Windows 7 Migration
Case Study: Feeding America Hungry for More Windows 7
In recent months we've looked at Windows 7 deployments across companies large and small and how the OS has benefited them. But those were mostly businesses....
In recent months we've looked at Windows 7 deployments across companies large and small and how the OS has benefited them.
But those were mostly businesses. What about non-profit organizations? Does Windows 7 offer them the same kinds of productivity and security benefits?
Duh--of course it does. (Guess that was kind of a leading question.) Look no further than Feeding America, a hunger-relief organization with 200 food banks and 4,000 employees nationwide.
According to a new Microsoft case study, Feeding America began its Windows 7 deployment in three locations, each of which had just received new Dell hardware. Within 24 total hours of work time, IT staffers had deployed the OS on 180 PCs.
That sealed the deal for Feeding America, which has already moved to Windows 7 in seven more food banks and was expecting to have 16 locations deployed by the end of last month. The organization plans to hit 150 locations in all.
So deployment was a snap; how is Windows 7 helping internally? Here's the word from Feeding America's Patrick Whalen, who manages the organization's IT infrastructure:
"I personally like the Snap feature, which enables me to easily position windows on the desktop or view the content of two windows side by side," says Whalen. "Many of the processes used by food banks are manual--moving information from one application into another--so the ability to work with two windows at once is useful. The enhanced Windows Taskbar also is helpful because users can keep icons in the order they prefer--for example, I like to keep Office Outlook on the far left. The new Jump Lists are also great, enabling me to select a server from a list to access remotely."Whalen also had positive things to say about 7's search enhancements, vastly improved Web browsing (via Internet Explorer 8), and improved speed and responsiveness--even on "modest hardware." Whether your organization is a non-profit or not, this case study is definitely worth a look--especially if you want to learn how a third-party deployment tool can streamline your migration. (Feeding America relied on Intrinsic Technologies' Swimage Encore.) Good stuff. (via Windows for Your Business)
