I was featured by Microsoft in a small business case study because I successfully implemented state-of-the-art technologies based on their brand new NT 4 operating system. The 1999 study was one of the first to appear on their web site. They also used my picture and quote in their eight page glossy NT 4 brochure (3 million copies were printed!) and other Microsoft marketing materials. I had just completed upgrading the NT 3.51 based Citrix servers to the newer Active Directory based version of Winframe when Microsoft expressed interest in the case study to me. I explained how remotely located users were able to use all of Stratford's network based applications just as efficiently as local users. When the study was complete and published, both Stratford Advisory Group and Microsoft benefited from the publicity and I had made new friends within the world's largest software company. Over the next several years, I continued to enhance Stratford's network with new features. Most popular with the users was unified messaging. Using Cisco's Call Manager, I integrated voicemail with Microsoft Exchange's email. Voice-Over-Internet-Protocol (VOIP) enabled users to access Stratford's corporate phone directory with their IP enabled phones from any location as long as they had Internet access. The ability to forward voicemail from within Microsoft's Outlook's inbox as easily as forwarding email proved to be a feature that improved customer service. Users also found it extremely empowering to take control over their call management features of the new phone system. They could now choose to answer their extension from any phone including their cell and home phones with just a few mouse clicks. Changing voicemail greetings is equally simple. |
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