Peak Support Services Speeds Core Processes, Boosts Customer Productivity with Windows 7 Professional

1. Windows 7
Customer Solution Case Study
Microsoft® Small Business Specialist Speeds
Core Processes, Boosts Customer Productivity
with Windows® 7
Overview “With Windows 7, technical problems that sometimes
Country or Region: UK
Industry: IT Services
took days are now solved in minutes – so our
customers don’t have the excessive downtime that tey
Partner Profile
Peak Support Services provides small
might have had in the past.”
business hardware and software support, Guy Gregory, Technical Specialist, Peak Support Services Ltd.
matching IT solutions to specific business
needs. UK-based Peak Support Services specializes in small business
hardware and software support. It helps companies raise their
Business Situation
Peak Support’s customers needed a fast, standard of communications and operations by conducting in-depth
efficient way to communicate technical analyses to deliver tailored solutions.
issues, and reduce reboot and startup
times.
Most Peak Support customers seek desktop/server support,
Solution consulting, infrastructure services, and training. They want
Using Windows 7, Peak Support sped up
solutions that provide tangible results. Peak Support’s Technical
boot and resume times for existing
hardware; easily organized information, Specialist, Guy Gregory says, “[Our customers] won’t pay for
and reduced time to resolve support cases, premium features if the technology doesn’t provide a real,
resulting in increased customer
significant improvement to what they are doing.”
satisfaction.
Benefits Peak Support customers wanted to communicate maintenance
 Reduced Helpdesk costs
issues better, and reduce stoppages and sluggish boot times. With
 Improves time-to-resolution
the Windows® 7 Professional operating system, Peak Support sped
up boot and resume times for existing hardware, easily located and
organized information across the network, and reduced support
case resolution time.

2. “I believe Windows will Situation
Peak Support Services’ customers needed to Using Windows 7, speed and efficiency has
remain at the center of find a way to better communicate technical been dramatically increased, and Peak
people's technological issues, as they often found it difficult to relay Support’s technicians can more easily assess
exactly what was happening, or accurately and solve problems without having to wait for
solar system. We're recreate the problem for Peak Support long rebooting or startup times. “I’m really
putting in all the right technicians. As a result, it was challenging to impressed with Power Management, as it
quickly pinpoint exactly what the issue was facilitates faster power ups than anything I’ve
ingredients: simplicity, before finding a solution. This was not only ever seen before,” says Gregory. “My
reliability and speed.” frustrating for both Peak Support’s customers machine lasts longer, and goes into and
and technicians, but also resulted in comes out of hibernation seamlessly. This will
Steve Ballmer, Chief Executive Officer, significant downtime just to establish the definitely add to my work flexibility.”
Microsoft Corporation parameters of the problem.
In addition to these productivity
On top of that, simple tasks like booting and advancements, Windows 7 also streamlines
resuming systems ate into valuable work communication between technicians and
time, and operating systems couldn’t handle customers. Now, both parties can see exactly
having multiple windows open, so technicians how an issue occurred and was resolved,
had to wait for the system to catch up. They record this information, and easily access it
also experienced downtime having to sit and for future reference.
wait while systems located and accessed
important files that were dispersed across Benefits
the network.
Faster Routine Tasks
Peak Support knew it had to find a solution The Windows 7 Aero® Enhancements allow
that would ease the communication between users to place several windows side-by-side
technician and customer, radically reduce with a simple keystroke or click of the mouse,
wait time for file searches, boot and resume and then “snap,” “peek,” and “shake” these
times, and ultimately speed up its remote windows to arrange them in the way that
support solutions so that its customers could makes most sense for each user.
spend more time working and less time
waiting. The Windows Desktop Search and Jump Lists
features enable users to execute fast, easy
Solution file searches. With Windows Desktop Search,
To reach this goal, Peak Support Services, a users can simply type questions or phrases in
Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and the Instant Search box to find files and
Microsoft Small Business Specialist, turned folders across an entire network in seconds.
to Windows 7 Professional. Since Windows 7 And Jump Lists show users which files they’ve
is a faster, more responsive system, it helps viewed or accessed most recently while also
reduce the time to start up and reboot, and to keeping commonly accessed files handy, so
locate files. It also helps simplify overall users can see all their recent and important
navigation. As Steve Ballmer, Microsoft Chief files in one unified view.
Executive Officer pointed out in early 2009, “I
believe Windows will remain at the center of
people's technological solar system. We're
putting in all the right ingredients: simplicity,
reliability and speed.”

3. Files that are related or similar in nature can The Partner Opportunity
be grouped into easy-to-find Libraries, so Peak Support can see new opportunities on
users can quickly access things like customer the horizon thanks to the significant
records, emails, and applications. All users advancements of Windows 7. Since their
have to do is mouse over an application or customers rely on real, tangible results, Peak
task file to get a visual representation of the Support is now able to demonstrate how time
content available. So now, users can find files can be saved – and productivity boosted –
easily, without having to scour the network with the new Windows 7 capabilities.
for information, or wait for files to load with
multiple windows open, making problem With the heightened speed and
solving faster and easier than before. responsiveness, and the enhanced ways of
communicating and solving IT challenges
The Windows 7 ReadyBoost™ feature speeds enabled by Windows 7, Peak Support has
up system response times, so there’s less brought new levels of productivity to its
wait time when starting up or rebooting, customers and has reduced the time required
which is often required when trouble-shooting for routine maintenance issues.
and checking to determine whether technical
Problem Steps Recorder upgrades and solutions have been “It has boosted overall customer satisfaction
successful. while at the same time making us more
has eliminated many of efficient, productive, and profitable,” said
the communication Enhanced Communication Gregory. “It’s really a win-win for everyone
The most critical aspect of helping customers involved.”
problems we’ve had in solve IT problems is having the ability to
the past. record each step of the trouble-shooting –
and solving – process, reducing frustration
Guy Gregory, Technical Specialist, Peak for both technicians and customers. With
Support Services Ltd. Windows Problem Steps Recorder, users can
capture screenshots and keystrokes for every
issue, which can be sent to technicians for
review. “Problem Steps Recorder has
eliminated many of the communication
problems we’ve had in the past,” says
Gregory.
This powerful tool enables technicians and
customers to clearly understand what’s
happening at each end of the process, and
because the Problem Steps Recorder can
record screenshots, solutions can easily be
stored and accessed again in the future. This
feature also facilitates the development of
procedural manuals for customer training
and reference.

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: For more information about Windows 7, go to:
www.microsoft.com www.microsoft.com/windows/business
For more information about Peak Support
Services products and services, call 01629
582128 or visit the Web site at:
www.peaksupport.co.uk
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 ReadyBoost™ 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