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 Network
Solutions
Flawless
Network Technology When Help May Be Continents Away
To Willbros Group, Inc., tackling major construction
projects in remote, hostile environments around the world is just
everyday business. So it’s crucial that every facet of their business
operates as efficiently and effectively as possible. Flawlessly
functioning IT has become a must, given that IT and Help Desk staff
may physically be continents away.
Insource Technology Corporation helped Willbros design and build
a new, highly efficient network and communications infrastructure
complemented by a staffing plan, which enables their systems to
work as designed.
Client Profile
Willbros Group, Inc. is a NYSE-listed engineering and construction
company noted for successfully completing logistically difficult,
major construction projects on a world-wide basis. They are geographically
dispersed, with permanent offices in the United States, Abu Dhabi,
Canada, Nigeria, and Oman. Since its beginning in 1908, Willbros
has worked for over 400 clients in more than 55 countries.
Business Requirements
The Willbros IT strategy called for a consolidation of applications
and technologies to reduce costs and centralize management. In addition,
they planned to implement a new ERP system, which required a stable
Microsoft platform. Willbros also recognized the need to develop
a modern systems infrastructure, powerful and flexible enough to
support future growth.
Insource Technology was chosen as the main IT partner, and today,
new systems are in place smoothly supporting the Willbros organization
with improved efficiency, stronger management control, and welcomed
cost savings.
Insource Solution
- Move from a multi-vendor server and communications
environment to Windows 2003 to create a stable and flexible platform
for the implementation of the new operations and financial systems
- Install new desktops and laptops to create
a standard environment that is easily managed and supported and
lowers ongoing maintenance costs
- Install Office 2003 Professional and other
desktop/laptop software, including Visio and Project, to take
advantage of the latest Microsoft Office innovations
- Install server software including Windows
2003, Exchange 2003 and SQL Server to standardize on a stable
Microsoft platform in preparation for the rollout of the new operations
and financial systems
- Migrate email from GroupWise to Exchange
2003 with Outlook Web Access to standardize the email system on
a solid Microsoft solution
- Centralize IT functions and management
to reduce support and operating costs
Client Benefits
The total Insource solution provides Willbros with improved economies
of scale that include systems support and management, as well as
software licensing. The systems also provide stability and improved
reliability of a global communications infrastructure. This Microsoft
upgrade solution, including the Windows 2003 Operating System, Exchange
2003, Active Directory, and the Office XP Professional Desktop Suite,
provides:
- A solid Microsoft platform, based on the
Windows 2003 Operating System and Office 2003 Professional, to
handle the company’s new operations and financial systems
- Windows 2003 and XP to furnish enhanced
security including ActiveX initialization defaults;
- Windows 2003 and XP to allow full remote
desktop management
- Active Directory to provide the basis for
centralized management with delegation of authority to local administrators
at a more granular level
- Group Policies to provide a path for standards
and control
- Volume shadow copy, a “must have” feature,
to furnish enhanced data security and recoverability
- Exchange 2003 to furnish a more stable
and reliable platform
- A single-vendor (Microsoft) environment
to create cost savings from both a licensing and support perspective
Deployment Process & Client Benefits
The Willbros deployment process was especially challenging because
of the geographic diversity and remote nature of many of their offices,
including some that are camps located in frontier areas.
Preparation
Insource knows, through experience, that the key to a successful
rollout is extensive planning in the initial phase of the project.
The remoteness of many of the Willbros sites made careful and methodical
planning all the more essential. To accomplish this, Insource:
- Performed a physical inventory of existing
PCs and laptops in all locations to ensure that we had an accurate
count of how many new PCs were to be purchased and deployed versus
how many were going to be migrated in place
- Performed an applications inventory to
gain thorough knowledge of all applications being used in the
environment so that we could ensure that all applications would
be compatible in the new environment
- Created and tested a base build for the
standard deployment platforms
- Created and tested application installation
scripts for each application to be installed in the new environment
- Created and installed base builds for the
new server environment prior to delivery and deployment to each
location
Deployment
Insource mobilized a deployment team for each location. Upon arrival
and after setting up the migration work area, the migration team
did a final verification of PCs, laptops, and users to be migrated.
Migration included:
- Testing of all servers, PCs and laptops
- Migration of all user data, email, and
printers from the old servers to the new servers while the PCs
and laptops were being reimaged with the new baseload operating
system
- Installation and testing of applications
and printers on the newly migrated PCs
Support
The deployment team became the support team
as users began logging in to the new environment. The
support team then provided training to the end users in such areas
as:
- Login/System Access
- Password Standards
- Outlook
- New Drive Mappings
Benefits of Process
The Insource migration process is seamless to the Willbros end user.
The process itself was generally performed over a weekend so that
when the Willbros users returned to work on Monday the new environment
was in place and working. A training period followed in which various
features were explained and demonstrated as necessary.
The Insource approach is a person-to-person, high touch approach
which includes personal attention to each end user that makes them
part of the process in a highly positive and informative way.
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