Reflex Marine Speeds Core Functions and Enhances Productivity with Windows 7 Professional

1. Windows 7
Customer Solution Case Study
Reflex Marine Speeds Core Functions and
Enhances Productivity with Windows® 7
Overview “With Windows 7, we are able to speed up core
Country or Region: UK
Industry: Manufacturing
processes, so we have more time to focus on innovations
to design. We can also help our clients reduce costly
Customer Profile
UK-based Reflex Marine is a leading global
downtime with improved operational planning.”
provider of safe, high-quality marine James Strong, Marketing Manager, Reflex Marine
transportation services, including the
creation of personnel and device transfer Based in Aberdeen, Scotland, Reflex Marine has been raising the
rigs for the Oil and Gas industry.
global standard for safe marine personnel transport since 1992.
Business Situation The company is increasingly on the lookout for cost-effective IT
Reflex Marine needed to speed up
everyday tasks and facilitate greater solutions that can help employees get more done so they can
flexibility so it could reduce idle time and continue to create cutting-edge solutions.
focus on innovative and cost-effective
business solutions for its customers.
By deploying the Windows® 7 Professional operating system, Reflex
Solution
By deploying Windows 7, Reflex Marine Marine’s employees were able to work more efficiently and
was able to simplify and accelerate core productively, which gave them more time to develop the solutions
business functions, reducing idle time and
allowing its employees more time to create on which their customers rely.
dynamic solutions.
Benefits “With Windows 7, we are able to speed up core processes, so we
 Extended laptop life have more time to focus on innovations to design. We can also help
 ~40% faster core process
 35% reduction in downtime
our clients reduce costly downtime with improved operational
 2 hours per week gained planning,” says James Strong, Marketing Manager at Reflex Marine.

2. “With Windows 7, we are Situation With the extended battery life enabled by
Reflex Marine needed to find a way to speed Windows 7, employees can use their laptops
on track to have an up everyday tasks so its employees could on the go, relying on their systems to last for
improved user interface spend more time creating value-added hours while telecommuting or traveling to a
solutions that would help clients operate customer site. Combined, these
that should allow for safely and smoothly. Since the company’s improvements gave Reflex Marine the
faster boot-up and shut- employees often dealt with multiple sets of enhanced flexibility and improved workflow it
information at once, it was time-consuming to was looking for, allowing its employees the
down times; improved locate needed files quickly. freedom to focus on creating innovative
power management for solutions at affordable costs.
The company’s leaders also found that with
enhanced battery life; and their legacy systems, their laptop batteries
increased reliability, would run out of power quickly. Since they Benefits
spend a lot of time working on laptops to
stability and security.” facilitate more flexibility and mobility, they Speeding Up Everyday Tasks
Brad Brooks, Corporate Vice President, needed a reliable system that could extend The faster boot, resume, shut-down, and
Windows Consumer Product Marketing, battery life. response times enabled by Windows 7
Microsoft Corporation reduce costly downtime and facilitate greater
It became clear to Reflex Marine that in order productivity for Reflex Marine’s staff. With
to speed up core processes, facilitate more Jump Lists and Federated Search, users can
productivity, and continue developing leading find exactly what they’re looking for in
marine transportation solutions for its seconds. To find files or applications, all
customers, it would need a fast, secure and users have to do is type a search phrase in
cost-efficient solution. the Instant Search box and the search engine
will scour the entire PC, homegroup, network,
Solution external drives, and even the Internet. With
To accomplish this, Reflex Marine turned to the Jump Lists feature, users can right click
Windows 7 Professional. This is a fast, on the icon located on the taskbar for easy
efficient, and secure system that gives its access to recently used files.
users the freedom to get more done. It
simplifies everyday tasks like file searches, The Taskbar Pinning feature allows users to
and speeds up functions like start-up and drag and drop frequently used application
resumes, so users no longer have to wait for icons right to the taskbar for fast future
their systems to catch up, thus gaining more retrieval. With Aero® desktop personalization,
time to focus on revenue-producing business users can “snap” windows side-by-side for
activities. simultaneous viewing, “shake” them to make
all background windows disappear, and
“Being able to drag and As Brad Brooks, Corporate Vice President of “peek” behind windows to see what’s on the
drop windows around, Windows Consumer Product Marketing for desktop.
Microsoft®, points out, “With Windows 7, we
and find files quickly and are on track to have an improved user According to James Cryan, IT Manager for
easily in one consolidated interface that should allow for faster boot and Reflex Marine, these features are significant
shut-down times; improved power time-savers. He says, “Being able to drag and
location just makes life management for enhanced battery life; and drop windows around, and find files quickly
easier.” increased reliability, stability, and security.” and easily all in one consolidated location
just makes life easier.”
James Cryan, IT Manager, Reflex Marine

