1. Microsoft Office System
Customer Solution Case Study
Event Services Company Stays Connected with
Unified Communications Solution
Overview “The cost savings over our third-party audio and web
Country or Region: United States
Industry: Professional services
conferencing solution justified the cost of the entire
Microsoft deployment.”
Customer Profile
Bob Strama, Vice President and Senior Technical Officer, PSAV
PSAV provides event services to customers
in North America. The company has 2,500
North American employees operating from
more than 600 locations. PSAV is a leading provider of audiovisual and event technology
Business Situation support to clients worldwide. With 2,500 employees operating from
With a widely distributed and mobile more than 600 locations in North America, PSAV must ensure that
workforce, PSAV wanted to improve the
communications capabilities of its employees stay connected no matter where they are working. PSAV
employees. was looking to integrate its communications capabilities and
Solution reduce the costs it was paying for conferencing services. Working
PSAV chose to deploy Microsoft® Office with Microsoft® Gold Certified Partner Project Leadership
Communications Server and Unified
Messaging in Microsoft Exchange Server Associates, PSAV determined it could get the capabilities it needed
2007. This solution provided more using Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2 and
capabilities and was a fraction of the cost
of competitive offerings. Unified Messaging in Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 at a fraction
of the cost of competitive offerings. PSAV is now using the
Benefits
Replaces third-party conferencing to integrated instant messaging, presence, voice mail, and audio,
save more than U.S.$300,000 annually video, and Web conferencing capabilities to improve business and
Improves sales processes
Results in quicker help desk resolutions reduce fees previously paid to audio and Web conferencing service
providers.

2. “We needed a better Situation Office Communications Server for its instant
PSAV helps clients manage their audiovisual messaging and presence capabilities. When
way to stay connected and event technology needs for meetings, Office Communications Server 2007 R2 was
than phone and e-mail. conferences, and other events. The company released, PSAV decided that it would be the
operates from 600 offices throughout North ideal solution for its conferencing needs. Not
We used audio and Web America and often has small offices in hotels only is the Microsoft solution less expensive
conferencing services and convention centers to improve client than the competitive product offerings, but it
service. also provides seamless integration with other
extensively, but the solutions PSAV has in place.
current solution is With a widely distributed and highly mobile
workforce, staying connected is essential for Office Communications Server 2007 R2
expensive and lacked the organization. Clients expect to be able to offers instant messaging and presence
integration.” contact their event technology managers functions that are not only available in the
when they need them, and employees Office Communicator client but are integrated
Bob Strama, Vice President and Senior depend on each other for their individual into other Microsoft products that PSAV uses
Technical Officer, PSAV expertise in design and troubleshooting. on a daily basis, such as Office SharePoint®
Server and the Microsoft Office Outlook®
In 2007, PSAV began to look for ways to messaging and collaboration client. In
improve communications. “We needed a addition, Web, audio, and video conferencing
better way to stay connected than phone and capabilities are built into the solution. Users
e-mail,” explains Bob Strama, Vice President can schedule conferences from within
and Senior Technical Officer at PSAV. “We Microsoft Office Outlook and can escalate to
used audio and Web conferencing services an audio, video, or Web conference from an
extensively, but they were expensive and instant message chat with the click of a
lacked integration.” PSAV was spending more button. Web conferences are accessed
than U.S.$300,000 per year in fees to service through the Microsoft Office Live Meeting
providers for audio and Web conferencing. client.
PSAV recently installed Cisco Unified The solution also provides Desktop Sharing.
Communications Manager in its datacenter to With the click of a button, users can view
handle voice calls. It uses SIP Trunking to each other’s desktops and optionally be given
connect to the telephony network, and it was control over each other’s computers. Desktop
able to remove the PBX equipment from its sharing replaces Web conferences for many
larger offices. It still has telephony equipment collaborative efforts at PSAV such as
with voice and data circuits at the remaining producing sales proposals or developing
small offices. project plans for events.
