Microsoft Windows Server 2003

Customer Solution

Remote Network Management Solution and

Increased Productivity Save Employment
Agency U.S.$30,000 Annually
Published: April 2003

Solution Overview
Jawood Management Associates is an employment agency that serves a
variety of industries and also provides online training. To continue
growing its business, Jawood needed a low-cost solution that would
provide reliable remote access and administration capabilities. Jawoods
manager of information services, the companys sole developer of inhouse applications, also manages the IT network and often works
remotely. He was so overextended that Jawood budgeted U.S.$30,000 for
a part-time system administrator. By enabling remote network and
desktop administration, Microsoft Windows Server 2003 allowed Jawood
to save that money and also set the stage for additional productivity
savings.

Customer Profile
Jawood Management Associates is
an employment agency with 18
employees, more than 140
contractors, and annual sales of U.S.
$16 million.

Business Situation
Jawood needed to expand its
business without increasing operating
expenses.

Solution
Working with a Microsoft Certified
Partner, Jawood migrated from
Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 to
Microsoft Windows Server 2003.

Benefits

Situation
Founded in 1989, Jawood Management Associates is a full-service employment agency in the
metropolitan Detroit, Michigan, area, with 18 full-time employees, more than 140 contractors, and
annual sales of U.S.$16 million. The company provides permanent and contract staff to clients in
fields such as information technology, organizational development, health care, insurance,
engineering, and financial services. Jawood also offers Web-based educational services for
clients and is poised for a major expansion of its e-learning business, which will include online
training in a range of subjects, such as painting and metal work for the automobile industry,
supply chain management, and computer technology. Currently, Jawoods does not host its elearning resources in-house, but that may change as the company expands its services.
From 2001 to 2002, Jawoods annual revenue grew by 20 percent while administrative staffing
costs to maintain the companys operational and financial applications increased by 25 percent.
Management faced the challenge of increasing revenue while containing the cost of growth.
John Heck, Manager of Information Services at Jawood, is the companys only in-house
developer. He is also responsible for managing Jawoods daily information technology (IT)
operations and provides technical support for the company. One of Jawoods ongoing challenges
is to free Hecks time so that he can focus on developing new tools, applications, and other
resources to support the business and help generate revenue. The companys plan for a major
expansion of its e-learning business was making in-house development even more important. As
a result, Hecks need to focus more on development and less on day-to-day IT management was
quickly becoming mission-critical.

Immediate return on investment of

$30,000 annually
Enhanced efficiency
Improved productivity
Software and Services
Microsoft Windows Server 2003
Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
Microsoft Office
Microsoft SQL ServerTM
Microsoft Small Business Server 2000
Microsoft Visual Studio .NET
Microsoft Exchange Server
Hardware
P450 generic system with 512 MB of
RAM (servers)
Dell Optiplex (desktops)
Dell Latitude (notebook PCs)
Partner
Center for Computer Resources

Were a relatively small company, but we try to push the envelope with technology and leverage
everything that we have to the best of our ability, Heck says. My challenge is to make it all
happen.
Hecks job was complicated by several problems, all of which centered on the need for better

Jawood may be a small

company, but were forward
thinking when it comes to using

remote access and administration capabilities. Because of Hecks varied responsibilities, he

technology to make our

spends about 50 percent of his time working outside the office. Nearly all of Jawoods 18 full-time

employees more productive.

employees spend some time each week working remotely, while the companys four contract

The tools and features in

salespeople are rarely in the office at all and yet need continuous access to company resources.

Windows Server 2003 help us

Jawood also foresees an increasing need for contractors and clients to access some of its
resources.
Initially, Jawoods remote users connected to a server running the Microsoft Windows NT
Server operating system version 4.0 on a virtual private network (VPN). But the VPN was too
unstable for the companys needs; it frequently terminated connections during critical file
transfers, making it nearly impossible for Heck to do development and administration remotely.
An upgrade to the Microsoft Windows 2000 Server operating system and Microsoft Terminal
Services (part of Windows 2000 Server) provided more stable remote access, but it didnt give
users the ability to share and access local files and applications, or to print locally. Also, because
users wanted their Terminal Services sessions to look identical to their desktops, Heck spent
many hours configuring and maintaining each users desktop within Terminal Services. Heck was
so overextended that Jawood had budgeted $30,000 for a part-time system administrator to help
lighten the load.
We needed a solution that would provide more reliable and flexible remote access for our
employees, and simplify network administration for me, Heck says.

