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Contents .NET live

Introduction .................................................................. 2

Financial servicesAlec Finch Group ............................................................................................. 9The Mortgage Group .................................................................................. 13Worldwide Broker Network ...................................................................... 17

Retail servicesGAME.uk.com ................................................................................................. 23Personal Medical Advisor ........................................................................ 26

Entertainment and mediaRAW Communications ............................................................................... 31

IndustryAstraZeneca .................................................................................................... 37AutoCascade ................................................................................................... 43BTI UK ................................................................................................................ 48Sea Containers Information Services .............................................. 51

Public sectorCentro ................................................................................................................. 55DfES Connexions Service National Unit (CSNU) ........................ 60

The latest frontier in the quest to increase productivity is business processautomation. The advent of line-of-business applications for enterprise resourceplanning (ERP), supply chain management (SCM) and customer relationshipmanagement (CRM), combined with the emergence of the XML standard andother new technologies, has enabled organisations to streamline the flow ofdata from system to system. The result for many businesses has been morespeed and efficiency for a wide range of common business processes, includingorder processing, inventory management, payroll and many more.

Some processes can be automated more easily than others. For example,taking the data contained in an order from a customer and moving it to inventory,manufacturing, shipping and billing is relatively straightforward. But lessprogress has been made for processes that involve business analysis orbusiness decision-making. What happens when the goal of a business processis to gain a deeper understanding of your customers’ needs, rather than themovement of products or resources from one company to another? Or what ifyour goal is to achieve consistency of message on a subject delivered across anentire organisation. How do you track your communications, both internal andexternal, and control the messages that are being communicated about yourcompany? And importantly, how do you effectively share communicationcontents and ideas throughout your organisation?

Until recently, the effort required to create a solution that met thoserequirements would probably have been prohibitively expensive and time-consuming, requiring weeks of custom development. Today, with the newMicrosoft® Visual Studio® Tools for the Microsoft Office System, such projectsare dramatically easier. Visual Studio Tools for the Microsoft Office Systembrings the power and productivity of Visual Studio .NET 2003 and the Microsoft.NET Framework to solutions built on the latest versions of Microsoft Office Wordand Microsoft Office Excel. It means developers can use Microsoft VisualBasic® .NET and Microsoft Visual C#® .NET to more easily create solutions forWord 2003 and Excel 2003 that connect seamlessly to data and processes.These solutions will enable information workers to automatically access dataand trigger business processes from within the Microsoft Office programs theyuse every day.

Introduction2

Microsoft Office System 2003 andthe .NET Framework delivers greaterbusiness productivity

According to Ivo Salmre, Visual Studio .NET product manager, Visual StudioTools for the Microsoft Office System is an important leap forward for developerswho want to create solutions that take advantage of the capabilities of theMicrosoft Office System and for those who use it: “Think of some of the things aninformation worker does with Word, like writing a letter based on their knowledgeof a customer, creating a proposal or generating a contract,” says Salmre. “VisualTools for the Microsoft Office System lets a developer write code behind thedocument that automatically gets the data, runs calculations and enforcesbusiness rules and business processes. The result is a more productiveworkforce and systems that are much faster to develop.”

More custom solutions, less custom code Susan Warren, a senior software engineer for software development andconsulting firm Vertigo Software, believes that Visual Studio Tools for theMicrosoft Office System can dramatically reduce the time and expense requiredto develop custom solutions for Word 2003 and Excel 2003. Warren recently usedVisual Studio Tools for the Microsoft Office System to develop a customised Wordsolution for salesforce.com, a leading provider of on-demand CRM solutions. Inthe past, she would have used Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) and the projectwould have required her to write a substantial amount of custom code. UsingVisual Studio Tools for the Microsoft Office System meant that the project involveda fraction of the custom code.

“Because it is built on the .NET Framework, Visual Studio Tools for theMicrosoft Office System offers a lot of great pre-built functionality – for example,integration to web services,” she says. “The cost of ownership for any customapplication is directly related to number of lines of code you write. I’d say that byusing Visual Studio Tools for the Microsoft Office System, we wrote one-tenth thecode that we would have with VBA.”

An order of magnitude easier The Word solution that Warren created with Visual Studio Tools for the MicrosoftOffice System was developed for salesforce.com. The solution enables sales repsto automate the process of generating and reviewing sales proposals for potential

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customers. Specific customer information is automatically collected fromsalesforce.com and merged into a Word proposal template. The sales repcreates a review loop in a custom dialog in the Word document, using contactdata retrieved from salesforce.com via a web service. The document is thenautomatically routed enabling everyone involved in the review process to haveinstant access to the most current version of the document and to stay up-to-date on the status of the document in the review process.

The sales proposal solution is being released as a starter kit to provide morethan 7,800 companies that utilise salesforce.com services with an example ofhow Visual Studio Tools for the Microsoft Office System can be used to createcustom solutions for Word 2003 and Excel 2003. “Visual Studio Tools for theMicrosoft Office System enables developers to tie our on-demand web servicesdirectly into the Office documents in which people are working,” says PeterGassner, general manager of sforce, the salesforce.com client/server platform.“That ability is very compelling – it allows us to extend what we can do withOffice and sforce web services in a way that is orders of magnitude easier thanit was in the past.”

Introduction4

Microsoft technologies explained

The Microsoft® .NET Framework is acomponent of the Windows operating systemthat provides the programming model forbuilding, deploying, and running web-basedapplications, smart client applications, andeXtensible Mark-up Language (XML) WebServices. It provides a highly productive,standards-based, multi-language environmentfor integrating existing investments with next-generation applications and services, as wellas the agility to solve the challenges ofdeployment and operation of Internet-scaleapplications. The .NET Framework consists oftwo main parts: the Common LanguageRuntime and a hierarchical set of unifiedclass libraries that includes a componentisedversion of ASP .NET, a loosely coupled dataaccess subsystem (ADO .NET), and anenvironment for building rich Windows-basedapplications (Windows Forms).

The Microsoft .NET Compact Framework, asubset of the .NET Framework, extends thebenefits of developer productivity and XMLWeb Services integration to resource-constrained devices, such as Pocket PC andother Windows CE-based systems. It providesa highly productive environment fordevelopment and integration with virtually anydata source, ranging from local SQL ServerCE databases to enterprise back ends. TheCompact Framework’s unified, hierarchicalclass library enables software developers torapidly construct rich user interfaces, accessnative operating system methods, andinteroperate with assets on the device, suchas the infrared data port and other hardwareextensions.

For more information, go to:http://msdn.microsoft.com/netframework

Hitting the high point Taken together, the combination of improved developer productivity, simplifiedadministration and enhanced security means Visual Studio Tools for the MicrosoftOffice System can open the door to a wave of new custom solutions that extendthe power of business process automation to information workers who use Wordand Excel to understand trends, take advantage of opportunities and respond tochanges in the business landscape.

According to Green, the salesforce.com starter kit is a perfect example of thepower of Visual Studio Tools for the Microsoft Office System. “If you are asalesforce.com customer, you’re managing your CRM data on the web and youreally need to be able to work with that information in Word and Excel,” saysGreen. “Wouldn’t it be great if instead of tracking down information and creatinga proposal by hand, most of the process could be automated? Visual Studio Toolsfor the Microsoft Office System lets developers write code quickly and easily thatassembles the data, generates the proposal and manages the approval process.”

“For us, Visual Studio Tools for the Microsoft Office System really hits the highpoint of the .NET Framework and Office 2003,” says Warren.

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Microsoft Visual Studio® .NET is the rapidapplication development (RAD) tool for buildingnext-generation web applications and XML WebServices. Visual Studio .NET empowersdevelopers to rapidly design broad-reach webapplications for any device and any platform.In addition, Visual Studio .NET is fullyintegrated with the .NET Framework, providingsupport for multiple programming languagesand automatically handling many commonprogramming tasks, freeing developers torapidly create web applications using theirlanguage of choice. Visual Studio .NETincludes a single IDE with RAD features forbuilding web applications and middle-tierbusiness logic, and RAD XML designers forworking with data.

For information, go to:http://www.visualstudio.net

Microsoft BizTalk® Server 2000 is fororchestrating business processes within andbetween organisations. It enables anorganisation to build dynamic businessprocesses, easily integrate applications andbusiness partners, and ensure interoperabilityusing public standards.

For more information, go to:http://www.microsoft.com/uk/servers/biztalk

Microsoft Windows 2000 Server is the serveroperating system for line-of-businessapplications and e-commerce. It provides youwith the opportunity to Internet-enable yourbusiness, gain advanced manageability andtake advantage of the best new devices.

For more information, go to:http://www.microsoft.com/uk/servers

Introduction6

KeyPrep Ltd is a UK software developer.Its information management software,KeyPrep, is designed to help solve anumber of major communicationsheadaches within organisations, suchas ensuring that there is consistency ofmessages across a business, reducingthe amount of presentations that are re-created from scratch and enabling usersto produce consistent communicationsmaterials and presentations far morequickly and easily than ever before.KeyPrep has been tightly integrated withMicrosoft Office but with the launch ofMicrosoft Office Systems 2003 theproducts now share a commonfoundation, the .NET Framework.According to CTO Anthony Drew: “The‘out of the box’ functionality provided tous by the Microsoft Office System,specifically integration with web serviceswas a great aid to our softwaredevelopment. In fact without it we wouldnot have been able to progress to wherewe are today.

“When KeyPrep was designed the goalwas to build a robust product that couldeasily support multiple deliverychannels, so ASP.NET web services wereselected as the integration between thebusiness and presentation tiers. Without

Case study: KeyPrep

“For us, the biggeststep forward withinthe Microsoft OfficeSystem has been theadoption of the .NETFramework as itsbasis. Rather than itbeing a simple tool forwriting letters,creating presentationsor sending email weare now viewing theMicrosoft OfficeSystem as a tool thatcan be used to releasethe business benefitstored withinKeyPrep.”

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the ability of the Microsoft Office Systemto act as a smart client our plans wouldnever have left the drawing board.”

KeyPrep integrates with OfficeOne of the foundations of KeyPrep ishelping to ensure that there is aconsistency of message on a subjectdelivered across an entire organisation.Traditionally this is solved by sending outan email on the subject to all employees,but this is not always the most effectivemethod. With KeyPrep the approvedmessages are stored in a centraldatabase and can be pulled out as andwhen employees require them. Thesemessages are then used in response toan email, or in helping to prepare aproposal or presentation. Key messageswith any supporting evidence or visualaids like PowerPoint slides or imageshave been published to the approvedcorporate standard area within KeyPrep.Once there, the user is able to use theKeyPrep Research Pane from within theMicrosoft Office System to interrogatethis database and retrieve the messages.Once there the user is able to insert thetext directly into their document or email.It might be that they require more thanjust the message, they may need to

provide the supporting evidence for thismessage. Once again the user can drilldown into this evidence, through theResearch Pane, and re-use and text orvisual aids that are available.

The development was simpleAs a direct result of the technologyplatform used within the Microsoft OfficeSystem we have been able to utilise it asanother delivery channel easily andquickly. There has been no requirementto learn a new language or developmentenvironment as all development was inVisual Studio .NET 2003 in C#.

The cost of ownership is lowSolutions developed to take advantage ofoffice have typically required each copy tobe updated and maintained on eachindividual users pc. Now, the use of the.NET Framework has helped to eliminatethis. As all the data is pulled back fromKeyPrep into the Microsoft Office SystemResearch Pane via a web service thedeployment and administration functionsare greatly reduced. Deployment issimple achieved by telling office the URLand the only administration task isensuring that the web service isavailable.

