“With the addition of Windows 8 Pro in our sales offerings, we can deliver greater business value and help companies work the way they want.”

Christopher Hertz, Chief Executive Officer, New Signature

IT solution provider New Signature is working with the consumer preview of the Windows 8 operating system to gain a deeper understanding of the benefits of Windows 8 Pro for its customers. The company has found that Windows 8 Pro will deliver a comprehensive solution and expects that it will be a driving force behind continued business success because it provides an exciting user experience, along with advanced mobility and security features.

Business NeedsNew Signature is a trusted IT solution and services provider, especially for organizations that place a high priority on customer service and ethics. Since 2003, New Signature has helped its customers use IT to add value to their organizations, and it has received countless awards for excellence and innovation in technology integration.

Part of what makes New Signature so successful is its commitment to customers and its success at helping them perceive technology as a strategic advantage, not a cost center. One of the ways that the company adds value is by investigating emerging technologies to determine if and how they can be used to solve key customer business problems. “For instance, customers increasingly want teleworking capabilities and greater mobility, but manageability and security aspects have made those needs difficult to accommodate,” says Christopher Hertz, Chief Executive Officer at New Signature. “We look for solutions that will better support customers as they strive to become more efficient and flexible.”

SolutionNew Signature found an opportunity to assess a new solution for its customers when it took part in a pilot program for the consumer preview of the Windows 8

operating system. “We were excited to get an early look at Windows 8 because we feel it has lots of innovative technologies built in and that it will be transformative for our customers,” says Hertz.

While working with the new operating system, New Signature noted numerous improvements in the operating system that it thinks will be valuable to customers as they adopt Windows 8 Pro. For example, Hertz used to carry a portable computer and a projector with him when making sales calls, but now he gives high-impact presentations from a tablet with touch-screen capabilities, which runs Windows 8 Pro. “I usually meet with only one or two people at a time, so I now can sit side-by-side with my sales targets, which makes for much closer interaction,” says Hertz. “I show them demos and let them experiment with Windows 8 and see how easy it is to switch among different business and consumer apps—it’s a more personal, connected experience.”

As of June 2012, New Signature has about a dozen devices running Windows 8, including one that serves as a virtual receptionist in the company’s lobby. It plans to deploy the new operating system across the company once it is released to market, and it will encourage its customers to do the same. “We think that Windows 8 Pro will practically sell itself because it supports so

Partner: New SignatureWebsite: www.newsignature.comPartner Size: 70 employeesCountry or Region: United StatesIndustry: Professional services

Partner ProfileWashington, DC–based New Signature provides IT solutions and managed services with a focus on social responsibility and customer service for a range of small, midsize, and enterprise customers.

Software and Services Windows 8 Pro

For more information about other Microsoft customer successes, please visit: www.microsoft.com/casestudies

Windows 8Customer Solution Case Study

Solution Provider Sees Opportunity for Growth with Operating System Upgrade

many business trends,” says Hertz. “Many users want more of a consumer experience while at work, and that’s exactly what Windows 8 Pro provides. Workers can customize the tiles on the new Start screen so that they have the information they want, updated in real time. They also get interactive touch-screen capabilities, improved browsing with Windows Internet Explorer 10, and the option to run Windows 8 Pro on a range of devices.”

New Signature customers can also take advantage of the mobility features in Windows 8 Pro, including mobile broadband, built-in Wi-Fi, and VPN client. Additionally, new devices are better protected with Trusted Boot, which loads antivirus before any other program. Customers can use Windows Defender to better protect against malicious software and Windows SmartScreen to receive warnings before downloading specific high-risk programs from the web. Also, New Signature now can help customers safeguard their data in the event of a lost or stolen device. Available for the first time to non-enterprise customers through Windows 8 Pro, BitLocker encrypts device hard drives and BitLocker To Go encrypts USB flash drives and external hard drives.

In addition New Signature recommends Windows 8 Enterprise to customers who would like mobile workers to be able to run their corporate Windows 8 environments on a USB stick from anywhere through the Windows To Go or to access the corporate network using the DirectAccess feature.

BenefitsNew Signature views Windows 8 Pro as an opportunity to continue offering customers the technologies that transform their businesses. “This is one of the most exciting times to be an IT professional, because Windows 8 Pro helps us be the hero who can accommodate how customers want to use technology—without sacrificing security and manageability,” says Hertz. “With the addition of Windows 8 Pro in our sales offerings, we can deliver greater business value and help companies work the way they want.” Benefits include:

Strategic role for partners. New Signature expects its use of Windows 8 Pro to fuel continued business growth

for the company, both in terms of strategic consulting and service opportunities. “We anticipate approximately 55 percent year-over-year growth, driven in large part by Windows 8 business prospects ,” says Hertz. By using Windows 8, the company can expand revenue opportunities with existing customers and provide a massive opportunity with new customers.

Added value, reduced costs. The company can offer enhanced value to its customers because of Windows 8 Pro features that support mobility, security, and easy management. “Because of all the built-in features in Windows 8, we can spend less time repairing solutions for customers and more time on strategy that helps them optimize their businesses,” says Hertz. “As a result of that more efficient management, we can keep our costs to customers low and still maintain a healthy business.”

More robust platform. With improvements in security and manageability and a better, more consumer-focused user experience, Windows 8 Pro will help make it possible for New Signature customers to increase productivity by working from virtually anywhere and having the flexibility to use a touch screen, keyboard, or mouse. “Windows 8 Pro provides an enjoyable experience that boosts user productivity—it is intuitive, personal, and more connected,” says Hertz. “It’s really the Windows operating system, reimagined.”

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Document published July 2012