1. Microsoft Exchange Server 2010
Customer Solution Case Study
Saudi Schools Project Provides Scalable
Email Solution for Students and Staff
Customer:King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz
Public Education Development Project
“Exchange Server 2010 introduces new productivity
(Tatweer) features compared to earlier versions, and helps users
Website:www.tatweer.edu.sa
Customer Size:200 prioritize communications in their mailboxes.”
Country or Region:Kingdom of Saudi
Eng. Sultan Rayes Bin Saddeek, Messaging and Infrastructure Consultant, Tatweer
Arabia
Industry:Education—Primary and
secondary schools The King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Public Education Development
Customer Profile
Project (Tatweer) aims to improve educational outcomes in the
The Tatweer education program in Saudi Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through greater use of technology.
Arabia aims to modernize teaching and
curriculum delivery by offering 6 million
Tatweer wanted a standardized secure email system for 6 million
students and their teachers free access to students and their teachers. It chose Microsoft Exchange Server
email and the Internet.
2010 supported by Microsoft security products to protect
Software and Services students against inappropriate Internet content.
Microsoft Server Product Portfolio
− Microsoft Exchange Server 2010
− Microsoft Forefront Protection 2010 Business Needs nationwide program aims to change the
for Exchange Server In Saudi Arabia, 29 per cent of the way the country’s 6 million students are
− Microsoft Forefront Unified Access population is under the age of 14 years. To educated, encouraging students to analyze
Gateway 2010 support its young students, the and problem solve rather than learn by
− Microsoft SQL Server 2008 government spends more than 25 per cent rote. The project also aims to improve
− Windows Server 2008 R2 of its annual budget on education. And, as training for 500,000 teachers.
− Microsoft System Center part of its commitment to learning, the
Configuration Manager 2007 government under King Abdullah Bin Eng. Tarek Mohamed Abd El Naby,
− Microsoft System Center Operations Abdul Aziz Al Saud has launched Operations Manager, Tatweer says: “A key
Manager 2007 aneducational project called Tatweer, driver in the project is to provide a
Microsoft Office 2010 which is run by the Tatweer Education standardized secure email messaging
Technologies Holding Company. system for up to 6 million students and
− Microsoft Operations Framework 4.0 their teachers in an on-premises and
Tatweer is introducing new ways of hosted environment.It will provide a
learning into the education system using platform for additional functionality,
the Internet, computer applications, and including unified communications and
other technologies. The U.S.$2.4 billion collaboration solutions.”
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2. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has strict laws to use other facilities such as tasks and administrators the option to use on-
on data security. The principle that calendars.” premises email for some groups of users
correspondence and communication should and a hosted service through the
be kept confidential is enshrined in the Tatweer opted for the Microsoft solution, Microsoft private cloud for other users.
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Law of with its in-house team planning and Focus on teaching. The solution helps
Governance. As a result, the Tatweer on- deploying the solution using the Microsoft staff cut down the time previously
premises and hosted email project for Operations Framework (MOF) 4.0. The needed for routine administration. Eng.
schools required the service provider to team, which is MOF certified, is also using Abdullah Twijery, Chief Information
retain all data within the kingdom rather the Windows Server 2008 R2 operating Officer, Tatweer, says: “They can share
than use a data center in another country. system, Microsoft System Center calendars, schedule meetings, and
Operations Manager 2007, and Microsoft reserve resources such as conference
Security was also a major consideration to Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange rooms at the click of a mouse.”
ensure proper protection of the students Server. Secure access to corporate resources.
from malware, and adherence to strict With Forefront Unified Access Gateway,
policies preventing young people from Tatweer will deploy Exchange Server 2010 key users such as teachers and
receiving inappropriate content through the on a phased basis over three years, with administrators can gain remote access
Internet. 60,000 users online so far. Eng. Sultan to corporate resources from any
Rayes Bin Saddeek, Messaging and location using a browser.
Solution Infrastructure Consultant, Tatweer, says: Improved integration. Exchange Server
Tatweer considered Google Apps and open- “Exchange Server 2010 introduces new 2010 offers users easy integration with
source solutions, but decided to create an productivity features compared to earlier address books and mobile devices such
email solution with Microsoft Exchange versions, and helps users prioritize as iPhone and iPad, ensuring a first step
Server 2010 and Microsoft Forefront Unified communications in their mailboxes. It towards unified communications. Eng.
Access Gateway 2010. Tatweer realized the offers an improved web-based email Ahmad Mustafa, Network Department
value of Microsoft Services Premier Support experience with built-in business Manager, Tatweer, says: “We now have
Problem Resolution and Proactive Services, continuity features.” plans to deploy Microsoft Lync 2010 and
which maximize the availability of the IT Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010
infrastructure and improve staff technical Tatweer has also taken advantage of low- Enterprise collaboration software.”
skills. Exchange Server 2010 is the first cost volume licensing of software through Enhanced security. Forefront Protection
server designed to work both on-premises the Microsoft School Agreement. for Exchange Server stops malware and
and as a hosted service using cloud viruses attacking the network. It also
computing, which Tatweer is keen to use in Benefits helps schools block dangerous
future. Tatweer is using Exchange Server 2010 for attachments and enforce policy
students up to the age of 18 years, giving guidelines by file and keyword filtering.
The principal objection to Google Apps was them free email and Internet access
that data would not reside in Saudi Arabia through an on-premises solution in their
and instead be held offshore.Eng. Feras schools. The Microsoft solution is highly
Ahmed Talal Badawi, IT Manager, Tatweer, cost effective through the existing low-
says: “We needed to comply with the cost volume licensing agreement for Saudi
government Council of Ministers rulings for schools and the manageability advantages
data protection, which are strictly enforced. of the System Center suite. It uses the
As far as open-source alternatives were latest Microsoft security products.
concerned, it would have been difficult to
find the resources in the kingdom to Flexible for future use.Microsoft
support such a large number of users and Exchange Server 2010 gives
This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS
SUMMARY.
Document published March 2012