BACKGROUNDAs with many industries, the insurance market experiences cyclicalchanges. In the 1990s the insurance market was ‘soft’: supplyoutstripped demand, so insurance companies, vying with one another tounderwrite risks, were offering highly competitive premiums. In the late1990s the market was beginning to harden; a trend greatly exacerbatedby the events of 9/11. Demand for insurance coverage increased whilethe actual coverage available was reduced.

In this seller’s market, many corporate insureds became dissatisfiedwith having to pay more for less cover. Brokers were made to work harderto obtain adequate cover for their clients and in some cases were unableto maintain a high-level of service. This meant that several largeaccounts, many of which were from companies placed just outside theFTSE 100, became open to tender. This potential business opportunitytied in with the strategic growth plans of the Alec Finch Group (AFG), aleading independent UK commercial insurance broker.

However, in order to service the largest accounts effectively, AFGneeded to improve its internal information management processes.Traditionally, client information was stored in a variety of formats andlocations, varying from e-mails and files stored on the network, to paperand fax documents. As a result, answering client requests for informationcould be complex and time consuming. Because the information was notimmediately to hand, account managers were often forced to call clientsback or delay replying to e-mails. This made it difficult to deliver the bestcustomer service or gain a single view of complex client accounts.

To win and sustain large, multinational accounts, brokers need localrepresentation in a range of countries. AFG was not about to open upsubsidiaries all over the world. Instead, the company wanted a systemthat would streamline communication and collaboration with its networkof almost 60 international broker partners, so that the company couldfunction as a ‘virtual’ global broker in almost 40 countries.

Insurance broker Alec Finch Group has implemented a new collaborative client managementsystem with the help of Microsoft partner Riskclick. The solution, based on the Microsoft .NETFramework, has enabled the company to provide a superior service to customers, win newbusiness and generate a rapid return on investment. The group has also experienced greateroperational transparency and better communication with global partners.

Customer profileAlec Finch Group (AFG) is aleading independent UKcommercial insurance broker.Headquartered in Manchesterand with a Lloyd’s broker inLondon, the group specialisesin large corporate andmultinational risks.

Business challengeThe company wanted toimprove its growth rate. Toacquire and retain the largestUK clients, AFG needed toupgrade client service in a waythat did not break the bank,compromise regulatorycompliance, or conflict with thetechnologies of its keycounterparties.

SolutionRiskclick implemented acollaborative clientmanagement web portal basedon the Microsoft .NETFramework.

Broker increases account revenues with Riskclick and Microsoft technology

Microsoft. NET customer solutionFINANCIAL SERVICES

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Finally, the company wanted to improve customer service by enablingexternal clients to access their account information online. In doing so,AFG would differentiate itself from competitors.

SOLUTIONIn 2001 AFG decided to implement a technology strategy to support theircorporate objectives of focusing and increasing growth in largecommercial risks. After evaluating the market, the company chose aleading independent software vendor and Microsoft Partner, Riskclick, asits technology partner. Alec Finch, MD, AFG, says: “We chose Riskclickbecause of the team’s extensive and unique knowledge of the sector. No-one had a better track record of delivering client-centric solutions to theinsurance sector and no-one could offer us an approach that was moreadvanced or better suited to our needs.”

Riskclick used the Microsoft .NET Framework to create an extensibleonline business platform. Daniel Stander, vice-president, Riskclick, says:“Using the Microsoft .NET Framework made the development process fareasier. With Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003 as the developmentenvironment, programming and debugging was simpler and we were ableto carry out our internal quality assurance programme much morequickly.” This meant that time to market was greatly reduced for AFG.

Riskclick’s solution brought the power of a fully-featured collaborativedocument management solution to the company’s three offices, itspartner brokers around the world and, critically, to its clients.

The system enables the extended brokerage team to keep alldocuments and correspondence associated with any given clientassignment in a central location. A full audit trail is automaticallymaintained to show different versions of documents, providing anirrefutable history of any changes made to them by any individual insideor outside of AFG. These documents are tagged with several ACORD XMLschemas so that the underlying data can be extracted by counterparties.The solution also includes comprehensive search and retrieval facilities.

Selected AFG clients can now monitor the status of their accounts fromany location and at any time via a user-friendly web-based front end. Thecapabilities offered to the client are fully interactive. This means that therelevant client contacts can update details pertinent to their exposures,increasing the accuracy and reducing cycle times on renewals.

“This solution hashad a direct impacton our ability to winnew business. It hasalready beenidentified as acontributing factorin over 30 clientwins, whilerevenues fromaccount acquisitionhave increased by27 per cent,providing a clearand immediatereturn oninvestment.”

ALEC FINCHMDALEC FINCH GROUP

Financial services10

For more information about RISKCLICK, go to:www.riskclick.com


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The solution enables the controlling broker to set different permissions– at document level, group level, account level or user level – so only thedesired versions of the intended documents are made available to theright individuals. There are also checks built-in so that employees don’taccidentally give inappropriate access rights to sensitive documents.

The Microsoft .NET Framework has native security features, reducingthe burden of this essential aspect for developers. Secure remote accessis assured through the use of 128-bit Secure Socket Layer encryption,while key-fobs and key-cards are available for secure local access.

BENEFITSIncreased competitive advantage and reduced costsThe Riskclick powered solution has enabled AFG to achieve superior levelsof service to clients and offer full transparency in its cross-enterprisetransactions. Insurance companies, partner brokers and the clients nolonger have to ask for access to their own management data. All interestedparties can now access the system and see up-to-date account details forthemselves in real time. Finch says: “The ability to access complexinformation in this way reduces misunderstandings and cuts costs for allparties. We are now able to empower our clients and move them from justbeing spectators to actually being players in the game.”

By offering the highest levels of visibility and accountability, AFG hasbeen able to differentiate itself in the marketplace and increase itscompetitive advantage. “This solution has had a direct impact on ourability to win new business. It has already been identified as acontributing factor in over 30 client wins, while revenues from accountacquisition have increased by 27 per cent, providing a clear andimmediate return on investment. We’re still concentrating on gettingusage levels right across all our 53 partner brokers, but we’re very happyand satisfied with our investment,” says Finch.

Improved operational efficiency Having access to all documents from a central location, along with searchand retrieval facilities, enables account managers to be much moreeffective in looking after client accounts. Statistics from the first year ofthe system’s deployment show that average revenue generation peraccount executive is up 21 per cent, while the already low client attrition

Benefits• Differentiation in the

marketplace• Better service to customers • Smooth communication

flow with internationalpartners

• Operational transparencymeans clients have anytimeaccess to their owninformation

• More efficient handling ofinsurance claims

• New business wins• Rapid return on investment• Ready for the future with

web services

Software and servicesMicrosoft® .NET FrameworkMicrosoft Visual Studio® .NET2003

rates have dropped to less than two per cent. The system has alsoaddressed the issues regarding communicating with overseas partners.Finch says: “With the system in place, everyone deals with the sameinformation, in the same way and on the same timetable, no matter wherethey are located.” As a result, overseas claims, for example, are settledmore than twice (58 per cent) as quickly.

Security and performanceUsing the new solution, AFG has maintained its high standards on errorsand omissions (E&Os). This refers to disputed claims resulting frommisunderstandings over clients’ risks and coverages. AFG has neverexperienced legal action resulting from an E&O and the new system hasenabled it to keep this record intact, despite the increasing complexity ofthe large accounts it handles.

The Microsoft .NET Framework further ensures the integrity of clientinformation. Stander says: “The built-in security features of the Microsoft.NET Framework enable Riskclick to rapidly deliver solutions in a risk-freeenvironment for the benefit of clients. Not only has developer productivityincreased dramatically, but also the overall quality of the code.”

Ready for the futureIn the short term AFG has gained immediate benefits. Finch says: “Theability to work in virtual teams with colleagues in other countries and todeliver a powerful system to control documents is a huge advantage tous – and we believe that it has added value for our clients and overseaspartners. It’s all about the quality of the communication flow and beingable to keep everyone in the loop.”

The Microsoft .NET Framework has also enabled the company to bringthe latest web services technology to the insurance market. The use ofXML forms, conforming to the industry’s ACORD standard, enables AFGto rapidly export data relating to its placements and claims to any relevantinsurer. It can do this without having to re-key the same information intounwieldy forms on each insurer’s website. Most major insurancecompanies are still not ready to receive data using web services. ButRiskclick’s solution means that when the industry catches up, AFG will bewell placed to enjoy further competitive advantage.For more information about Alec Finch Group, go to: www.alecfinch.co.uk

“The ability to workin virtual teamswith colleagues inother countries andto deliver a powerfulsystem to controldocuments is ahuge advantage tous, and we believethat it has addedvalue for our clientsand overseaspartners. It's allabout the quality ofthe communicationflow and being ableto keep everyone inthe loop.”

ALEC FINCHMDALEC FINCH GROUP


BACKGROUNDDespite the boom in the housing market, with values rising and moreproperties available, one in five people still have problems obtaining amortgage from high street lenders. This could be because of a numberof factors, ranging from credit history to County Court judgements orself employment.

Without specialist loans and mortgage brokers to negotiate deals onbehalf of applicants, many people would miss out on the opportunity toget on the property ladder. The Mortgage Group is the UK’s largestindependent broker of specialist loans, mortgages and remortgages.Its team of advisers can quickly quote how much can be borrowedagainst properties, offer up to 100 per cent remortgages, and helpthose in financial difficulty to get back on track.

The Mortgage Group’s four call centres, which deal with thousandsof calls each day, are based in: Truro Newham, Falmouth, Droitwich andCrewe. The company is affiliated to major lenders, such as GE Capital,and matches lenders to customers depending on their circumstanceswith the aim of getting a decision within 24 hours. It employs more than800 staff and manages more than £1 billion of secured loans annually.

Traditionally, The Mortgage Group only interacted with consumers viaemail, telephone or post. In addition, information was provided usingstatic web pages. At the end of 2001, the company wanted to reach awider audience by delivering a range of services online via a userfriendly inter face. It also wanted to streamline traditionalcommunications channels, such as its call centres. To achieve thesegoals, The Mortgage Group needed to reassess its communicationstrategy and technology infrastructure.

SOLUTIONThe Mortgage Group decided to create an application to enhancebusiness processes for its call centre staff. The TSR mortgage

The Mortgage Group has implemented two applications based on the Microsoft .NET Framework.The first, a call centre application, enables previously unavailable features, such as postcodelookups. The second was developed using Microsoft ASP .NET and Microsoft Visual Studio .NETand lets users apply for mortgages online. Both applications were developed in a matter ofmonths and have given the company a solid online foundation to build on.

Customer profileThe Mortgage Group is theUK’s largest broker ofspecialist loans, mortgagesand re-mortgages. Itspecialises in providing suchfinance for people who mayhave problems obtaining creditthrough traditional means,such as those with CountyCourt Judgements, poor creditratings or arrears. Its callcentres are located on foursites, deal with thousands ofcalls every day and managemore than £500m of securedloans annually.

Business challengeThe company wanted to targetnew users and establish agreater online presence for itsservices both today and goingforward.

Specialist mortgage broker aims to get10 per cent of its business online


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brokering application gathers information from telephone operators andlinks to predictive telephone diallers. It is a standard n-tier applicationthat connects the front end to the company’s 12GB database, which isbased on Microsoft SQL Server 2000.

The application was built using the Microsoft .NET Framework, whichenables developers to more easily and quickly build, deploy andintegrate Windows-based applications. This is comprised of theCommon Language Runtime and standard class libraries, which meansthat code used to generate underlying or common applicationfunctionality can be quickly and easily replicated and reused. TheMortgage Group also made use of .NET remoting functionality andWindows forms to build TSR.

