Microsoft Lync Server 2013 Customer Solution Case Study

Lync opens a door to communications, for sharing and collaboration

OverviewCountry or Region: KoreaIndustry: Government AgenciesCustomer ProfileWith 170,000 members, assets worth 8.5 trillion won, and 8 business entities under its umbrella, the Military Mutual Aid Association serves the welfare of Korean military members. Over 400 dedicated employees carry out its objectives. Business SituationThese employees often found it difficult to communicate with each other in meetings or collaborations due to their geographic dispersal, in locations including Dogok-dong, Yongsan, Seongnam, and Daejeon.SolutionThe association's decision to adopt a Lync Server permitted it to enhance its communications at the organizational level, providing the means for its employees to better communicate and collaborate. Benefits The value of direct numbers

rediscovered A new method of communication and

collaboration Smart work, just around the corner Serving as a smart work promoter in

the defense sector

“Users now find it more convenient to call Lync whether they are at their desks or on the move. Individual member data will be organized and linked to Active Directory for better use of Lync. When the work is done, all the employees now scattered all over the country, will be virtually connected via Lync, working as if they were in the same place,"

An MMAA C&C official

The Military Mutual Aid Association (MMAA) paved the way for unified communication and collaboration with the adoption of Lync Server 2013. Earlier this year the Association enhanced the desktop environment for its 400 employees working in Dogok-dong, Yongsan, Seongnam, and Daejeon on a large scale. Such enhancement includes the conclusion of a GA agreement with Microsoft for better management of software assets and standardization of MMAA employee desktop environments. The latter involved a unification of Office and operating system versions, which varied depending on when they were deployed, over to Windows 7 and Office 2013. In parallel with adoption of the latest software on its employees' desktops, the Association deployed Lync clients which can provide a means for unified communications and collaboration. The rationale behind all these actions was to ignite synergy between the operating system, the documentation tools, and the communication tools with a view to attain more functional convenience and a change in the method of working. Such a move has proven effective in practice. Over 400 employees experienced no resistance at all in making phone calls, chatting, or teleconferencing over Lync. Sharing information and exchanging views with others via Lync using documentation in Office 2013 also became part of day to day business operations very fast. In addition, the link between electronic authorization and Lync accelerates decision making because an employee who has made a business proposal is available to the decision maker for questions right away even when they are out of the office. Another important benefit is simplified teleconferencing, which allows all employees to be available for, inspections of state affairs for instance, without them physically gathering at the same place. In other words, a 'smarter' method of working enhances communication. The Association will play a leading role in the rollout of smart working across the defense sector based on its experiences in the building of a Lync-based unified communication and collaboration environment.

SituationIn July 2013, the Association declared

trust, communication, and integrity as its new core values: Trust is consistent fulfillment of commitments, communication is sharing and looking in the same direction, and integrity is righteous thinking and truthful actions. The Association makes every effort in all fruitful directions to ensure progress happens. Communication, in particular, leverages IT systems to achieve its goals.

One of the tools expected to transform communication practices across the Association, is Lync. The Association had made a tremendous investment in the building of IT systems, including group ware, email, and chat applications, for better communication between its employees. Despite the ready availability of means of communication, there was always something left to be desired. For instance, the well-established IT infrastructure was not fully utilized for voice communication. There were certain organizational needs that led the Association to include voice communication in the IT system.

The 400 plus employees of the Association work in multiple locations including Dogok-dong, Yongsan, Seongnam, and Daejeon rather than any single workplace. This often made communications between them inefficient. Their work, by its nature, requires frequent physical meetings. Every member of the organization sometimes needs to be instantly available, communicating with each other real time, as during inspections of state affairs. Its investment activities require frequent business trips overseas.

For these reasons, close communication was critical. Existing communication tools,

however, were not good enough to fully meet such needs: The separation between text-based communication and voice communication often causes gaps in the course of business, especially when these two methods of communication are required simultaneously or when someone out of the office needs to be instantly available for consultation. Sending an email and waiting for a reply or calling them around the expected time of their return were two of the few options available. The gap in business was, of course, not so long: usually a couple of minutes or a few hours at the longest. The Association, however, saw that the removal of such wasted time across the entire organization could help enhance the efficiency of its operations, and so continued to seek potential solutions.

At the initial stage, MMAA C&C considered Open Source Software based in-house Unified Communications solution that is requiring Linux OS. But, in 2012, the Association determined the direction it should follow to ensure innovation in communications after learning about a case where work was done seamlessly regardless of time, location, or devices used. The case arose in Singapore where some members of MMAA C&C, the Association's wholly owned subsidiary specializing in building computing systems for the defense and private sectors, visited in 2012. The final destination was the Microsoft Technology Center (MTC), where they saw how unified communication and collaboration would take place in the future.

"The scene showing how Microsoft members at MTC collaborated and communicated was like a wakeup call for me," said one of the C&C members. "MTC's unified communication and collaboration

25

practices provided great insight into what needed to be done for the Association."

SolutionUpon return home, after witnessing how

unified communication and collaboration could take place, C&C members set out to adopt Microsoft Lync Server 2013. As it happened, MMAA C&C was preparing to conclude a government agreement (GA). MMAA C&C did not see a separation between the government agreement and adoption of Lync Server 2013. It regarded both as a single task involving revolutionizing the working environment for end users and, ultimately, improving their method of working.

