United Business Media International (UBMI) has achieved significant
cost savings and simplified user support by rolling out Citrix
application software to 1,300 users across seven locations.
The publishing company is using Citrix Metaframe software - which
is designed to provide access to applications regardless of device
or location - to give users access to applications including
Microsoft Exchange, Office 2000 and Oracle Financials.
The applications are centrally managed on Citrix Metaframe servers
and deployed over a wide area network to employees in seven
locations in the UK and The Netherlands.
UBMI said it has already seen significant cost savings, both in
terms of IT support and hardware costs. The Citrix software has
also helped the company standardise its global IT systems following
a series of acquisitions.
The company is now able to roll out thin clients rather than fully
functional, and more expensive, PCs. IT staff can also deploy new
applications and upgrades to all employees from a single point on
the central server farm, slashing the time traditionally spent
visiting each desktop.
"Having experienced IT integration challenges as a result of
acquisitions, it was essential that we could standardise the
applications being used across the company," said Andrew Booth, IT
support director at UBMI. "It was important that we could ensure
scalability, as we bring new employees onboard, and decrease
application deployment time."
UBMI has also simplified its user support by implementing a
first-line service desk, which takes advantage of Metaframe's
centralised access and session shadowing capabilities. This lets
support staff at a central location take control of a user's screen
at any UBMI site that is on the network.
"IT support was costing too much both in terms of manpower and
time," said Booth. "With a central service desk, problems can be
looked at more quickly, thus increasing overall
productivity."
Daniel Thomas
daniel.thomas@rbi.co.uk