GMR Group became one of the early adopters of Windows® 7 operating system when Microsoft presented the opportunity of testing the operating system. After a successful pilot run on 25 machines, it plans to install Windows 7 on all its 1500+ desktops and 900+ laptops. The company expects to benefit from improved employee productivity and enhanced in-built security features. It also expects cost reduction by 20 percent owing to lower support and power cost. The operation system has also eradicated the requirement of third party applications for connectivity.

1. Windows 7
Customer Solution Case Study
Global Infrastructure Major Construes a Means to
Improve Productivity, Enhance Security and
Reduce Cost
Overview “Windows 7 is an outstanding operating system, which
Country or Region : India
Industry: Infrastructure helps us to work faster and improve our productivity by
2 times. The enhanced built-in security features and
Customer Profile
Incorporated in 1978, GMR excellent browsing options are added advantage for
Infrastructure Limited is India’sfastest
growing infrastructure company with us.”
annual sales revenue of approximately
INR 4476 crore.
GMR Group became one of the early adopters of Windows® 7
Busines s Situation
operating system when Microsoft presented the opportunity of
GMR group is a leading infrastructure
holding company in India. With testing the operating system. After a successful pilot run on 25
countless subsidiaries to manage the
machines, it plans to install Windows 7 on all its 1500+ desktops
business, the company aims to
improve users productivity along with
’ and 900+ laptops. The company expects to benefit from
optimizing cost spends.
improved employee productivity and enhanced in-built security
Solution features. It also expects cost reduction by 20 percent owing to
GMR became one of the early
lower support and power cost. The operation system has also
adopters of Windows® 7 operating
system. After the successful testing on eradicated the requirement of third party applications for
25 machines and excellent feedback
connectivity.
from users, the company plans to go
for full deployment by the 2010.
Benefits
• Optimizes hardware support cost
• Increases security measures
• Saves cost by 20 percent
• Improves network connectivity
• Enhances power management
and reduces power consumption
•
•

3. “Windows 7 runs Situation Solution
Founded in 1978, GMR Group is well When Microsoft gave GMR the option of
miraculously well on our diversified and professionally managed becoming one of the early adopters for
organization. The core businesses of the the latest release of Windows 7, the
4 years old laptop with group are in the sectors of infrastructure company grabbed the opportunity. It did
comprising of airports, energy, highways a thorough testing from one month for
only upgrade from 128
and urban infrastructure. It also has stability, compatibility, and performance
MB to 1GB RAM for presence in the agri-business sector with of the operating system. The result was
sugar as its main product-line. The group increased performance of the machines.
testing purpose. This has is headquartered in Bangalore, India.
It installed Windows 7 on 25 machines
eliminated any need to
With numerous subsidiaries to undertake and blissfully concluded that the
invest on additional the business, over 3000 employees and performance of all these machines has
annual gross revenue of approximately gone up exponentially. With installation
hardware system when INR 4476 crore, GMR believes in quick time of merely 3 hours the company is
adoption of latest technologies to planning to upgrade all its machines to
deploying Windows 7.”
continually accelerate its growth process Windows 7 soon after Microsoft resolves
via excellent routine practices, improve the minor issues like compatibility with
connectivity to company resources and Symantec NAV and upgrade of Avaya
at the same time enhance time Voice player for voice mail access on
management. Windows 7.
The company has more than 1500 “Compared to earlier Windows Vista
desktop computers and more than 900 operating system, Windows 7 has
laptops running Windows XP or outstanding CPU and memory
Windows Vista operating systems. utilization,”states Nagaraj M, IT &
However, with Windows Vista the Systems, GMR. “Ithas a lot of good
company was facing some issues like features which include performance
slow performance & memory intensive improvements, better troubleshooting,
for applications. and stronger security not to forget the
outstanding power management.”
To lay the foundation for future growth,
Subbarao Hegde, Chief Technology The feedback GMR received from its 25
Officer, GMR, sought after a stronger users is remarkable and it is now
operating system with enhanced anxiously waiting to resolve the issues
productivity features with built-in security with Microsoft help, before it goes for
’s
and desired a means to control the full deployment. One of the Windows 7
application usage amongst its end users. users at GMR says, “Weshould soon
He has identified Windows 7 as the upgrade all our Windows Vista
platform for green IT to achieve the computers to Windows 7. It has great
same with reliable security and backup features like DirectAccess,
features. BranchCache, Bitlocker, private or public
browsing, personal taste theme options,
jump list etc. These options simplify the