Solution In January 2009, PSAV began working on the
PSAV considered using competitive Office Communications Server deployment
technology for audio and Web conferencing, with assistance from PLA. By February 2009,
but the licensing costs were prohibitive. After PLA and PSAV had designed the server
meeting with Microsoft Gold Certified Partner architecture, built the server environment,
Project Leadership Associates (PLA), and and completed testing. This was
discussing options for deployment, PSAV accomplished by following PLA’s Rapid UC
found that Microsoft® Office Communications Deployment Methodology, focused at bringing
Server 2007 could be deployed at a fraction quick value to the deployment of the
of the cost. It had already looked at deploying Microsoft Unified Communications platform.

3. “The complete PSAV deployed five server roles on three All PSAV employees are now equipped with
physical servers. Windows Server® 2008 instant messaging, presence, audio, video,
integration of the Hyper-V™ virtualization technology was used and Web conferencing, and Exchange Unified
solution was the big win to virtualize the gateway and Microsoft Office Messaging. PSAV is testing the voice over
Communicator Web Access roles to reduce Internet Protocol (VoIP) capabilities on 100
for us. All of the costs. PSAV also deployed Microsoft users as a possible telephony solution for
functionality is available Forefront™ for Office Communication Server remote users. PSAV is also looking to
for anti-virus protection. integrate its existing Polycom video
across the platforms conferencing infrastructure into Office
and applications we Microsoft Exchange Unified Messaging was Communications Server.
added to the existing Exchange Server 2007
use.” deployment to provide voice mail service to Benefits
Bob Strama, Vice President and Senior all users. Unified Messaging was integrated The Microsoft Unified Communications
Technical Officer, PSAV into the Cisco Call Manager PBX and delivers capabilities were adopted very quickly at
voice mail messages to Microsoft Office PSAV because they immediately improved
Outlook inboxes. Users can access these work processes. By giving employees an
voice mail messages without calling into the integrated communications solution and
voice mail system and save them with any presence information that enables them to
other e-mail massages they receive on a decide the best way to communicate, Office
particular topic. Exchange Unified Messaging Communications Server helps PSAV operate
also enables users to use a telephone to more efficiently. “The complete integration of
access their calendar and e-mail messages. the solution was the big win for us,” notes
Strama. “All of the functionality is available
PSAV completed extensive user testing across the platforms and applications we
because not all of its client PCs are managed use.” In addition, by replacing expensive
or in the same domain. It wanted to ensure third-party conferencing options, the solution
users could access the new capabilities produces immediate cost savings.
independently of their hardware configuration
and without using virtual private network Improved Business Processes
(VPN) software. All 2,500 user accounts were The Microsoft Unified Communications
enabled on Office Communications Server solution is being used across the company.
2007 and Exchange Unified Messaging in “It truly has become a part of our daily work
May 2009. Immediately following, PSAV processes,” explains Strama. “Instead of
started the client rollout, deploying Microsoft sending an e-mail for short questions we use
Office Professional 2007, Forefront Security, instant messaging and get answers faster.”
and Microsoft System Center Configuration PSAV has also seen a dramatic increase in
Manager clients at the same time as the Web conferencing usage as employees
Office Communicator 2007 R2 and Live escalate their instant messaging
Meeting clients. Because multiple conversations into Office Live Meeting.