Solution
Working with the Center for Computer Resources (CCR), a Microsoft Certified Partner in Oak
Park, Michigan, Jawood migrated one of its two servers from Windows 2000 Server to the
Microsoft Windows Server 2003 operating system. The other server runs Microsoft Small
Business Server 2000, which Jawood plans to upgrade to Small Business Server 2003 when the
new software is released later this year. Before deciding on Windows Server 2003, Jawood
considered another solution but found the cost to be prohibitive. According to Heck, Windows
Server 2003 provides a low-cost solution that gives Jawood the reliability and flexibility it needs
for its remote users, along with simple yet powerful remote administration.

Server Configuration
Jawood uses two P450 generic system servers made by a company called Pionex Technologies,
Inc. Later this year, Jawood plans to switch to Dell or Compaq hardware for its main servers but
will continue to use the P450s for storage or backup. Jawood also uses a combination of Dell
Latitude portable PCs, Dell Optiplex desktops, and generic P450 desktop PCs from Pionex, which
it is slowly replacing with more Dell machines. The portable and desktop PCs all run either
Windows XP Professional or Windows 2000 Professional.
The Windows Server 2003based server holds Jawoods financial database, and also uses
Terminal Server to provide streamlined remote access for Jawood employees and remote drive
support to Small Business Server. Windows SharePointTM Services provides a working forum for
remote users and gives them access to announcements and discussion boards.

simplify server management

and make the most of our
resources.
John Heck
Manager of Information Services
Jawood Management Associates

Small Business Server provides file and print services, stores Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel
files, and runs Microsoft Exchange Server and Microsoft SQL ServerTM as well as backup and
antivirus software. This server also runs ZyFind, a resume-tracking system, plus custom
operational and financial software, which Heck wrote in Clarion and which uses a SQL Server
back end.
Heck plans for Jawood to fully leverage Microsoft .NET, which is software for connecting people,
information, systems, and devices. So when Windows Small Business Server 2003 is released,
Heck will rewrite the custom application in the Microsoft Visual Studio .NET development system
to take advantage of XML-based Web services. With the upcoming business expansion, Jawood
may also decide to bring its e-learning resources in-house, and Heck would use Visual Studio
.NET and Windows Server 2003 with Internet Information Services 6.0 to develop and run those
resources as Web services.

Simplified IT Management
Tools in Windows Server 2003, like the Computer Management console and the Manage Your
Server Console, have simplified and streamlined day-to-day system management at Jawood.
One of the biggest feature benefits that weve seen with Windows Server 2003 is having the
remote console control and the remote drive-sharing features of Terminal Server built in and
available out of the box, says David Bitel, CCRs Director of Business Intelligence Services. This
has always been the number one feature request that weve received from client feedback. This
alone is enough to warrant CCRs recommendation that our clients move their terminal services
to the Windows Server 2003 platform as soon as possible.

The Value of a Microsoft Certified Partner

After a few false starts with other solution providers (missed deadlines and nonfunctioning
solutions), Jawood has developed a successful relationship with CCR. We brought CCR in to fix
a problem created by another vendor, and it has played a significant role in helping us meet our
goals, Heck says. The CCR consultants are not just a support group that fixes a network
problem; they are our partners in helping us maximize our hardware and software. CCR is a great
source of ideas.
Bitel says that Jawood is positioned well for future growth. Jawood is now in the small-business
realm, but it is quickly becoming a medium-sized business, and were going to help along the
way, he says. We are focused on leveraging available technology to meet Jawoods current
needs and future goals, while staying within budget.

Benefits
Increased Return on Investment
By providing an effective and stable solution for remote access and administration, Windows
Server 2003 eliminated the need for Jawood to hire a part-time system administrator and saved
the company $30,000 per year. Now I can be just as effective without hiring another person, so
we save that salary, Heck says. And I am saving more time, because I dont have to train a new
person or manage someone elses workload.
Hecks increased productivity means that he can devote more time to developing programs that
support Jawoods business, like the new e-learning expansion, which will increase revenue. We
anticipate earning an additional $5 million to $6 million in the first year with e-learning, he says.

