Microsoft Infrastructure OptimizationCustomer Solution Case Study

Communications Provider Standardizes 9,000 PCs to Simplify Support and Reduce Costs

OverviewCountry or Region: IndiaIndustry: Telecommunications

Customer ProfileTata Communications is a leading global provider of a new world of communications. Part of the Tata Group, Tata Communications has operations in more than 80 cities in 40 countries.

Business SituationAfter years of growth, which included a number of acquisitions, Tata Communications had 9,000 desktop computers with wildly different configurations. This complicated support, clogged employee productivity, and blocked business growth.

SolutionTata Communications worked with Expera, a Microsoft Preferred Vendor, to create an IT road map and used Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2 to deploy and manage software across all 9,000 computers.

Benefits Improved IT efficiency from

standardized software Higher employee productivity Greater scalability

“We have improved IT effectiveness by standardizing our infrastructure and using Microsoft software and licensing.”Rajiv Nandwani, Vice President of Global IT Operations and Support, Tata Communications

Tata Communications is a global communications service provider and

part of the U.S.$67.4 billion Tata Group. Growth, which included a

number of acquisitions, left the company with a great deal of diversity

among its 9,000 desktop computers, which complicated support and

user productivity. Tata Communications brought in Expera, a Microsoft

Preferred Vendor, to help it create a road map for standardizing and

modernizing its IT infrastructure, beginning with its PCs. By using the

Microsoft Core Infrastructure Optimization model for guidance and

Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2 for

automated software deployment, Tata Communications standardized

its desktop software. This has increased operational efficiency, boosted

user productivity, and should reduce support calls by an estimated 66

percent, freeing the IT team to focus on business-critical IT support.

SituationThe Tata Group acquired state-owned VSNL in 2002 and the Tata Communications brand launched in 2008. The company quickly established itself as a leading global communications provider, with a robust global network that encompasses a tier-one IP network and one of the most advanced and largest undersea cable networks carrying data and voice around the globe. Tata Communications has 6,400 employees working in more than 80 cities around the world.

After acquiring telecommunications companies in the United States, Canada, and Europe, Tata Communications ended up with 9,000 desktop computers of varying ages, running a variety of software programs, and using an equally diverse mix of data center servers. “It was a challenge to integrate all the IT infrastructures,” says Rajiv Nandwani, Vice President of Global IT Operations and Support for Tata Communications. “There were many homegrown systems and ingrained processes in the different work cultures, so we were facing more than just technology problems.”

As a result of the diversity across its desktop infrastructure and IT processes, the Tata Communications IT staff often had a tough time supporting users. “Employees constantly move among offices and countries, using different PC configurations in each location,” Nandwani says. “If a user needed help, it was difficult to figure out which domain he or she belonged to, what software was on the computer, and how that software was set up in that region. We were averaging about three support calls per employee per month, and each call

took a significant amount of time to resolve. On top of this, as the company grew, the demand for IT support also grew.” Also, as Tata Communications employees became increasingly mobile, they wanted to access email messages and corporate applications from devices such as smartphones, which was difficult to deliver in a desktop-centric IT paradigm.

The lack of desktop standardization also impacted employee productivity. When an employee’s computer was broken or someone could not access an application, work stalled. Employees wasted valuable time every day struggling with document incompatibility problems, configuring the Microsoft Office Outlook messaging and collaboration client on a new computer to their liking, and other mundane issues. “Most people don’t think of desktop issues as holding back a business, but small problems encountered every day become major time drains and business blockers when multiplied by 6,400 employees,” Nandwani says.

All these factors combined to inhibit productivity and efficiency within the company’s IT department, because every new acquisition multiplied the support need. “We needed standards and a road map for optimizing our entire IT infrastructure, but we needed to tackle our desktops first, because they were causing the most business pain,” Nandwani says.

SolutionIn 2007, Tata Communications began upgrading its desktop hardware to bring all systems up to a standard level of computing power and memory. In late

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2009, the company implemented a Microsoft Enterprise Agreement, which provided licensing efficiencies to large organizations that are deploying the most popular Microsoft desktop applications, such as operating systems and messaging, collaboration, and management applications. Outside HelpAt that time, Tata Communications also brought in Expera, a Microsoft Preferred Vendor that had a great deal of experience in IT optimization. “With the Enterprise Agreement, we had access to all the software we needed, but we didn’t know how to take full advantage of it,” Nandwani says. “We also needed to identify what we had and map out what we could reasonably accomplish in a given timeframe.”

Expera helped Tata Communications identify IT inefficiencies and eliminate excess costs across its global organization by creating a road map for standardizing and simplifying its infrastructure. Expera used the Microsoft Core Infrastructure Optimization model, which provides a step-by-step process for assessing an organization’s technology infrastructure and matching its business goals with needed technology investments. Additionally, Expera helped Tata Communications identify unnecessary IT expenses that could be eliminated to produce immediate savings. The three-year road map that Expera created for Tata Communications covered desktop computers, servers, and mobile devices, and it encompassed future plans for virtualization, server monitoring, and more.

“The Microsoft Core IO [Infrastructure Optimization] framework really helped us

come up with a road map for tackling all our IT efficiencies,” Nandwani says. “The road map that Expera developed for us broke down all the needed steps in a very simple manner and assigned a timetable for each. Also, bringing in Expera helped us overcome the cultural differences among our IT teams around the world. Often, you can’t get different teams to agree on a common road map because their own processes are so ingrained. It’s often better to bring in a neutral outside consultant with a neutral plan. That was a major factor in helping us move forward.”