applications were deployed at the same time,
the rollout was conducted slowly over a three- Presence information has also been useful
month period to ensure users could receive for everyone. With employees constantly on
adequate support during the transition. the move to event locations, people can be
During this time many users started difficult to find. PSAV uses Windows®
accessing Office Communications Server SharePoint Services sites to track projects so
through the Web client to take immediate users can open a project site, see who is at
advantage of its capabilities. the site, and contact them from within

4. “We have other Windows SharePoint if they are available. Cost Savings
PSAV has also integrated presence The Office Communications Server 2007 R2
products available to information into its corporate directory, which solution will enable PSAV to save more than
our service desk for is hosted on Office SharePoint Server. Now $300,000 per year on audio and Web
users can see who is available and contact conferencing costs. “The cost savings over
remote access, but them from the directory site. our third-party audio and web conferencing
Desktop Sharing is so services justified the cost of the entire
“The sales organization was an early adopter Microsoft deployment,” notes Strama. PSAV
easy that it has become because they used our conferencing services is also deploying the Forefront Security suite
the preferred option. It on a regular basis, and we had people for both servers and clients. This solution is
spending $2,000 per month on replacing the company’s current anti-virus
is helping our service conferencing,” explains Strama. “With Office solution and will save the company an
desk resolve issues Communications Server, that sales overhead additional $45,000 per year.
is reduced.” The sales organization also
faster.” prefers the on-demand nature of the PSAV has also noticed a reduction in
Bob Strama, Vice President and Senior Microsoft conferencing solution. With the international calls from the pilot through the
Technical Officer, PSAV previous conferencing service it had to use of instant messages and audio
schedule conferences in advance through the conferences to communicate rather than the
service desk. It also frequently uses the telephone. With more than 200 international
Desktop Sharing feature in Office locations, international calling is a large
Communicator to work together on proposals expense for the company. PSAV has not
instead of e-mailing files back and forth, estimated the savings yet, but expects to
which improves the quality of sales proposals receive significant cost savings related to
and enables the sales teams to produce international calls.
proposals faster than they could when they
used e-mail to collaborate. Having just completed the company-wide
rollout, PSAV expects to realize additional
The service desk has also adopted Desktop benefits as users find new ways to improve
Sharing to resolve computer issues. “We their ability to manage meetings,
have other products available to our service conferences, and events using unified
desk for remote access, but Desktop Sharing communications. The ability to reach key
is so easy that it has become the preferred individuals quickly is already helping to
option,” explains Strama. “It is helping our resolve issues faster, improving the service
service desk resolve issues faster.” PSAV provides to clients. PSAV would also like
to expand the number of users with access to
“PSAV was a model customer to take the telephony features of Office
advantage of so many of the features Communications Server and believes this will
available with Microsoft Unified reduce the costs of its telephony
Communications solutions. Instead of their infrastructure even more.
employees struggling to find the best method
to communicate effectively with their
coworkers, PSAV has positioned their
communication and collaboration solutions to
be a business enabler, allowing them to focus
on running their business, provide best of
class customer service, and drive growth,”
says Don Penland, Partner at PLA.

5. For More Information Microsoft Office System
For more information about Microsoft The Microsoft Office System is the business
products and services, call the Microsoft world’s chosen environment for information
Sales Information Center at (800) 426- work, providing the programs, servers, and
9400. In Canada, call the Microsoft services that help you succeed by
Canada Information Centre at (877) 568- transforming information into impact.
2495. Customers who are deaf or hard-of-
hearing can reach Microsoft text telephone For more information about the Microsoft
(TTY/TDD) services at (800) 892-5234 in Office System, go to:
the United States or (905) 568-9641 in www.microsoft.com/office
Canada. 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 Project
Leadership Associates products and
services, call (312) 441-0077 or visit the
Web site at:
www.projectleadership.net
For more information about PSAV products
and services, call (562) 366-0620 or visit
the Web site at:
www.psav.com
Software and Services Technologies
Microsoft Office − Windows SharePoint Services
− Microsoft Office Communications − Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V
Server 2007 R2
− Microsoft Office SharePoint Server
2007
− Microsoft Office Outlook 2007
− Microsoft Office Communicator 2007
R2
− Microsoft Office Live Meeting
Microsoft Server Product Portfolio
− Microsoft Exchange Server 2007
− Windows Server 2008
This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT
MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS
SUMMARY.
Document published June 2009