Based on the success of this call centre application, which wasdeployed to more than 300 clients, The Mortgage Group used the .NETFramework to develop a new online mortgage application solution.Using Microsoft ASP .NET and C#, the company enables the public tosubmit applications directly to its back office systems viawww.tmgdirect.co.uk. The use of Microsoft ADO .NET equipped thedevelopment team with the right tools to manage the data sets and tocreate the application quickly.

Colin Leversuch-Roberts, DBA, The Mortgage Group, says: “I wanted toproduce a secure, scalable application, rather than a flat html form, thatwas able to cope with multiples of just about everything. For example,most mortgage application forms assume that there is one house and twoborrowers. But we wanted an application that would allow just aboutunlimited numbers of any category. Our key criteria also included SecureSocket Layer (SSL) encryption, a defined login, auto-save, objectorientation and ultimately the ability to work in 800x600 via a 56k dial up.”

The .NET Framework was chosen to make use of existing in-houseskills and to fit in with the rest of the company’s IT infrastructure, whichis comprised mainly of Microsoft technologies and includes MicrosoftExchange 2000, SQL Server, Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS)5.0, Microsoft ISA Server, Microsoft Windows 2000 and MicrosoftWindows XP.

The use of Linux for the mortgage application was ruled out due tounfamiliarity and the fact that successful development on the callcentre application was already underway using Microsoft technology.

“I wanted toproduce a secure,scalable application,rather than a flathtml form, that wasable to cope withmultiples of justabout everything.”

COLIN LEVERSUCH-ROBERTSDBATHE MORTGAGE GROUP



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BENEFITSFast deployment, quick benefitsThe Mortgage Group’s web and TSR applications run on one server andwere built by just four developers. The web application took less thansix months to develop in total and went live in June 2003 afterextensive testing. Development of TSR is on-going, but was built in justthree months.

Microsoft Visual Studio .NET was also used as the developmentenvironment and to customise the project type and create wizards.

Mike Luke, senior developer, The Mortgage Group, says: “We’re usedto using Microsoft Visual Basic, so .NET was very easy for us to pickup. If we had tried to do the equivalent in Visual Basic it would havebeen more complex. The application might not have functioned orintegrated as we wanted it to and the project would have takenconsiderably longer.”

Says Luke: “We’ve been able to add new features using .NET. Thepostcode lookup facility wasn’t previously available, for example.Before, we used Access to talk to SQL Server and interfaced with thedialler using a Telnet console window and DDE to cut and pastebetween the two. Now we have used Windows sockets to implement a Telnet client into the application itself so that it can talk directly to the dialler.”

Reliable and easy to use The TSR and mortgage applications are critical to The MortgageGroup’s work. People expect to be able to contact the call centrebetween 8am and 9pm or access the web 24x7, so the services needto be supported by reliable technology. Both are easy to use for callcentre staff and the public, respectively.

“We wanted to make the web application as user friendly as possible.There are resources for users, such as frequently asked questions,online help and data validation features. The application also savesinformation automatically, which is incredibly useful. Filling in amortgage application can be a long and tedious process, so theapplication’s auto-save facility ensures that data loss is minimal in theevent of an ISP [Internet service provider] outage,” explains Leversuch-Roberts.

SolutionUsing the Microsoft .NETFramework, the companycreated two applications. Thefirst was to aid call centrestaff and the second was aweb application that enablesusers to apply for mortgagesonline. Both were developed bya small team in a matter ofmonths.

Benefits• Speed of development• Flexibility and ease of use• Investment protection• In-house control of

application direction• Ability to reach more

customers

Software and servicesMicrosoft® .NET FrameworkMicrosoft ASP .NETMicrosoft Visual Studio .NETMicrosoft Exchange 2000Microsoft SQL Server 2000Microsoft Internet InformationServer (IIS) 5.0Microsoft ISA ServerMicrosoft Windows® 2000Microsoft Windows XP

A flexible technology infrastructureLeversuch-Roberts says: “The richness of .NET enables us to do thingsthat we couldn’t have done previously and just move on the generationsof development. We have a much more flexible framework to work inand can implement changes much more quickly, which helps make usreact better to market demands.”

The flexibility of Microsoft .NET has and will enable the company tobuild all sorts of types of application, and it already has many plans forfuture projects.

John Hunter, head of IT, The Mortgage Group, says: “We want to writean insurance application. There are lots of packages out there thatcould help us do this, but most of them are not very responsive. Youcan get tied into them and that leaves you with little flexibility. If webring development in-house, we have that flexibility thanks to .NET.”

Reaching all parts of the organisationAnother benefit of using the .NET Framework was the ease in which theapplications could be deployed across the enterprise. The simplicity of.NET remoting enabled the creation of large, distributed applications,while reducing administration and maintenance for employees.

“It is very exciting when you see an application that would fit on a floppydisk distributed to a directory and just running with zero installation.Before the .NET project we used to have helpdesk staff in the call centrerunning around practically all the time trying to install or solve problems.Now they seem to be sitting down a lot more,” says Hunter.

A business enabler for today and tomorrowUltimately, The Mortgage Group aims to accept 10 per cent of allcustomer application forms through the new online channel. Thecompany is confident that it has the infrastructure to support thisambition. The use of the .NET Framework also ensures that TheMortgage Group can maximise its IT investment as it develops morewebsites and integrates them with back office applications. Thecompany currently has five sites and hopes this figure will eventuallyreach eight.For more information about The Mortgage Group, go to:www.tmgdirect.co.uk

“The richness of.NET enables us todo things that wecouldn’t have donepreviously and justmove on thegenerations ofdevelopment. Wehave a much moreflexible frameworkto work in and canimplement changesmuch more quickly,which helps usreact better tomarket demands.”

COLIN LEVERSUCH-ROBERTSDBATHE MORTGAGE GROUP


BACKGROUNDBrokers and insurers have long realised that delivering an integratedservice holds the key to managing multinational risks successfully,especially when their customers’ overwhelming challenge is co-ordinatinginsurance and loss control programmes across their operations andenterprises worldwide.

London-based Worldwide Broker Network (WBN), the largest globallyintegrated organisation of privately owned insurance brokers, knows thisbetter than most. Since 1998, its network has grown from 23 membersin 18 countries with revenues of $1.8 billion to 40 members in 50countries, with income of $9.5 billion. But with growth has come the needto consolidate the expansion and ensure that the potential of thenetwork’s acquired scale is fully delivered.

Says George Worsley, executive director, WBN: “Our day-to-daybusiness depends on massive collaboration between clients, brokers,leaders, co-insurers, adjusters, and lawyers – the list goes on. So far, theindustry’s only solution has been to convert anything that leaves our frontdoor into a piece of paper. We exchange mountains of paper every day,from which information is extracted by laborious error prone re-keying.And this is ultimately to the detriment of the end-client. Winners need tobe able to embrace this complexity with confidence.”

Studies indicate that these traditional paper-based businessesprocesses add up to 15 per cent in each premium dollar which isequivalent to up to $60 billion per year of waste in the industry globally.Furthermore, this process erodes client service by slowing cycle times oftransactions and increases the risk of errors.

In order to realise the scale benefits of the network’s growth and inorder to improve buy-side and sell-side cross-enterprise processes, WBNturned to Riskclick, a specialist supplier of web services software for therisk management and insurance industry, to implement an advancedcollaborative platform. This initiative focused on meeting the needs of a

Worldwide Broker Network (WBN), the global organisation of privately owned insurance brokers,has upgraded its business platform with the Microsoft .NET Framework. This enables WBN toco-ordinate cross-enterprise commercial insurance transactions more efficiently and to increaserevenue from key producers. Developed by Microsoft partner Riskclick, the platform enablesWBN members to compete more effectively against the largest insurance brokers.

Customer profileWorldwide Broker Network(WBN) is the world’s largestintegrated organisation ofprivately held insurancebrokers, risk management andemployee benefit consultantsworking on an integratedbasis. Its 40 members’ 9,500employees work in 50countries.

Business challengeWBN wanted to improve itsreputation for superlativeservice to multinationalcustomers by consistentlydelivering the full power of itsnetwork to every single client.It needed more efficient andsecure technology to co-ordinate cross-enterprisecommercial insurancetransactions.

Worldwide Broker Network upgrades webservices software to win new business


17

membership made up of leading middle market retail brokers withdivergent IT infrastructures and resources to structure and executecomplex multinational and national insurance transactions. Riskclick alsofaced an additional challenge in that several of the member brokers hadalready invested heavily in IT systems and wanted to maximise the valueof their investments.

SOLUTIONAfter extensive consultation with WBN members in November 2002,Riskclick decided to upgrade the WBN’s global business platform withcollaborative connections based on web services. It now runs onMicrosoft Windows Server 2003, which includes the Microsoft .NETFramework development environment as a native component.

The WBN business platform can use the web services capability withinRiskclick’s .NET-based application to loosely couple with its members’desktops, extranets and back-office systems, making them usable forcross-enterprise insurance and risk management transactions. It leavesWBN members’ existing technology infrastructure in place and uses XMLto wrap around and extend them as web services, so that cross-enterprise transactions among the WBN members, their clients, and theirtrading partners become possible.

Says Daniel Stander, vice-president, Riskclick: “The .NET web servicestechnology eases integration with existing systems, enabling theimporting and exporting of data with a fraction of the effort previouslyrequired. We have also achieved a seamless transition of the previouscore platform to the .NET Framework. Most of the end users only noticedthe change when they experienced the improved performance of theupgraded system.”

Using the .NET Framework, caching and IIS 6 architecture technologies,with Microsoft Windows Server 2003, performance times are now 1.4 totwo times better than before. This improves WBN members’ real-timecollaboration with correspondent brokers, insurance sellers andinsurance buyers.

Says Stander: “Riskclick web service adapters are built to beconfigurable to the unique requirements and processes of each WBNuser, but will nevertheless continue to be interoperable with any otheruser anywhere in the world.”

“As our Californiamember puts it, wenow have ‘analways-on 360degree clientservicing capability.’Where previously aWBN member mighthave spent 30minutes sending afax to all 50members about aproposal, it can nowbe done inseconds.”

GEORGE WORSLEYEXECUTIVE DIRECTORWORLDWIDE BROKERNETWORK


SolutionRiskclick deployed theMicrosoft .NET Framework andMicrosoft Windows Server2003 Enterprise Edition toupgrade WBN’s globalbusiness platform and clientmonitoring system. WBNgained the connectivity of webservices without the enormousrisks and costs of aproprietary system.

Benefits• Competitive tool to win new

business• Enhanced customer

satisfaction and retention• Improved speed of

transactions• Modern image to markets• Enabled brokers to

compete with bigger players

Software and servicesMicrosoft® Windows® Server2003 Enterprise EditionMicrosoft Office XPMicrosoft Windows XPMicrosoft Visual Studio® .NETMicrosoft .NET Framework

Partners Riskclick


The application is intuitively designed and accessible to anyone withbasic PC literacy. Whether structuring a multinational placement, settlingan overseas claim or servicing a global insurance programme, it helpsusers maintain the mass of documentation relating to a transaction inone place, share that information securely with internal and externalparties, and monitor complex cross-enterprise processes.

And the audit trail of documentation associated with a given renewal,endorsement or claim is maintained by the system automatically. Thebroker uses a browser to access the ASP.NET application. This ASP.NETapplication interface then calls a web service that returns links to thedocuments requested. Previously, risk and coverage information wasscattered across the multiple systems of each participant, causingimmense duplication of effort. Now, information is centralised in onesystem and can be uploaded from or downloaded to any businesspartner’s database using a Riskclick web service.