3. “I was really very Increasing Flexibility Competitive Advantage
For company meetings, presentations, and Reflex Marine has seen dramatic
surprised at how long the exhibitions that are held off-site, Reflex improvements in speed, reliability and
battery lasts on my laptop Marine’s staff relies on having reliable productivity by using Windows 7. It envisions
laptops. With the improved Power employing this extra time for forward-thinking
now that I’m using Management integrated into Windows 7, solutions that will help its customers
Windows 7. It manages laptop batteries last longer, giving users streamline workflow and remain competitive
peace of mind in the knowledge that their well into the future.
everything a lot better and systems will remain operable for hours. The
I don’t need to worry energy-smart feature automatically detects “Overall, I’m really pleased with our decision
which applications are not in use and shuts to move over to Windows 7,” remarks Strong.
about looking for an outlet them down, while also employing adaptive “It has the combined functionality of Windows
to recharge my system as screen display brightness to maximize energy XP with the nice, clean look of Windows
efficiency. Vista®, but it’s even faster than I expected.
soon as I’ve arrived at a It’s nice having a system that exhibits the
customer or meeting site. “I was really very surprised at how long the same commitment to quality, integrity, and
battery lasts on my laptop now that I’m using innovative solutions as our company.”
Now my system just runs Windows 7,” says Cryan. “It manages
seamlessly for hours on everything a lot better and I don’t need to
worry about looking for an outlet to recharge
end.” my system as soon as I’ve arrived at a
James Cryan, IT Manager, Reflex Marine customer or meeting site. Now my system
just runs seamlessly for hours on end.”
The Network Connection Wizard allows users
to connect from external networks quickly
and easily, eliminating the need to scour
through long lists of potentially available
networks. “The Network Connection Wizard is
great,” says Cryan. “When I’m working from
home, I just type in my password and it works
straightaway.”

4. For More Information Windows 7
For more information about Microsoft Faster and more reliable: Windows 7 will help
products and services, call the Microsoft your organization use information technology
Sales Information Center at (800) 426- to gain a competitive advantage in today’s
9400. In Canada, call the Microsoft new world of work. Your people will be able to
Canada Information Centre at (877) 568- be more productive anyway. You will be able
2495. Customers who are deaf or hard-of- to support your mobile work force with better
hearing can reach Microsoft text telephone access to shared data and collaboration
(TTY/TDD) services at (800) 892-5234 in tools. And your IT staff will have better tools
the United States or (905) 568-9641 in and technologies to enhance corporate IT
Canada. Outside the 50 United States and security, data protection, and more efficient
Canada, please contact your local deployment and management.
Microsoft subsidiary. To access information
using the World Wide Web, go to:
www.microsoft.com For more information about Windows 7, go to:
www.microsoft.com/windows/business
For more information about NCI
Technologies products and services, call
+44 (0) 1326 379497 or visit the Web site
at: www.nci-technologies.co.uk
For more information about Reflex Marine
Ltd. products and services, call +44 (0)
1224 209200 or visit the Web site at:
www.reflexmarine.com
Software and Services
 Products
− Windows 7 Professional
© 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. This case
study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO
WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.
Microsoft®, Windows®, Aero® and Windows Vista® are either
registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in
the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks
are property of their respective owners.
Document published June 2009