Upon conclusion of the GA, MMAA C&C started to standardize the Association’s desktop environment, where different versions of Windows and Office coexisted. Windows 7 and Office 2013 replaced all other versions that had been installed when the relevant PCs were purchased. After completion of upgrading over 400 PCs and the release of Lync clients, MMAA CC declared the beginning of an era of unified communication and collaboration. “The mere installation of the latest Windows operating system and Office Suite on every user's desktop PC and the addition of Lync made a difference big enough to not only enhance productivity, but also change how employees communicate with each other,” says a source at MMAA C&C.

MMAA C&C saw that the key to establishing unified communications and collaboration is in helping the entire organization adopt changes naturally rather than emphasizing systemic preparation. Based on this perspective, MMAA C&C decided to implement the task in two phases: first, helping users get used to Lync

and, second, developing all necessary infrastructure and systems. In early 2013, Lync Server 2013 was taken in and connected to the electronic authorization system. The connection was limited to simple server configuration and linkage with core systems. This was followed by the release of Lync clients to users.

The next step for MMAA C&C will be to connect Lync Server 2013 with the organizational chart. This will entail forming a foundation for Active Directory and subsequently making all user information accessible from a single platform. The organizational chart contained in the electronic authorization system and the user information currently managed independently by individual systems will be integrated so that actual user information and system account information can be accessed through a single platform, Active Directory.

Benefits

The value of direct numbers rediscovered

After the installation of Lync on each of the employee systems, changes began to emerge. The most notable was a new way of using direct office numbers. Previously, direct office numbers were nothing more than business card components. After the advent of Lync, they started to serve as references for all communications records. Currently, any missed calls coming to an office phone through Lync are recorded. Even when an employee receives a call on a business trip overseas, their direct office number is indicated. This is because all calls coming from outside are directed to Lync and then relayed to the receiver. Now missed callers can be traced, eliminating

35

the worry of missing out on important business messages. Direct office numbers are now as convenient as mobile phone numbers. Direct office numbers will be an invisible string connecting every corner of the entire organization when the organizational chart is fully integrated. “Users now find it more convenient to call Lync whether they are at their desks or on the move. Individual member data will be organized and linked to Active Directory for better use of Lync. When the work is done, all the employees now scattered all over the country, will be virtually connected via Lync, working as if they were in the same place," say an MMAA C&C source.

A new method of communication and collaboration

Lync has an impact not only on calling practices but also on working practices. In fact, the office has seen many changes with the release of Lync. “Lync has brought a lot of changes. Casual meetings are now done via video. Overseas business travelers can communicate with their office back home with no concerns about costs. The telephone set is no longer the first thing to be checked for any questions arising during a document review – the Lync window is. Employees first check that the person who can give them the answer is available, then start a chat. If voice conversion is necessary, they talk via video or over the phone. Executives also choose to chat with those concerned on Lync when they have questions before authorization. Time is no longer wasted while questions and answers come and go along the chain of authorization,” says an MMAA C&C source.

Smart work, just around the corner

Lync is helping smart work grow out of an ambiguous concept and become a reality. In fact, with the upgrade to Office 2013 and the addition of Lync, the Association now finds it much easier to collaborate on documentation.

The adoption of Lync lifted the distance barrier between the Dogok-dong, Yongsan, Seongnam, and Daejeon offices. More and more employees use the Office 2013 share function to collaborate on documentation with colleagues while talking over messenger or telephone. There are even some power users who invite small groups of colleagues on Lync for small scale meetings where presentations and discussions take place. Office 2013 and Lync can thus provide an opportunity for the Association’s employees to implement smart work as part of their day to day operations, not merely for grand initiatives.

MMAA C&C expects that completion of connection with the organizational chart will make the combined use of Office and Lync even more convenient, improving the level of smart work between users.

Serving as a smart work promoter in the defense sector

MMAA C&C is active in businesses related to the building and maintenance of computing systems for the defense sector as well as the private sector. Its other businesses include building and operation of a business operation system for the Military Mutual Aid Association, management of the Military Welfare Card and Country Loving Card on a contract basis, and the operation of an Internet outlet.

It plans to leverage experiences from the deployment and operation of Lync for expansion into other business areas. MMAA

45

C&C is certain that the increasing need for smart work based on unified communication and collaboration in the defense sector can be fully met through its experiences.

Microsoft Lync Server For more information about Microsoft Lync, go to:www.microsoft.com/lync

55

For More InformationFor more information about Microsoft products and services, call the Microsoft Sales Information Center at (800) 426-9400. In Canada, call the Microsoft Canada Information Centre at (877) 568-2495. Customers in the United States and Canada who are deaf or hard-of-hearing can reach Microsoft text telephone (TTY/TDD) services at (800) 892-5234. Outside the 50 United States and Canada, please contact your local Microsoft subsidiary. To access information using the World Wide Web, go to:www.microsoft.com

For more information about The Military Mutual Aid Association, visit the website at:http://www.mmaa.or.kr

This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.

Document published August 2013

Software and Services Microsoft Server Product Portfolio

− Windows Lync Server 2013− Microsoft Office 2013