The key factor in achieving this enhanced performance was the .NETFramework within Windows Server 2003. In conjunction with the .NETFramework, Microsoft Visual Studio .NET gave Riskclick a rich platform onwhich to rapidly develop applications for WBN.

BENEFITSFaster cycle times and reduced process costs The upgrade of WBN’s business platform using the .NET Framework hasenabled its members to deliver the full force of their global network in real-time on every client engagement. By using the Riskclick-poweredbusiness application, processing costs are reduced, cycle times areshorter and the returns delivered by brokers to clients rise.

Says Worsley: “As our Californian member puts it, we now have ‘analways-on 360 degree client servicing capability.’ Where previously a WBNmember might have spent 30 minutes sending a fax to all 50 membersabout a proposal, it can now be done in seconds. Having up-to-dateinformation mitigates miscues in managing and executing criticalbusiness functions. Transactions are handled immediately, up-to-dateinformation is constantly available to all members of the extendedbrokerage team and business people managing complex clientassignments are empowered to ‘predict the present’.”

The faster time to market has been accompanied by greater certainty

19

in the business process, but it also enables WBN to function morecohesively as a virtual organisation. Says Stander: “The single mostimportant business benefit is that WBN can now fully leverage thesurrogate scale of the network, enabling it to compete as an integratedglobal player against the owned networks of the mega-brokers.”

Lower cost and risk of acquiring technology WBN’s Executive Office and several of the network’s smaller membersoperate with limited resources and IT budgets. But the Riskclick webservices approach enables insurance brokers in the network to acquiremodern business processes without the enormous costs and risks ofbuilding proprietary software from scratch. And as the network continuesto expand, Riskclick’s business critical software can be delivered on-demand as a utility to new members in new territories.

“No organisation is too small,” says Stander. “The technology isavailable to organisations of all sizes. The Riskclick web servicesapproach means that even companies with few in-house IT resources candeploy sophisticated enterprise applications and participate in advancedcollaboration across a diverse community of counterparties. The coreplatform already exists, is robust, tried and tested.”

Stander says Riskclick’s own development programme has shown thatthe costs of security planning and implementation are reduced by two-thirds using the .NET Framework and Windows Server 2003.

Improved client satisfaction despite increased business complexity WBN brokers are typically visiting at least three more markets for everyrisk compared to the soft market of the late 1990s. In addition, thecomplexity and volume of underwriting information required to bind a riskhas increased significantly following 9/11 and the Andersen and Enroncollapses. And WBN brokers are now on average working alongside fourto five other brokerages to place and service international accounts.

The Riskclick application has afforded WBN the agility needed toembrace this increasing business complexity without compromising theneed for certainty in cross-enterprise financial transactions. Establishingeffective and reliable communication through the .NET implementationhas enhanced WBN customers’ perception of the value and quality of thenetwork’s service. “This in turn has enabled member brokers to receive

“The technology isavailable toorganisations of allsizes. The .NET webservices approachmeans that evencompanies with fewin-house ITresources candeploy applicationsand participate incollaboration.”

DANIEL STANDERPROJECT MANAGER RISKCLICK


For more information about RISKCLICK, go to:www.riskclick.com


21

fees that reflect the value of the responsibilities assumed,” says Worsley.The WBN is convinced that the solution is a key factor in WBN’sincreasing success in competing effectively against the owned networksof the world’s three global brokers. “It drives new account acquisition,increases revenue from key producers and improves client retention andacquisition,” says Worsley. “WBN clients in every country from Australiato Poland feel that they are dealing with a truly global, integrated entitybecause of the speed, accuracy and quality of service delivered by thenetwork via the Riskclick platform.”

Meeting legal requirements and engendering transparencyThe advent of email has compromised the industry’s ability to maintainaccurate records. The slew of recent, high profile errors and omissionsclaims against major brokers bares testament to the severity of thisissue. As a result, the insured, fearing that brokers or insurers are unableto reconstitute a given transaction – along with all the relevantdocumentation – when a claim arises, want assurance that they have thecover they thought they were buying.

Says Stander: “The .NET-based Riskclick application suite enablesWBN brokers to collect data from disparate systems, manage complexmulti-party interaction and still enforce a non-reputable cross-enterpriseaudit trail. Because the application suite components are modular andinter-connected with standardised web service interfaces, additionalfunctionality can be added quickly and easily when the scope oflegislation for record keeping in the commercial insurance industry isextended in local markets.”

The deployment of sophisticated new technologies is at the heart ofWBN’s growing reputation and success. WBN’s salience in the globalindustry has recently been recognised through the 2003 Financial SectorTechnology awards when WBN won the award for ‘Data ManagementStrategy of the Year’ for the development of its Global Business Platformand Client Monitoring system. These technologies are differentiating thenetwork in the eyes of its key insurers too. With a platform that embracesthe .NET Framework, WBN members are future-proofed for emergingindustry applications and interoperability with the on-going technologyinitiatives of their leading insurers. For more information about WBN, go to: www.wbnglobal.com

BACKGROUNDSince the first video games consoles of the 1970s, the video gamesindustry has grown to become one of the largest entertainment marketsin the world, rivalling cinema and music. Today, new games are launchedon the back of multi-million budgets and are anticipated with the sameenthusiasm as blockbuster movies and best selling CDs.

A multitude of websites now cater for video game enthusiasts andtypically fall into one of two categories, offering either reviews or onlinepurchasing. GAME.uk.com combines both services. Relaunched in April2003, it has a transactional website that offers news and reviews of thelatest games and a secure online ordering service that delivers the latestreleases to customers as soon as they become available.

The new website is an update of an earlier GAME.uk.com service – athird-party application based on out-of-date technologies, which left a lotto be desired. Says Tony Gorman, lead web developer, GAME.uk.com:“Our original site was unmanageable, slow and extremely inflexible. Videogamers are a demanding audience and they won’t put up with mediocreservice or ropey technology.” Gorman had a clear vision of what hewanted the new site to deliver. “We had to take the existing e-commerceplatform and write it from scratch,” he says. “Above all, we had to expandthe services available to customers.”

The new site also had to be easy to manage and update because newgames releases appear by the dozen every week. It also had to cope withsix million hits and 250,000 unique visitors a week. “Cost was an issue,”says Gorman. “This is a fast-moving, highly-competitive marketplace. Wewere looking for a development environment that would reduce developertime and the overall management costs of the site.”

SOLUTIONGAME.uk.com opted for the Microsoft .NET Framework and its ASP .NETweb-server technology. Microsoft Visual Studio .NET was used as the

Using the Microsoft .NET Framework, GAME.uk.com has rewritten its old e-commerce site fromscratch. Development and launch took just nine months and customers now benefit from a farricher online experience with new releases and special offers updated daily. The company itselfhas dramatically reduced the management costs of its online service and increased the numberof hits and customer transactions significantly.

Customer profileGAME.uk.com is a division ofThe GAME Group PLC,Europe’s leading specialistretailer of computer softwareand video games with 500stores.

Business challengeGAME.uk.com wanted a newwebsite that was fast and easyto manage, and which wouldsupport excellent e-commercefunctionality and a range ofpromotions and additionalcontent.

SolutionA website built on theMicrosoft .NET Frameworkusing the Microsoft VisualBasic .NET programminglanguage and Microsoft VisualStudio .NET developer tool.

GAME launches new website in just nine months

Microsoft. NET customer solutionRETAIL SERVICES

23

development environment. “We wanted a tool that could be quicklyadopted by our developers,” says Gorman. “Time to market was essentialwith a host of best sellers hitting the shelves in 2003, including the newTomb Raider game.” Working with a team of between three and sixdevelopers, the company used Microsoft Visual Studio .NET with itssupport for the Microsoft Visual Basic .NET programming language tobuild three main components in the new system. These are:

• Rich client applications used to manage the product catalogue anddiscount system, as well as the content, stock and price feeds

• Web applications using web forms for the user interface • Web servicesTo develop the solution, GAME.uk.com developers moved to Visual

Basic .NET, which enables fast, easy code creation. “Learning a newlanguage can be a challenge, but we found Visual Basic .NET to be veryuser friendly. After jumping in at the deep end and using a few referencebooks where necessary, we soon got up to speed.”

The site’s commerce functionality, which is based on a Microsoft SQLServer 2000 database, was delivered in July 2002. Editorial content andproduct information was then delivered alongside sales and discountsdata and the site went live in April 2003.

GAME.uk.com developers are working on an ongoing basis to furtherenhance the services currently available. Future projects will include aredesign of the site’s look and feel to be completed before the Christmasrush. Localised sites will also be created to serve customers across allof GAME.com’s European businesses and a range of new productpromotions will be launched to further increase sales. Finally,GAME.uk.com developers have written a web service that enables usersto sign up to the company’s membership system via alternative sites.This will potentially increase sales and drive additional traffic to the site.

BENEFITS Reduced cost and development timesThe .NET Framework enabled GAME.uk.com to build and launch a highlysophisticated transactional website in just nine months. Says Gorman:“The developers moved quickly and easily into the new environment andwere soon at home with Visual Studio .NET. The .NET Framework takesthe concept of rapid application development to new levels.”

“The developersmoved quickly andeasily into the newenvironment andwere soon at homewith Visual Studio.NET. Developmenttime was alsoreduced becausethe .NET Frameworktakes the conceptof rapid applicationdevelopment to newlevels.”

TONY GORMANLEAD WEB DEVELOPERGAME.UK.COM

Retail services24


25

Minimal training requiredAnother key strength of GAME.uk.com’s website is that it is extremelyeasy to use for the 20 internal users who manage the site, monitortransactions and update information. “The user interfaces are clear andeasy to use. Time and cost of training has been dramatically reduced andbecause we were working with end-users from the start, it was possibleto incorporate their feedback into the final system,” says Gorman.

Performance and scalabilityThe company now has a system that is not only powerful enough to copewith six million hits per week, but also has the capacity and scalability togrow to meet future demand. “If a new release goes online, you can besure that you will have sudden spikes in the number of hits andtransactions. The new site can handle these variations in demand andhelps us meet our customer service guarantees, delivering new orderswithin a given timeframe,” says Gorman.

Better customer serviceGAME.uk.com customers also benefit from a more engaging onlineexperience. Because the site can be updated quickly and easily, in mostcases a visitor returning to the site will see new information, reviews andspecial offers, for example. They can also subscribe to an e-mailnewsletter that brings the latest releases and offers to their inbox. SaysGorman: “We are working in the entertainment industry so everycustomer communication channel must be entertaining. With the newsite, we can widen the customer experience and add and changeinformation at will.”

Building for the futureThe flexibility of the new site architecture means that GAME.uk.com canmove into new markets, and add new product ranges at short notice. Atthe moment the site also sells DVDs and accessories. “In short, we cancross-sell quite easily, looking for product connections – a film, soundtrackand game tie-in, for example. But the most important thing of all is that weare now much more agile – capable of responding to changes in themarket, competitor offerings and customer behaviour at lightning speed.”For more information about GAME.uk.com, go to: www.game.uk.com

Benefits• Reduced cost and speed of

development• Minimal training required• Performance and scalability• Better customer service• Building for the future

Software and servicesMicrosoft® .NET FrameworkMicrosoft Visual Studio® .NETMicrosoft Visual Basic® .NETMicrosoft SQL Server™ 2000

BACKGROUNDMany patients and carers are unaware that they can gain access toindividual NHS medical records. Thousands of sufferers from commondiseases – such as asthma, diabetes or high blood pressure – wouldbenefit from taking more control of their own personal health. Carers ofindividuals suffering from mental health problems or learning difficultiescould also benefit from specialist advice, regular monitoring informationand reminders.