Automated Software Management EfficienciesThe first order of business outlined by its infrastructure optimization road map was standardization of all PCs on a single operating system and set of applications. The company first standardized its PCs on the Windows XP operating system and Microsoft Office Professional 2007, and it standardized its server messaging infrastructure on Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 and Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007.

To handle the logistics of rolling out so much new software to so many computers, and to ensure that all computers were configured identically, Tata Communications deployed Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2. This program, part of Microsoft System Center data center solutions, provides centralized software image creation, automated software deployment efficiencies, centralized desktop management, and IT asset management reporting.

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The company uses Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2007 R2 to monitor and improve the performance of applications that touch the desktop experience, such as Exchange Server and Office Communications Server. By eliminating variations in server and desktop software image configurations, and by closely monitoring and tuning application performance, Tata Communications delivers a better desktop experience.

Other Efficiencies ComingNext on the Tata Communications optimization road map is working with Expera to create a business productivity optimization road map. Tata Communications is also reviewing Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 as its companywide collaboration software.

The plan also lays out standards for mobile devices and calls for creating a user-centric rather than desktop-centric infrastructure, whereby the IT staff delivers applications to users rather than computers. The goal is for employees to be able to use any device to access any application from any location, without being constrained by device peculiarities.

“We want to move all the organizational information away from individual PCs and put it on servers or in the cloud, so we’re no longer dependent on physical PCs or platforms,” Nandwani says. “Once it’s on a corporate collaboration platform, you can give employees the freedom to access it using any device, from anywhere; plus, it’s more secure.”

BenefitsBy standardizing and optimizing its desktop infrastructure, Tata Communications expects to increase IT efficiency. The IT staff can deploy software and resolve support issues much faster, and users enjoy higher productivity due to more stable computers and less downtime. By bringing order to its technology infrastructure, Tata Communications is free to continue growing its business.

Improved IT Efficiency from Standardized SoftwareBy using System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2, the Tata Communications IT team can deploy new applications and regular security updates much faster than before, which better protects computers and puts the latest software in employees’ hands sooner. Plus, System Center Configuration Manager ensures that software is deployed identically on all computers, which simplifies support.

With stable, standardized hardware and software configurations, Tata Communications desktops are more reliable, so employees make fewer demands on the IT support desk. “We hope to reduce user support calls by 66 percent,” Nandwani says. “With everyone using the same software configuration and easy support-staff access to each employee’s software profile, our help desk will be able to resolve issues much faster.” The company’s goal is to create a global PC support desk that handles all Tata Communications support calls from anywhere in the world.

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“By bringing standardization to our technology infrastructure, we are able to better support the business as it grows.... We are working to convert IT from a cost center to an opportunity center.”Rajiv Nandwani , Vice President of Global

IT Operations and Support, Tata Communications

“With a standard desktop platform, we can adopt the latest technologies faster, which helps our employees be more efficient in everything they do.”Rajiv Nandwani, Vice President of Global

IT Operations and Support, Tata Communications

“We have improved IT effectiveness by standardizing our infrastructure and using Microsoft software and licensing,” Nandwani says. “We will continue to standardize our infrastructure to sustain efficiency going forward. The business can grow without running into technology or licensing bottlenecks.”

Higher Employee ProductivityTata Communications employees are enjoying better, faster PC performance every day, because their systems are more stable and they are using supported operating systems and application versions. They are also able to access a consistent software image from any location, which minimizes document incompatibility problems and other work interruptions. If a user does run into a problem in the office or while traveling, the help-desk staff can resolve problems faster by using information stored in System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2.

“With a standard desktop platform, we can adopt the latest technologies faster, which helps our employees be more efficient in everything they do,” Nandwani says. “Also, by adopting a user-centric computing model, we give employees a more consistent experience, whether they’re working in the office or in a hotel room.”

Greater Scalability

By using the Microsoft Core IO road map, Tata Communications is able to identify the areas in its office IT infrastructure that require improvement and bring all its multicultural teams together to agree on standards and a way forward. “By bringing standardization to our technology infrastructure, we are able to better support the business as it grows,” Nandwani says. “Telecom organizations acquire their way into new markets. As an IT organization, we are expected to integrate these acquisitions quickly so that the business can continue without interruption. We are working to convert IT from a cost center to an opportunity center.”

Microsoft Infrastructure OptimizationWith infrastructure optimization, you can build a secure, well-managed, and dynamic core IT infrastructure that can reduce overall IT costs, make better use of resources, and become a strategic asset for the business. The Infrastructure Optimization model—with basic, standardized, rationalized, and dynamic levels—was developed by Microsoft using industry best practices and Microsoft’s own experiences with enterprise customers. The Infrastructure Optimization model provides a maturity framework that is flexible and easily used as a benchmark for technical capability and business value.

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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 Expera products and services, call (425) 827-5639, write to info@experallc.com, or visit the website at:www.experallc.com

For more information about Tata Communications products and services, visit the website at: www.tatacommunications.com

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

Document published June 2011

Software and Services Microsoft Server Product Portfolio− Microsoft Exchange Server 2007− Microsoft System Center

Configuration Manager 2007 R2− Microsoft System Center Operations

Manager 2007 R2

Microsoft Office− Microsoft Office Professional 2007− Microsoft Office Communications

Server 2007 Windows XP

Partners Expera

For more information about Microsoft infrastructure optimization, go to:www.microsoft.com/io

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