational difficulties. The staff reported faster startup times, improved processing speed, more robust mobility for notebook users, improved search and encryption capabilities, and better power management.

Works the way you want

SituationAs a premier provider of Verizon Wireless phones and products, North Carolina-based ABC Phones has more than 500 employees in 85 store locations spread across seven states. In addition to 500 desktops, the company also has 30 notebooks that are used when employees travel to Verizon’s corporate offices.

Despite the stability of their computers, employees had complaints about the performance of the operating system. Slow startup, data access barriers, and mobility challenges often resulted in frustration and inefficiencies.

To improve overall computing performance, ABC Phones sought a system that would offer quicker startup, better power management, and improved mobility functions. Improved search functionality and encryption file security were also priorities.

SolutionThe Windows 7 Professional operating system from Microsoft offers improvements in speed, efficiency, data access, encryption, and power management—every area that ABC Phones found lacking in its previous operating system.*

Windows 7 Professional provides specific benefits for companies that rely heavily on computers to perform customer service and management functions. And when paired with the power of the Dell Latitude E6400, there were noticeable improvements across the board.

“Windows 7 and Dell is the whole package—efficiency and style," notes Rich Balot, CEO and President of ABC Phones. "The operating system is just much faster and easier to use. So we’re getting more done, and looking good doing it.”Benefits

Increased Speed and EfficiencyWindows 7 Professional outperforms older operating systems most notably in its everyday performance: It is markedly faster to start up, opens files and programs instantly, and makes searching for documents easier than ever. In fact, in independent tests, application responsiveness was up to 8 percent faster with Windows 7 Professional running on Dell machines.**

Balot reports, “Starting up the computers is significantly faster now. We used to leave our desktops running all the time, but now we can power them down without worrying about long wait times. And starting up more often helps our systems perform better.” This is augmented through electricity costs saved by not leaving desktops running indefinitely. Balot adds that computer start-up times are at least a minute faster per machine.

ABC employees also save time with the improved search functionality. The more intuitive Windows Search allows users to search across all files, folders, applications, and networks, delivering results based on partial search strings.

Enhanced Mobility Features Mobility features are also vastly improved with Windows 7 Professional. “Being on the

24Works the way you want

“Being on the road brings a lot of challenges, but Windows 7 Professional makes it easier. Windows 7 Professional automatically applies the right settings, whether we join to a private network or a public network, to make connecting easy."

Rich Balot, CEO and President, ABC Phones

road brings a lot of challenges," Balot says, "but Windows 7 Professional makes it easier. Windows 7 Professional automatically applies the right settings, whether we join to a private network or a public network, to make connecting easy.”

The Network Connection Wizard is also faster and more reliable, and new features like Location Aware Printing make it easy to send documents where they're needed, even on the go. Users also found Bluetooth setup to be more intuitive on the new system.

Dell’s ProSupport Mobility Services have also provided an extra layer of protection, working to help protect computer data in notebooks while working off-site.

Better Power ManagementBattery life is often a challenge for notebook users, especially on older models. Windows 7 Professional improves battery life with power management features that boost system performance and extend power usage. “With Windows 7, the battery life on the Latitude E6400 is incredible," Balot says. "We used to have to scramble to find power sources, but now we can relax and get more done no matter where we are.”

The Dell Latitude E6400 has also demonstrated a long battery life during testing. The Dell ControlPoint software also helps to maximize battery life by putting power-saving settings at users’ fingertips.

Improved Encryption and SecurityData encryption is especially important for businesses that manage large amounts of

customer data and financial transactions. ABC Phones found the security features to be significantly improved in Windows 7 Professional. Users have much more ease and flexibility in securing sensitive data and granting access to individual files.

“The Encrypting File System in Windows 7 Professional gives us peace of mind, without any confusing manual processes,” notes Balot. “We just click a check box and know that our file is protected.” Dell’s Trusted Platform Module (TPM) technology further eases security concerns by preventing unauthorized access to network folders and files.*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. **Source: Principled Technologies, A Performance Comparison of Current and Previous Generation Dell Latitude Notebook Systems, October 2009 report commissioned by Dell. Actual performance will vary based on configuration, usage, and manufacturing variability. For full test results and methodologies, see the complete report posted at: www.principledtechnologies.com/clients/reports/Dell/Latitude_1009.pdf

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“With Windows 7, the battery life on the Latitude E6400 is incredible. We used to have to scramble to find power sources, but now we can relax and get more done no matter where we are.”

Rich Balot, CEO and President, ABC Phones

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

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

For more information about ABC Phones products and services, call (252) 317-0388 or visit the website at: www.abcphones.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