Additionally, the NHS has a major agenda to move non-essential patientenquiries away from frontline healthcare professionals and to promotepatient compliance with GP advice.

The two practicing GPs, Dr Simon Berrisford and Dr John Bibby, whofounded PMA have created the world’s first online service that takesmedical records and offers individuals personalised medical advice 24hours-a-day seven days-a-week. It is delivered through an online portal byemail, text message, or digital TV, for a monthly subscription. PMAachieves this by linking to the medical records of each member, sourcedfrom their own GP and NHS records, and taps into a database of bestpractices and rules used by UK healthcare professionals.

The solution needed to be robust enough to rapidly and accurately updatecomplex rules in a computerised knowledge base of over 500,000 potentialmedical problems and diseases. Geoff Gudgion, chief executive, Quantiv,says: “As a service used by High Street customers or by patients withspecific conditions, PMA needed a single rules base centrally maintained byhealthcare professionals, but available in a multiplicity of places.”

PMA spent two years preparing for the launch but a few months agoconcluded that the original specification to develop the solution usingLinux was too costly and slow. Even worse, it was unlikely to be robustenough to cope with expected demand for the service. Gudgion says:“Using this system PMA would have had to implement up to 15 differentpackages and integrate them securely.”

“By using .NET itwas much morestraightforward tointegrate existingsystems than itwould have beenwith Linux becauseof .NET’s nativesupport for webservices.”

GEOFF GUDGIONCHIEF EXECUTIVEQUANTIV

Retail services26

Personal Medical Advisor (PMA) in the UK is the only subscription service in the world offeringpersonalised medical advice to its members from individual patient records. Microsoft ISVpartner, Quantiv devised a new web services-based solution built on the Microsoft .NETFramework and Quantiv’s own ‘Business Engine’ product to provide complex medical informationto other communication channels in a scalable and secure way.

Personal Medical Advisor puts the patientin control

Time pressures were also mounting. The project needed to go livequickly to meet the expected demand for the service, but it also had tomeet the official requirements of the NHS National Programme for IT.

SOLUTIONQuantiv, an independent software vendor, proposed a highly scalable andsecure web services-based solution for PMA, using Quantiv’s ‘BusinessEngine’ product, Microsoft Windows Server 2000 and the .NETFramework. Subscribers to PMA, who can be patients or carers, log ontothe service using a secure password. They can then access their medicalrecords, input information to help them manage their conditions and printout charts analysing how trends are developing, for example withreadings from blood pressure monitors or peak flow meters forasthmatics. No special medical knowledge is required because thesoftware interprets lay language into the correct medical terms. Theinterfaces are web-based using ASP.NET.

PMA found that the Quantiv and .NET solution was also much easier todevelop than it would have been with Linux. It used fewer developers andoffered improved reliability and performance, as well as security andscalability. “PMA coded the system in the same way as the NHS, for300,000 diseases and allergies,” says Gudgion. “Using Quantiv and .NETthey only needed 15 per cent of the code that would have been otherwisenecessary. Because of. NET’s native support for web services, we wereable to develop the whole application in 13 weeks and keep the projectto schedule.”

Quantiv found that the ability to reuse code in .NET was a greatadvantage and a major factor in the rapid time to market. Says Gudgion:“What makes the solution unique is the way web services operate in a.NET Framework environment. Because of the way it’s set up the systemis active rather than passive. It operates 24 hours-a-day seven days-a-week, sending out advice to patients, while they are asleep, on screeningand testing.” The .NET Framework also minimises conflicts betweenapplications by helping incompatible software components to co-exist.

Over the two years that PMA took to prepare for the launch, it becameapparent that, in addition to individual members, the service was ofinterest to institutions, including a private hospital and mental healthsupport groups. “Using .NET PMA we were confident about the ability tointegrate the service with other systems in a secure way,” says Gudgion.

Customer profileUK-based Personal MedicalAdvisor (PMA) is the firstonline service in the world thattakes individuals’ medicalrecords and providespersonalised medical advicebased on them 24 hours-a-dayseven days-a-week.

Business challengePMA needed an enterpriseapplication that could providecomplex information to anyother communications devicein a secure and reliable way.PMA had been underdevelopment for two years andwanted a solution in line withNHS standards within 13weeks.

SolutionAn intelligent online health andmedical monitoring system,using patients’ own NHSrecords, as supplied by theirGPs, was made possible byQuantiv using web-basedservices, the Quantiv‘Business Engine’, and theMicrosoft .NET Framework.


27

With the .NET Framework, an application can be changed into a webservice with just one simple line of code. The .NET Framework alsoenabled PMA to ‘slice and dice’ the service for institutions that may wantthe ability to manage part of a patient’s medical record, but not the rest.

In addition to the productivity gains achieved using Quantiv and the.NET Framework, the solution also gave PMA an ideal fit with other layersof the business, including auditing, customer relationship management(CRM) and the Microsoft SQL Server database. “Both Quantiv and the.NET Framework cope easily with layers of complexity and this bonus is inaddition to the speed and productivity,” says Gudgion.

BENEFITSPatients gain control of recordsPMA says it has produced a system with the best technology in the worlddesigned to give patients control over their own medical records and theability to manage their own healthcare. Frequent travellers can accessrecords when they are away from home.

Dr Simon Berrisford, managing director, PMA, says: “This couldbecome a matter of life or death if an emergency happens when someoneis away on business or holiday. The lack of familiarity with your medicalhistory could delay or compromise treatment. With the power of Quantivand the .NET Framework behind it, PMA is available 24/7.”

GPs meet NHS standards for careThe .NET Framework gives PMA’s doctors the tools with which to meet thedemanding standards of the NHS. They are able to re-specify complexrules for healthcare, without the intervention of third-party IT specialists,and maintain an accurate and comprehensive online personalisedmedical advice service on a 24/7 basis.

Dr Berrisford says: “PMA is particularly useful in the management ofchronic conditions such as diabetes, asthma or high blood pressure byproviding specialist step-by-step recommendations that guide users to theappropriate tests, products and specialist advice.”By helping patients tomonitor their own conditions, PMA is supporting the NHS agenda to freeGPs from routine work. “The rules have to be medically correct andaccurately and ethically dispensed,” says Dr Berrisford. “If the technologywasn’t right we wouldn’t be able to put our names to it.”

“The rules have tobe medically correctand accurately andethically dispensed.If the technologywasn’t right wewouldn’t be able toput our names toit.”

DR SIMON BERRISFORDMANAGING DIRECTORPERSONAL MEDICALADVISOR

Retail services28

For more information aboutQUANTIV, go to:www.quantiv.com

Benefits• Built in 13 weeks in line

with budget• Doctors can write new rules

and updates themselves• Integrates with other

applications• Total reliability – lives are at

stake• Patient confidentiality

ensured• Flexible for future growth in

demand

Software and servicesMicrosoft® .NET FrameworkMicrosoft Exchange Server2000Microsoft SQL Server™ 2000Microsoft Windows® 2000ProfessionalMicrosoft Windows 2000ServerMicrosoft Windows 2000Advanced ServerMicrosoft Windows XPMicrosoft Office XP

PartnerQuantiv


29

Multi-channel communication for patientsThe .NET Framework enables the PMA service to be delivered through anonline portal, www.personalmedicaladvisor.co.uk, via text message anddigital TV for a monthly subscription fee. Gudgion says: “One of ourtechnologies is SMS, or text messaging, which is an extremely affordableand accessible channel of communication. This means that potentiallythe service is available to everyone.”

Confidentiality of medical recordsConfidentiality of medical records is ensured by the .NET Framework. “Thecode access security technology in the .NET Framework was designedspecifically for today’s Internet environments,” says Gudgion. “Additionallayers of security were then implemented within the Quantiv application.”The .NET Framework can collect evidence about the origin and author ofan application. Its run-time environment can then combine that evidencewith administrator-set or default security policies to make fine-graineddecisions about whether to run that application or enable it to access aparticular resource.

Dr Berrisford says: “Rest assured that your medical details are yoursand yours alone. Even your family members cannot see your medicaldetails without your consent.”

Flexible for future growthUsing the .NET Framework, Quantiv has ensured that PMA has a flexiblebut scalable solution that can grow with the business. Not only is PMAable to re-specify rules quickly and easily as new treatments arediscovered, but the system integrates easily with a wide range of potentialcustomers. PMA has now launched and the demand for the service isgrowing rapidly.

Dr Berrisford says: “There is strong interest from retail pharmacies andprivate health providers, including a clinic specialising in helping patientsto control their weight and regulate their diet. So, in addition tomembership subscriptions from the public, we are negotiating withcorporates and membership organisations who may want to use ourproduct and rebrand it.” For more information about Personal Medical Advisor, go to:www.personalmedicaladvisor.co.uk

BACKGROUNDRAW Communications delivers real-time investor relations information tothe desktop. From the acquisition of video, analysis, indexation,packaging and distribution, RAW focuses on delivering high-value video-based information within the investor relations space for buy-side, sell-side, and corporate clients.

The original RAW platform strove to bring high quality video reliably toclient desktops in over 70 institutions worldwide and was delivered via aprivate broadband satellite network or dedicated circuit. This was laterdiversified to include web-based streaming with the introduction of anInternet based site for content access and data feeds to supportpartners. In 2002, RAW recognised that its existing content deliverymechanisms were preventing the company from efficiently delivering thebest possible service to customers. Consequently, it began to exploreother content delivery options.

Eiren O’Keeffe, director of operations and development, RAWCommunications, says: “We were using an infrastructure based onproprietary technologies, as well as a website developed on Oracle, Java,and Solaris. The system wasn’t performing well as third partiesdeveloped, hosted, and managed the technology platform for us. If wewanted to make any changes to the platform or archive we had to pay thethird-party company to do it for us, due to the inflexibility and complexityof the system. We did not have the specialist skills to do this in-house.

“This presented many barriers for RAW Communications. The oldsystem was expensive, and the changes didn’t happen fast enough tomeet the demands of a broadcast business. It had limited scalability, wasdifficult to integrate with other systems, and had a limited life span.”

Early in 2002 RAW decided to move to a new technology platform. Thekey goals of development were to replace the ailing foundation for thedelivery of content via the private broadband network, reduce theimplementation overhead, reduce the bandwidth required to deliver

RAW Communications has reduced its annual operation and delivery costs by 87 per cent bymigrating to Microsoft Windows Server 2003 and the Microsoft .NET Framework. Beforeimplementing the Microsoft solution, RAW’s computing environment was based on a proprietaryarchitecture and an Oracle/Java/Solaris platform that was developed and managed by thirdparties. This proved to be expensive and inflexible for RAW to maintain.

Customer profileRAW Communicationsbroadcasts live corporateresults, strategy briefings,sector analysis, brokerresearch and buy, sell, or holdrecommendations. Its clientsinclude 70 per cent of the tierone European financialinstitutions.

Business challengeRAW wanted to implement amore flexible technologyinfrastructure that would helpto speed up delivery ofinformation to their customers,while reducing themanagement and cost of thesystem.

Global financial broadcaster cuts costs bymoving to Microsoft Windows Server 2003

Microsoft. NET customer solutionENTERTAINMENT AND MEDIA

31

content (while still retaining equivalent quality), provide new features, andprovide a more flexible and dynamic business platform.

SOLUTIONInitially, RAW reviewed off-the-shelf solutions, assorted broadcast,database and development technologies before deciding to move awayfrom its proprietary delivery system to standardise on an end-to-endMicrosoft Windows solution.

The company worked with Microsoft Consulting Services (MCS) andmigrated RAW’s internal infrastructure to Microsoft Windows Server2003. Developers used Microsoft Visual Studio .NET and Microsoft C#,based on the Microsoft .NET Framework, to implement Microsoft WindowsMedia Services and Microsoft SQL Server 2000.

