Make the Best Even Better

Make the Best Even Better
used with permission from the Microsoft Small Business Center

Windows 7 can help make your business more productive than ever, but why stop there? Add Windows Small Business Server 2008 – and take productivity to the next level.

By now you may have already upgraded your business PCs to Windows® 7, or you might be considering it. Unless you’ve been held captive by aliens for the past six months, you’ve surely seen the advertisements touting the many new features of Microsoft’s latest operating system. More compellingly, you’ve probably heard from other business owners and managers of the productivity and security enhancements provided by Windows 7.

Productivity gains in particular resonate strongly. Ask any business owner or manager about the importance of productivity and you’ll likely get an earful. It’s not just productivity’s obvious link to the bottom line. It’s the insidious effect that low productivity has on morale and work quality. Employees feel frustrated when deadlines are consistently missed or when they sit idle because of bottlenecks in the workflow. And the quality of work suffers when employees have to rush to make up for lost time and to meet delivery dates.

Business productivity suffers for a variety of reasons, from poor leadership to improperly trained employees. All too often, however, the culprit is simply out-of-date tools for getting the job done. It’s hard to compete if you’re using yesterday’s equipment and your rivals have state-of-the-art gear. Imagine riding a bicycle race on a heavy, 10-speed behemoth, while your competitors are sporting modern road machines with carbon frames and 27 gears.

You put yourself and your employees at the same disadvantage if you’re using a computer operating system that isn’t up to date. While your organization plods along doing things the old time-consuming way, your competition is zooming ahead, beating you to that new contract or locking up that promising customer.

So, how does Windows 7 help you keep pace in a highly competitive environment? First, it lets your employees work more intuitively. They’ll be able to accomplish everyday tasks with fewer clicks and keystrokes. And with Windows 7 Snap and Shake feature, they’ll handle open windows more expeditiously. So what, you say? Who cares about saving a few taps on the keyboard or mouse? Well, you should, for one. Saving a few seconds here and a few more there translate into real productivity gains when multiplied over thousands of repetitive actions performed by multiple employees.

More dramatically, Windows 7 can boost employee productivity by making it easier and more efficient to work away from the office. With Windows 7, you can work from virtually anywhere, thanks to longer battery life, location-aware printing, and the automatic synchronization of your computer and network content. Imagine the productivity gains that can be achieved by releasing your workforce from their cubicles.

In addition, Windows 7 will help eliminate costly downtime, which is the absolute bane of productivity. The Problem Steps Recorder in Windows 7 Professional can capture step-by-step details related to the exact problem a user is having, enabling quicker resolution of troubles. Windows 7 Professional also includes Action Center, which features advanced diagnostics and trouble-shooters.

Looking for even greater productivity gains? Then consider pairing Windows 7 with Windows ® Small Business Server (SBS) 2008. Together, Windows 7 and SBS 2008 offer a quantum leap in efficiency and reliability.

Consider the impact on daily tasks. Thanks to SBS 2008, you’ll have a central repository to store and find your business information. No more time wasted hunting for the PC or portable drive for that critical spreadsheet or revised proposal. With Windows 7 Professional and SBS 2008, you and your employees will be able to find information not only on your PC but also on the server. This network-wide searching takes place almost instantaneously, potentially saving your business hours and hours of time over the course of a year.

What’s more, SBS 2008 includes Microsoft Exchange Server and Windows SharePoint Services 3.0. The former gives you email, contacts, and calendar features comparable to those at Fortune 500 companies. Moreover, with SharePoint, you’ll have an internal website where you can collaborate and can share and update documents, calendars and discussions.

And when it comes to working remotely, Windows 7 Professional plus SBS 2008 gives you freedom you could scarcely imagine
a few years ago. Thanks to Exchange Server, Offline Files, and Remote Web Workplace, your employees will enjoy virtually anytime, anywhere access to business email, contacts, calendar, files, and even business applications from nearly any Internet-connected PC.

While we’re at it, let’s not overlook the productivity gains for your IT staff – even (or especially) if that staff consists of just the one guy or gal who knows more about computers than anyone else, as is the case at many small businesses. With Windows 7 and Small Business Server 2008, you’ll have powerful tools, such as the Connect Computer wizard and the Group Policy Control, which simplify adding new computers and managing the network. This gives your IT folks more time to think strategically about the business and how IT can help advance your long-term organizational objectives.

Want more information about Windows 7 and Small Business Server 2008? Then click here to learn more and test drive the products.