4. routine work practices; they are not only At the same time, with BitLocker To Go,
time saving but also power and cost employees are able to encrypt their own
“Windows 7 reduces the
saving.” portable drives, including external USB
total cost of ownership. drives, without assistance from the IT
helpdesk. This feature reduces the load
After full deployment we Benefits on IT staff and saves a lot of time which
GMR is experiencing excellent user again reduces the support cost by at
will no longer have to
satisfactions and enhanced end user least 20 percent.
rely upon VPN for experience. S.Hegde mentions,
“Windows 7 has great performance and Saves Cost by 20 Percent
connectivity while memory. We can open more than 10 GMR finds Direct Access feature in
applications at a time and still have Windows 7 operating system of great
working remotely. Thus
efficient navigation and memory, the use and importance. It allows remote
we can save on third operating system doesn let us down.”
’t users to directly access the company’s
network and thereby eliminates the
party applications using Optimizes Hardware Support Cost requirement of VPN for the staff who
Windows 7 runs efficiently on older work away from company premises at
Windows 7.”
hardware system and thus the hardware different geographical locations.
upgrade cost is minimized. One of the
Windows 7 user at GMR says,, “Windows 7 reduces the total cost of
“Windows 7 runs miraculously well on ownership. After full deployment we will
our 4 years old laptop with only upgrade no longer have to rely upon VPN for
from 128 MB to 1GB RAM for testing connectivity while working remotely or
purpose. This has eliminated any need worry about data security. Thus we can
to invest on additional hardware system save on third party applications using
when deploying Windows 7.” Windows 7,”states by one of the
Windows 7 user at GMR.
Increase s Security Measures
“With the BitLocker To Go ™ drive Improves Network Connectivity
encryption feature in Windows 7, we are Branch Cache in Windows 7 has
able to protect confidential information in enabled the early users to improve
portable drives,”states by one of the network capabilities along with security.
Windows 7 user at GMR “Itincreases This is a boon for large geographically
reliability and security and BitLocker To dispersed organization. “Wesave
Go being an in-built feature in Windows significant time downloading data from
7, purges the requirement of any the central servers using Branch Cache.
additional security software.” Thus, we expect enormous savings after
Consequently the company believes that completing the Windows 7 deployment,”
it can save the money which it will have elucidates by one of the Windows 7 user
to spend otherwise on security at GMR.
applications, thus Windows 7 reduces
cost. Windows 7 helps to get online quickly
and to stay online till required without the
requirement of any other application,

5. thereby uses lesser resources. It also
has in built connectivity to projectors.
Enhance s Power Management and
Reduces Power Consumption
With quick startup, boot time, standby,
search, indexing and USB devices
access without any hassle, users’
experiences are refreshingly new-
fangled. GMR discovered that Windows
7 uses lesser energy giving more life to
laptop battery, thereby giving more time
to work. It is faster and since booting,
startup time is less, it helps in significant
time management.
Subbarao Hegde, Head – IT & Systems,
GMR sums up, “Windows 7 is an
outstanding Operating System, which
helps us to work faster and improve our
productivity by 2 times. The enhanced
built-in security features and excellent
browsing options are added advantage
for us.”

6. For More Information Windows 7
For more information about Microsoft Works the Way you Want: Windows 7
products and services, call the will help your organization use
Microsoft Sales Information Center at information technology to gain a
(800) 426-9400. In Canada, call the competitive advantage in today’snew
Microsoft Canada Information Centre world of work. Your people will be able to
at (877) 568-2495. Customers who are be more productive anyway. You will be
deaf or hard-of-hearing can reach able to support your mobile work force
Microsoft text telephone (TTY/TDD) with better access to shared data and
services at (800) 892-5234 in the collaboration tools. And your IT staff will
United States or (905) 568-9641 in have better tools and technologies to
Canada. Outside the 50 United States enhance corporate IT security, data
and Canada, please contact your local protection, and more efficient
Microsoft subsidiary. To access deployment and management.
information using the World Wide
Web, go to:
www.microsoft.com For more information about Windows 7,
go to:
For more information about GMR www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-
7
Infrastructure Ltd. products and
services, call (91) (80) (40432000) or
visit the Web site at: www.gmrgroup.in
Software and Services
• Windows 7 Enterprise RTM version
This case study is for informational purposes only.
MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS
OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.
Document published October 2009