The .NET Framework is a standards-based development environmentthat enables programmers to build and deploy applications, smart clientapplications, and web services based on XML. These applications andservices are transferred over a network using standard protocolsincluding SOAP, XML and HTTP, which enable the data to be shared overthe Internet.

O’Keeffe says: “The .NET Framework was the only way we could get thesystem developed and deployed in such a tight timeframe. It really was ano win situation for any other platform. We were very impressed by theease of use and functionality of Visual Studio .NET. RAW developers copiedand pasted objects from pre-built libraries of code knowing they would runin other parts of the solution as well as rapidly developing objects andlibraries specific to our needs. This cut development time and increasedaccuracy. By using C# to comply with the .NET Framework, our team ofthree developers rapidly created solutions to meet our business goals.”

Following the success of the internal migration, RAW decided to movethe hosting and development of the broadcasting system in-house. AbBanerjee, CEO, RAW Communications, says: “Our internal customers –business and IT users – were so impressed by the increased availabilityand stability of the Windows Server 2003 platform that we decided tomove our Internet platform in-house to a new .NET based architecture.”

RAW had considered using a Linux-based platform, but felt thatMicrosoft technology could meet its business needs more closely.O’Keeffe explains: “We needed to build a business application fast, not

“The .NETFramework was theonly way we couldget the systemdeveloped anddeployed in such atight timeframe. Itreally was a no winsituation for anyother platform.”

EIREN O’KEEFFEDIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS& DEVELOPMENTRAW COMMUNICATIONS

Entertainment and media32

Microsoft. NET Customer SolutionENTERTAINMENT AND MEDIA

33

hang around playing with source code. It would have taken us too long towrite an application from scratch in Linux as it didn’t have thedevelopment tools offered by Visual Studio .NET, the wealth offunctionality afforded by Windows Server 2003 or the media capabilitiespresented by Windows Media 9 Series.

“More importantly with Microsoft we know there’s always someone wecan call who will help us to resolve any issues. Microsoft supported usthroughout the initial developments and continues to do so to this day,from providing advice on how best to take advantage of new technologiesto giving specific recommendations on approach.”

RAW used Visual Studio .NET and C# to build applications on WindowsServer 2003. Windows MediaTM Services 9 Series, which is built-in toWindows Server 2003, was used for broadcasting video clips andpresenting them to end users. By June 2002, RAW had developed aprototype for the private broadband distribution of content and by August2002 launched the service to 70 customers.

Windows Server 2003 handles a diverse set of centralised ordistributed server roles. These include operating a streaming mediaserver, file and print server, and mail server, enabling organisations todistribute streaming audio and video solutions over corporate intranetsand the Internet. Windows Media Services offers broadcasters a host offeatures. They can dynamically change content on air by changing theorder of clips, inserting new clips, or using ads through server-side playlists, for example, as well as sending video on demand.

RAW customers are now accessing streaming media corporate results,analyst comments and recommendations at their desktops simply byusing a PC and web browser. They are also accessing historical contentusing Windows Server 2003 as RAW rapidly created a dynamic website tostore clips. Instead of having to watch live video and audio clips,customers are replaying them at their own convenience.

O’Keeffe says: “The video clip information library is held on a SQLServer database, which offers improved search facilities for customersand speed of response. Our customers are making faster, more detailedsearches of video clips on the website and the solution can also beintegrated with Microsoft Office XP using Smart Tags.

“Since bringing the broadcasting system in-house, we have reduced oursystems management overhead as we no longer have to pay a third party

SolutionRAW migrated from anOracle/Java/Solarisinfrastructure to a solutionbased entirely on Microsofttechnology. In addition,Microsoft Media Services,built-in to Microsoft WindowsServer 2003, is used to offerstreamed media video clipsand a website, as well asdelivery by satellite to externalcustomers.

Benefits• Reduced average annual

costs for operations anddelivery by 87 per cent

• Reduced installation costsby over 50 per cent

• Increased product deliverymechanisms leading toincreased flexibility

• Speed to market bydeveloping on Microsoft.NET Framework

to manage the broadcasting technology. In addition, it is so easy to usethat it has freed people’s time to concentrate on strategic issues.”

In future, RAW plans to use SQL Notification Services to improve itsalerts service to customers by offering emails or text messages viamobile devices if video clips based on their preferences are scheduled forbroadcast. O’Keeffe says: “Using SQL Notification Services provides uswith an out of the box solution to notify our users of content easily, whilestill providing a high degree of granularity in managing what users arenotified about, when, where and how.”

BENEFITSReduced total cost of ownership Since bringing the broadcasting solution in-house, RAW has made vastcost savings. In the two years prior to the implementation, it paid thirdparty organisations more than £2m to develop and manage thebroadcasting system. In 2002 and 2003, it will spend only £217,000 ondevelopment and management of the solution in-house.

RAW has also reduced the cost of delivering broadcasts by nearly halfand saved nearly $1m on network costs. This is despite using only 50 percent of its original bandwidth and delivering even more content.

The company has also reduced the cost of setting customers up on thesystem. In the past, IT staff had to go out and manually configure theuser’s network and PC and install a network card along with proprietaryprotocols. Now all that’s required is Internet Explorer and Windows MediaPlayer. This has brought down the cost of setting up a typical installationfor 20 users by over 50 per cent, from £34,700 to £15,500.

O’Keeffe is delighted about bringing development in-house using VisualStudio .NET and Windows Server 2003. He says: “This has enabled us toreduce costs and dramatically increase the speed of delivering newfunctionality and services.”

Increased channels of delivery The new platform enables RAW to deliver its service through two newchannels, as well as continuing to offer broadcasts via satellite andcircuit. RAWfinancial/BROADBAND delivers video via a private network toa company’s in-house servers while RAWfinancial.com streams live videoclips direct to customers using a web browser and PC at their desktops.

Entertainment and media34

“With the oldarchitecture, wecould only delivervia satellite or aprivate circuit toservers in acompany’s office.Now we can deliverinformation overvirtually anyavailable IPchannels – privatecircuit, satellite,Internet, 3G andwhatever may comenext.”

EIREN O’KEEFFEDIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS& DEVELOPMENTRAW COMMUNICATIONS

Microsoft. NET customer solutionENTERTAINMENT AND MEDIA

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The service also enables customers to access a SQL Server-basedarchive holding video clip information so that they can play back themback at their convenience.

O’Keeffe says: “With the old architecture, we could only deliver viasatellite or a private circuit to servers in a company’s office. Now we candeliver information over virtually any available IP channels – private circuit,satellite, Internet, 3G and whatever may come next.”

The solution has enabled RAW to increase its product offerings andtailor the delivery method for different customers. “Oppenheimer Fundswanted the RAW solution to be integrated into its own internal portal usingWeb Services, for example. Using .NET, the IT team successfullydeveloped, tested, and implemented the solution in less than a week,”says O’Keeffe.

Ease of use through ‘out-of-the-box’ implementationThe RAW solution is deployed at top-tier financial institutions throughoutthe world and has to be easy to implement, scalable, reliable and easilymanaged. O’Keeffe says: “Using Windows Media 9 Series technologiesto deliver video content, we delivered a dramatically improved userexperience while eliminating implementation headaches. In the past, wehad to account for the overhead costs of delivering video via mandatoryoverlay networks as well as using proprietary cards and protocols. Now,any customer can use the system at the desktop ‘out of the box’.”

Reduced management costs By using the Microsoft .NET Framework and an infrastructure basedentirely on Microsoft Windows Server 2003, RAW is managing thesolution in-house. And as the applications have been developed in adisciplined development environment, they are less prone to errors.

O’Keeffe says: “We used Microsoft Windows Server 2003 in betaformat and worked with beta code. But we were impressed by itsaccuracy, reliability and the high degree of support we received from MCS,which was exceptional. We now have a consistent platform that we aremanaging ourselves, rather than having to pay a third party. This will havea phenomenal effect on our finances.” For more information about RAW Communications, go to:www.rawcommunications.com

Software and ServicesMicrosoft® Windows® Server2003Microsoft .NET FrameworkMicrosoft Office XPMicrosoft SQL Server™ 2000Microsoft Visual Studio® .NET Microsoft Media Services

Partner Microsoft Consulting Services

BACKGROUNDGlobal pharmaceutical companies serve a range of customers fromoffices all over the world. To provide all the latest information on productsand services, they increasingly need to create websites that arespecifically tailored to the needs of their customers.

Delivering the right range of high-quality, customised sites acrossglobal subsidiaries was the challenge faced by leading pharmaceuticalcompany AstraZeneca, a member of the Fortune 500 and FTSE 100. Theorganisation employs more than 58,000 employees and serves a rangeof healthcare professionals including primary care doctors, consultantsand nurses, as well as patients and their carers. In addition, AstraZenecaneeds to provide investors, analysts and shareholders with a range of up-to-the minute corporate information.

To serve its audiences effectively, AstraZeneca has built a webframework of specialised websites for each audience group. The sites arebranded appropriately for the intended audience (for example, healthcareprofessional, patient or journalist) and specifically according to theregulatory requirements of each country and region, including Europe’s15 member states.

The task of providing online information is complicated further byfactors such as varying language requirements based on customers’nationality and local needs. Kay Wesley, web framework businesssponsor, AstraZeneca, says: “AstraZeneca faced a raft of challengeswhen it came to delivering leading web-based services. There was a clearneed to reduce costs and more effectively meet customers’ needscompared with how we had built websites before.”

Wesley says: “Traditionally, our web presence has been a huge cost formarketers. Not only were we dependent on medical communicationsagencies to build and maintain the sites. We also experienced delays inuploading new content to the site or amending existing pages. Overall, wewere spending just 40 per cent of our online budget on content and 10

AstraZeneca has implemented a Microsoft-powered web platform to support all of its regionaland global websites. The solution has been built using the Microsoft .NET Framework, enabling itto develop and deploy its own sites quickly and easily and to ensure the consistency of userexperience. Where the company previously used 40 per cent of its budget for each local site ontechnology, it now spends next to nothing because sites are built on a common infrastructure.

Customer profileAstraZeneca is one of theworld’s leading pharmaceuticalcompanies. It providesinnovative, effective medicinesdesigned to fight disease inimportant areas of medicalneed.

Business challengeAstraZeneca needed a way toroll out and manage corporateand regional websites quicklyand effectively, instead ofemploying a range of disparatesystems.

SolutionA web platform built on theMicrosoft .NET Frameworkusing Microsoft Visual Studio.NET and Microsoft SQLServer.

Leading pharmaceutical companyenhances its global web presence

Microsoft. NET customer solutionINDUSTRY

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per cent on promoting the sites. The remaining 50 per cent was beingspent on technology infrastructure as well as on developing new sitesfrom scratch every time. The web framework has given marketers the opportunity to focus their resource where it is most effective – on web content and promotion of the web-based services that support their brands.”

As well as the challenges of reducing costs, AstraZeneca took thedecision to build best practice in design and usability into the webframework. Simon Quayle, global e-communications manager,AstraZeneca, said: “We wanted to offer a significantly improved userexperience than we had previously. This meant that we had to fix some elements of the design to ensure a level of consistency. It’srather like offering a template onto which a marketer can paint anappropriate brand.”

Quayle says: “We needed a solution that would help us to offer bothconsistency of usability and flexibility of both branding and customisation.The web framework has allowed us to do exactly this and meet the needsof all of our customer groups without compromising the user experience.”