We have a number of clients, including Ford Motor Company, that are waiting for us to get these
programs going. With Windows Server 2003, I devote less time to server management so I can
develop more revenue-generating programs.

Improved Efficiency
Bitel says improving Jawoods technology enables its employees to be more efficient, while
actually simplifying IT management and reducing the amount of time and money spent on
technical support.
Windows Server 2003 empowers employees to work with greater efficiency and to handle many
routine support issues themselves, which frees IT staff for more important worksomething that
is vitally important in a small business, Bitel says. And when issues do come up that require IT
support, Windows Server 2003 is so flexible and simple to manage that many problems can be
handled easily in-house without calling on consultants.
Windows SharePoint Services in Windows Server 2003 helps Jawoods employees and
contractors increase efficiency by making it possible for them to create and contribute to team or
project-focused Web sites from within their browser or Microsoft Office XP programs. People
want access to the network because they need information, or someones input, right away,
Heck says. With Windows SharePoint Services, people can put a document in and start
discussing, writing, or tracking it immediately. And the best part is, I can be taken out of the
equation.
Because the Shadow Copy of Shared Folders feature allows users to retrieve files themselves, it
saves time and increases efficiency in two important ways. If a file is accidentally deleted or
overwritten, the user no longer has to call Heck and wait while he searches multiple backup tapes
to find the correct file and restore it. With one or two mouse clicks, the user can retrieve a
previous shadow copy of the file and continue working, and Heck doesnt have to spend
valuable time on this kind of routine support.
According to Bitel, one of the major benefits of Windows Server 2003, particularly when
combined with Windows XP Professional, is that it enables administrators to view users screens,
access network applications, and manage servers remotely. Remote access and administration
are key selling points for Windows Server 2003, Bitel says. Features like Terminal Server and
Remote Desktop for Administration provide simpler management at lower cost. For example,
error messages no longer get lost in translation, and identifying problems is easier when the
technical staff can review the messages in real time, without an expensive on-site visit.

Increased Productivity Due to Simple Management

When we asked John Heck what his number one priority was, he said, Simple management:
Give me a set of tools that allow me to do what I already do, but faster and easier, Bitel says.
Weve done that with Windows Server 2003.
Before Jawood migrated to Windows Server 2003, Heck spent 60 percent of his time on
development and 40 percent on management and support. Now he says that ratio has changed
to 80/20. I do most development from home. I used to have to log on to my local Internet service
provider, send myself e-mail with the package changes, then go into Windows 2000 Terminal
Services at the office, open my e-mail, and download the changes, he says. With Windows
Server 2003 and Terminal Server, we eliminate the side steps and go directly to the solution.

Heck saves additional management time by using Microsoft Software Update Services (SUS) to
provide automated software updates. With SUS, which takes only a few minutes to turn on and
start using, administrators can quickly and reliably deploy critical updates to Windows-based
servers and to desktops running Windows 2000 Professional or Windows XP Professional. SUS
is a great service, because I receive instant notification about all updates Microsoft is
recommending but I decide when, whether and how to implement them in the Jawood
environment, Heck says. And when were ready to go, making those updates is easy.
John is working hard to provide better access and enhance productivity for Jawood employees
and the independent salespeople that Jawood is bringing on board for the new e-learning
business, Bitel says. That takes effort, but when setup and management are simplified, it takes
much less time. Windows Server 2003 is easier to deploy, manage and use, and that frees John
to spend his valuable time on growing the business.
I am really pleased with Windows Server 2003, says Heck. Jawood may be a small company,
but were forward thinking when it comes to using technology to make our employees more
productive. The tools and features in Windows Server 2003 help us simplify server management
and make the most of our resources.

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 helps you to create a highly productive platform for powering
connected applications, networks, and Web services. Windows Server 2003:

Helps you to deliver a reliable, secure, scalable platform for applications and network
services
Makes it easy for you to deploy, manage, and use
Empowers you with a complete server platform to quickly build connected solutions
Enables you to maximize business value by leveraging the largest partner solution
ecosystem

For more information about Windows Server 2003, please visit:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/

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For more information about Jawood Management Associates products and services, call (248) 269-9988 or
visit the Web site at:
http://www.jawood.com/
For more information about the Center for Computer Resources, visit the Web site at:
http://www.ccr1.com/
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