SOLUTIONAstraZeneca engaged solution provider and Microsoft partner Sentient tohelp revolutionise its web strategy. Using their Assisted Evolution projectapproach, Sentient helped create a new platform to support a standardapproach for website development and deployment. This includes a rangeof features, such as a WYSIWYG page editor, form builder, single sign-onsecurity and search facility, which enable business managers to createsites from scratch quickly and easily.

Jonathan Greensted, managing director, Sentient, says: “The solutionwe created with AstraZeneca enables us to take a completelystandardised approach to rolling out new sites. It ensures that usabilityguidelines are always met, while enabling the company to customise sitesaccording to the country they operate in.”

The solution, which was built using the Microsoft .NET Framework,Microsoft Visual Studio .NET and Microsoft SQL Server, uses a single setof code that recognises the specific page that a user is requesting on asite. The code then understands, for example, if a user requires pages ina particular language or whether they are accessing a site using a mobile

“This solution hasdramaticallyreduced thetechnology cost ofwebsites allowingmanagers to divertmore budget tobringing the bestquality onlineinformation tohealthcareprofessionals,patients, investors,analysts andjournalists.”

KAY WESLEY WEB FRAMEWORKSPONSOR ASTRAZENECA

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device or workstation. The solution is then able to provide the rightinformation to users at the right time in the right format.

Mike Hewitson, web framework program manager, AstraZeneca, says:“We have created a set of tools and components within a framework thatfacilitate easy and rapid deployment of websites. In other words, it is aframework where sites are supported on a common infrastructure, butwhere AstraZeneca can customise its sites in line with highly-specificlocal requirements.”

The solution provides a standard approach to site development,ensuring a consistent look and feel. Each page across all sites is orderedwith navigation on the left-hand side. Meanwhile, content is located in thecentre column and context relevant information and capabilities, such assearch and related links, on the right side of the page. As well as helpingusers become familiar with sites across AstraZeneca quickly and easily,this structure also makes it easier for business managers to update thesite and add new content.

The website platform includes advanced tools such as a form builder,which can construct questionnaires or forms for a range of businessfunctions. It also includes a links component that helps users set up linksthrough to other related sites either within the AstraZeneca network ofwebsites or to third parties. The functionality that enables this is alsobuilt into the web framework as a standard feature, ensuring thisrequirement is met at all times.

The solution also manages site construction centrally. This means thatinstead of defining all the local requirements for each individual site, itapplies a global standard and then website owners use the administrationtools to meet the demands of local users and regulatory legislation.

Website managers can switch to edit mode to change the site orupload new content there and then in full WYSIWIG. This editing facilitywithin the web framework has allowed AstraZeneca to empower websiteowners to make changes themselves and to reduce their dependence onthird parties.

BENEFITSRapid solution developmentUsing the Microsoft .NET Framework and Visual Studio .NET, theAstraZeneca team and Sentient were able to roll out the AstraZeneca web

Benefits• Rapid solution development• Fast, simple site

development• Built-in usability• Control over costs• Putting local marketing

managers in the drivingseat

• Meeting global brandingguidelines

• Support for multiplelanguages

• Compliance with regulatorylegislation

• Flexibility to offer mobileaccess

• Built-in search engineoptimisation

• Ensuring online quality

Software and servicesMicrosoft® .NET FrameworkMicrosoft SQL Server™ 2000Microsoft Visual Studio® .NET

Partners Sentient

framework extremely rapidly. Microsoft Intellisense was used to helpdevelopers confirm the syntax of code as it was being written allowingthem to focus on the bigger picture of solving development issues in themost simple and elegant way possible.

Greensted says: “Intellisense is extremely underrated. Above all, itallows developers to look at the bigger picture without having to expendall their energy remembering the .NET Framework classes or parametersof every method call. We also found that the class libraries in theMicrosoft .NET Framework cut down the amount of coding we had to domanually, reducing errors and speeding time to market.”

Now, AstraZeneca can deploy highly customised sites quickly with over15 already migrated to or built in the web framework and almost 50planned before the end of 2003.

Control over costsInstead of spending just 40 per cent of online budget on content, 10 percent on promotions and 50 per cent on technology, AstraZeneca’s localmarketing managers are now spending almost nothing on infrastructureto support their online portals. This is because all new sites aredeveloped and hosted on a centralised technology infrastructure that isalready in place.

Wesley says: “This solution has dramatically reduced the technologycost of websites allowing managers to divert more budget to bringing thebest quality online information to healthcare professionals, patients,investors, analysts and journalists.”

Putting local marketing managers in the driving seatRather than using agencies to build, host, and manage sites, the newsolution empowers AstraZeneca to take full control of its onlinestrategy. As well as simplifying site development, it also puts contentback into the hands of business managers, enabling sites to beupdated more regularly.

Wesley says: “As well as ensuring the best possible site content, theability of business managers to manage the sites saves budget that waspreviously spent with agencies. The final benefit of site owners managingtheir own content is that sites can be edited and refreshed very quicklywith up-to-the-minute information.”

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“The solution wecreated withAstraZenecaenables us to take acompletelystandardisedapproach to rollingout new sites. Itensures thatusability guidelinesare always met,while enabling thecompany tocustomise sitesaccording to thecountry theyoperate in.”

JONATHAN GREENSTEDMANAGING DIRECTORSENTIENT

For more information aboutSENTIENT go to:www.Sentient.co.uk.


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Meeting user experience guidelinesThe AstraZeneca web framework platform incorporates a set of guidelinesto ensure consistent usability across all regional and global sites. Thisensures that the company’s image is as strong as possible and thatusers can find their way around all websites, irrespective of whether theyhave visited before.

Greensted says: “Design guidelines are built into the web framework.Because all sites are now developed in the same, standardised way, it ismuch easier to follow the in-built style guide than ignore it. This makes itsimple for local marketing managers to apply effective branding to thesites they create.”

Quayle says: “We have a semi-fixed template design that allows usto apply appropriate branding to a website without compromisingusability.”

Support for multiple languagesMicrosoft .NET Framework allows AstraZeneca to support any number oflanguages to enable the straightforward development of local sitesacross the globe. As a result, the company is free to expand its webpresence into new markets and geographical areas without anyrequirement for customised coding.

Wesley says: “For a global enterprise such as AstraZeneca, itsimportant that we can effectively meet local needs. We need the flexibilityto accommodate non-western languages such as Arabic, where lines ofscript are read from right to left. We also have built-in support for double-byte characters such as those used in the Japanese and Chineselanguages, as well as for a host of other languages.”

Compliance with regulatory legislationThe solution is designed to make site customisation easy. As a result,AstraZeneca can ensure compliance with local regulatory legislation. Inaddition, the solution includes clear copyright notices, privacy statementsand information on conditions of use for legal compliance.

Flexibility to offer mobile accessThe AstraZeneca web framework will be used to support mobile accessto online information in the future. The company is also investigating the

possibility of applications for healthcare professionals using mobiledevices. Hewitson says: “Although many of these ideas are complicatedby various regulatory or legal issues, especially in Europe, our platformgives us a flexible means of supporting mobile solutions in the future.If, for example, we choose to deliver news to handheld devices, wewould require very little in the way of extra technology infrastructure todo so.”

Greensted says: “There is already work in progress to accommodatemobile clients using the Microsoft .NET Compact Framework. This willenable AstraZeneca to provide online content to users of mobile devicesover their existing infrastructure via a rich client interface.”

Built-In search engine optimisationGood practice for website search optimisation is built into the solution.This ensures that users searching for AstraZeneca or its products usingsearch engines, such as Google, will find the company’s sites at the topof their list of search results.

Quayle says: “Before the web framework, the international corporatewebsite, www.AstraZeneca.com, was not even on the first page of Googlesearch results. Now, two of our company’s major websites, including thisone, hold the top two positions. The international corporate websitereceives more unique visits per day than the previous version and thelatest research shows that we are now connecting with our targetaudiences much more effectively.”

Ensuring online qualityWith new releases of the web framework platform every three months, theAstraZeneca solution is improving all the time. By Christmas 2003, it isestimated that almost 100 sites will have been built and deployed usingthe new software.

Wesley says: “Using the web framework platform, we haverevolutionised the way we present information to our customers. Theresult will ultimately be a significant strengthening of our corporateimage and reputation globally. At the same time, we are alreadyexperiencing dramatic cost reductions resulting from fast, effective sitedevelopment.”For more information about AstraZeneca go to: www.astrazeneca.com

“Using the webframework platform,we haverevolutionised theway we presentinformation to ourcustomers. Theresult will ultimatelybe a significantstrengthening of ourcorporate image andreputation globally.At the same time,we are alreadyexperiencingdramatic costreductions resultingfrom fast, effectivesite development.”

KAY WESLEY WEB FRAMEWORKSPONSOR ASTRAZENECA

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BACKGROUNDRemarketing – finding new owners for used fleet vehicles – is a majorchallenge in the automotive industry for both contract hire companiesand manufacturers.

Contract hire companies base their monthly rental prices on aforecast residual value at the end of the leasing contract; systemicshortfalls in price against the forecast residuals can cause seriousfinancial issues and, in some cases, even bankruptcy for leasingcompanies. As a result, they require highly efficient routes to market forthe vehicles they ‘de-fleet’.

Car manufacturers have similar needs, albeit for very differentreasons. A significant share of their new car sales are made to carrental companies, such as Avis. Most of these sales are done on a ‘buy-back’ basis whereby the manufacturer agrees to buy back the vehiclesfrom the rental company at the end of their rental lifecycle (typicallyafter six to nine months) at a pre-agreed price. The manufacturer thenneeds to dispose of these vehicles as soon as possible. While thesecars remain unsold, capital is tied up in stock.

Historically, the primary remarketing channel for manufacturers andleasing companies has been though a physical car auction. This was the preferred means, as it was often difficult to accurately describewear and tear on the cars over the telephone or other forms of distance-selling media.

The advent of web-enabled ecommerce has enabled traders toaccurately describe wear and tear in a standardised format, supportedby digital pictures. In addition, manufacturers and contract hirecompanies have, in an effort to increase the prices fetched by theirvehicles, made significant efforts to improve the quality of the vehiclesoffered for sale. As a result of these trends, dealers are nowincreasingly comfortable with buying used vehicles ‘sight unseen’ fromtrusted sources.

AutoCascade worked with Microsoft partner Charteris to implement a new Electronic TradingSystem (ETS) built on the Microsoft .NET Framework. The solution has enabled the company toprovide an improved service to its customer base by reducing the transaction cost forremarketing a used fleet vehicle. Trade buyers also benefit by having online access to multiplesales channels via a user-friendly interface.

Customer profileAutoCascade providesinnovative car re-marketingsolutions for the automotiveindustry using web- basedtechnology.

Business challengeThe company needed toupdate its system to create amore powerful, flexible, andscalable web-based solution.

SolutionAutoCascade used theMicrosoft .NET Framework tocreate an easy to useelectronic trading system.

Benefits• Reduced time-to-market for

new initiatives• Saved costs through

removing need to paylicence to third-partycompany

• Reduced maintenancecosts

• Enables system to beupdated in house

Leading provider of vehicle remarketingsolutions cuts transaction costs


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Dealerships are also finding that locating and purchasing the bestused cars through the traditional process can be difficult, going to carauctions in person is time consuming and limits choice to what isphysically available on the day. This has led dealers and used cartraders, who have not historically been early adopters of technology, torealise the potential of the Internet in order to find the best deals andto keep up with consumers who have embraced the web as a keysource of information for new and used vehicle purchases.

SOLUTIONAutoCascade was launched in September 2001 as a joint venturebetween Avis Europe and Inchcape. It aimed to offer an electronicsolution to enable fleet owners to improve their yields on used carremarketing, while simultaneously providing dealers with a superiorbuying experience.

At present, AutoCascade’s systems are mainly used by the UK arm ofa major motor manufacturer as a conduit to market for its rental ‘buy-back’ vehicles. In 2002, nearly 25,000 vehicles, with a combined valueof £136 million, were transacted through AutoCascade’s suite of ITsystems. This makes AutoCascade one of the leading players inelectronic remarketing in Europe. Demands on AutoCascade’s system areexpected to increase as its services become even more widely adopted.

Despite its initial success, AutoCascade realised that its originalelectronic trading system lacked the flexibility and scalability required tosupport rapid growth. The company also wanted a more adaptable userinterface for its system. Previously, changes could only be made bywriting new programming code. This could not be accomplished in-house, which meant relying on a third-party support company. Thisprolonged the development process and increased costs.

AutoCascade chose Charteris to develop its new trading system. Itmade this decision based on the success of Charteris’ experience withthe .NET platform, which AutoCascade has standardised upon. Basedon requirements provided by AutoCascade and joint design work,Charteris built an electronic trading system that enables dealers to buyvehicles online from AutoCascade’s customers, which are key motormanufacturers and contract hire companies.

AutoCascade’s objective was to build a world-class solution that

“Feedback fromexisting andprospectivecustomers alike hasbeen very positive.The marketrecognises that oursolution is breakingnew ground byfinally providing acredible cost-effective alternativeto the physicalauctionmechanism.”

ROBBIE REYNDERSMANAGING DIRECTOR AUTOCASCADE

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would achieve its twin objectives of utmost flexibility for vendors andmaximum ease-of-use for buyers.

Dealers can quickly search for vehicles, view details, and purchasevia the website. Dealers can also obtain online funding for the unitsthey purchase through their revolving credit line facilities with thevendor. The system offers fixed price purchases and bid-basedtransactions, which can be electronic tenders, where buyers can placeopen or closed bids, or electronic auctions, which are conducted in real-time and mimic the physical auction process that buyers have beenfamiliar with historically.

Buyers at dealerships log-on to the system via a standard webbrowser. The system’s flexibility enables AutoCascade to configure thesystem in the most appropriate way for its customer base. This meansthat when dealers log-on to the system they are presented with acustomised ‘skin’. This contains the look and feel of a specific vendorand only provides searches for relevant groups of cars.

At the outset Charteris worked with AutoCascade for four months togain a thorough understanding of the system requirements and thendesigned the system. Development of the solution started in October2002 with a core group of five people and took 10 months to complete.Initial component design was per formed with Microsoft VisioProfessional 2002. The system was built using the Microsoft .NETFramework, and Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2002 was used as thedevelopment environment.

Robbie Reynders, managing director, AutoCascade, says:“AutoCascade standardised on the Microsoft .NET Framework becauseit is so robust. Even some early developments made using pre-releaseversions of .NET were extremely stable. The .NET Framework containsbuilt-in security which means our clients, which often include financialservices companies, could also have total peace of mind.”

Programming was done using Microsoft C# .NET, a native language ofthe Microsoft .NET Framework. Microsoft SQL Server 2000 StandardEdition is currently the solution database, but there are plans to movethis to the Enterprise Edition to cater for an increased number oftransactions as use of the system is extended. The system waslaunched smoothly in August 2003. At this early stage, there are alreadyaround 200 dealerships using the system with about 300 users.

• Microsoft .NET Frameworkensures built-in security

• Ease-of-use means littletraining required

• Fixed-costs make it easierto budget

• Enables buyers to purchasevehicles 365 days a year

• Brings multiple saleschannels together via webbrowser

• Built-in scalability caters forfuture growth

Software and servicesMicrosoft® .NET FrameworkMicrosoft Visual Studio® .NET2002Microsoft Visio® Professional2002Microsoft BizTalk® ServerMicrosoft SQL™ Server

Partners Charteris

BENEFITSReduced transaction cost and increased flexibility for vendorsManufacturers and leasing companies benefit from AutoCascade’ssolution through a reduction in operational costs. This is the result ofimprovements in working capital derived from the reduction in lead timeto sale and a reduction in transport charges as vehicles no longer needto be physically transported to the auction (where they are only sold in70 per cent of all instances).

AutoCascade’s customers also increase their ability to optimise theirproceeds by simultaneously displaying vehicles across multiplechannels to multiple audiences at differentiated prices, whereastraditionally vehicles could only be on sale to one audience in onelocation at one price.

AutoCascade are very pleased with the new web-based system.Reynders says: “Feedback from existing and prospective customersalike has been very positive. The market recognises that our solution isbreaking new ground by finally providing a credible cost-effectivealternative to the physical auction mechanism. Even cer taincompetitors have inquired whether we would be interested in licensingour new system to them.”

Increased buying power for dealersBuyers now have anytime access to cars online. The clear user-interface and simple navigation enables them to find and purchase avehicle with only two clicks of a mouse. The system provides greaterchoice by offering buyers access to cars from multiple sources throughone interface so they don’t have to worry about accessing multipleonline systems, each with their own idiosyncrasies.

Moreover, the system provides dealers with a retail view, which theycan use to display to end consumers those vehicles available throughthe system, complete with a pre-configurable margin already added ontop of the price paid by the dealer. This brings the supply chain anotherstep closer to just-in-time sourcing and minimises the amount of stocka dealer needs to hold on the forecourt.

These vehicles can be purchased using the transaction method thatbest matches the buyer’s objectives, whether that is the certainty of afixed price purchase where the dealer has already identified a retail

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“The Microsoft .NETFramework wascrucial to thesuccess of theproject. Wewouldn’t have beenable to create thissolution on timeusing oldertechnologies suchas ASP or COM.”

ANNIE MATTHEWMANCHIEF TECHNOLOGIST CHARTERIS

For more information about CHARTERIS, go to:www.charteris.com


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customer for the vehicle or the prospect of winning the vehicle at abargain price through online bid mechanisms when buying for stock.

Reduced time-to-marketThe solution has enabled AutoCascade to achieve its aim of maximisingthe number of cars its customers can profitably trade online, whileproviding a superior service for dealers and buyers. The flexibility of thenew application has reduced set-up costs and time-to-market for newcommercial initiatives, such as system customisation for new clients orthe creation of new sales programmes for existing clients, by a factorof four.

Annie Matthewman, chief technologist, Charteris, says: “TheMicrosoft .NET Framework was crucial to the success of the project. Wewouldn’t have been able to create this solution on time using oldertechnologies such as ASP or COM. Without the time-saving classlibraries that come as standard with the .NET Framework, we wouldhave had to write a lot more code.”

The system has been designed to be available to the widest possibleaudience. As such, it works on both slow dial-up connections and high-speed broadband links.

As a web-based, zero-install application, it’s also far easier forAutoCascade to manage than its previous system, which requiredbuyers to install an application on their PC in order to participate in thee-auction. The requirements are basic with access to the system available from a low specification PC with a standard web browser.

Platform for the futureAutoCascade is confident that it will be able to handle the expectedrapid growth of its user base. While the new system currently handlesthousands of transactions from hundreds of users, it is expected thatmany more will be using the company’s online services over the nextfive years.

Matthewman says: “Thanks to the inherent scalability and security ofthe Microsoft .NET Framework, AutoCascade has protected itsinvestment in technology for the long term.” For more information about Autocascade, go to: www.autocascade.com

BACKGROUNDMany business travellers have complicated requirements and like tomake the best use possible of discounts and privileges, often demandingone-to-one attention from their travel organiser. Yet certain types oftransaction can be automated and managed effectively online

Paul Saggar, director of technology development at BTI UK’s parentcompany, Hogg Robinson, says: “In light of the ever-increasing complexityof the corporate travel market in which BTI UK operates, it makes senseto look to the Internet as yet another opportunity to ensure cost effectivesolutions and customer choice. We developed a web-based hotel bookingsystem a little while ago and the part of the system for customers toregister and identify themselves was built using the Microsoft .NETFramework. Hogg Robinson launched that component with Microsoft inFebruary 2002 at the .NET launch event.”

Hogg Robinson Business Technology, which provides e-business and e-commerce solutions to Hogg Robinson’s companies, developed theonline hotel booking service, BTI HotelBooker, for BTI UK.

BTI HotelBooker features the customer’s booking preferences. Thisenables the traveller to see pre-arranged room rates and options, whichresults in the immediate reduction on ‘shopping calls,’ where travellerstelephone a central service to check room availability.

It forms part of the recently launched BTI intellect global suite oftechnology solutions. The BTI intellect brand provides knowledge andexpertise, taking into account differences in culture, technicalinfrastructure and business objectives, to allow the BTI organisation toprovide powerful travel solutions with clear benefits on both a local andglobal basis.

The effective use of technology is an essential component of providingtailored solutions to meet client needs. As market leader, BTI UK hasunrivalled knowledge and experience in shaping the standards inbusiness travel service delivery and client care.

“When we did timeanalysis on howlong it took to takea booking, the new.NET system tookthree-to-fourminutes whilepreviously over thetelephone thiswould have taken12 minutes.”

PAUL SAGGARDIRECTOR OFTECHNOLOGYDEVELOPMENTHOGG ROBINSON

Industry48

BTI UK, the UK’s leading travel management company, wanted to offer its clients acustomisable self-service reservation system that enabled them to extract maximum benefitfrom discounts and privileges. Using the Microsoft .NET Framework with its native support forweb services, the company developed an XML-enabled system that has increased agentproductivity by up to 40 per cent, and has freed staff to concentrate on customers’ needs.

BTI UK boosts call centre productivity 40per cent with self service solution

BTI UK wanted to improve its ability to manage costs with improvedefficiency, but more importantly needed a platform on which to build allits future development. “The Internet is fundamentally changing the wayin which we interact and service our clients,” says Saggar. “BTI UK is atthe forefront of that step change.”

SOLUTIONBTI UK decided earlier this year to further develop BTI HotelBooker by fullyconverting its product to Microsoft.NET technology. Saggar’s divisionalready had significant Microsoft development expertise and wasconfident that the Microsoft .NET Framework, with its native support forweb services, was the ideal development and hosting platform.

Saggar says: “Because we are part of a large, internationalorganisation with a variety of service and transaction related businesses,we needed technology that would enable us to integrate differentsystems.” What is more, using XML enables BTI UK to link to externalsystems, including Galileo, Amadeus and other booking systems widelyused by travel management companies.

The new system enables BTI UK to consume web services offered byits suppliers. Saggar says: “This is a significant part of the system as itmeans that we can add new services quickly and easily. It also means weare ‘pushing’ our suppliers to develop web services.”

BTI UK was able to bring the solution on stream quickly using theinternal resources of parent company Hogg Robinson by using MicrosoftVisual Studio .NET development tools. Saggar says: “The migration to the.NET Framework happened very smoothly and we upgraded to MicrosoftSQL Server 2000 and Microsoft Windows Server 2003. BTI UK now hasa fully end-to-end web service.”

Saggar says the hotel booking system has been very successful, withseveral large customers using it. “Having been showcased to majorcustomers, the initial feedback is very good,” he adds.

BENEFITS Call centre productivity up 40 per centAgent productivity overall has increased by 40 per cent in some areas atBTI UK’s call centre in Leicester where its agents are using the web-basedBTI HotelBooker system. This is a significant saving given BTI UK’s needto control costs and pass on more benefits to its customers.

Customer profileBTI UK is the UK’s leadingbusiness travel managementcompany providing corporatetravel solutions.

Business challengeBTI UK wanted to offer itsclients access to a hotel, airtravel and car hire bookingsservice that would enablethem to benefit from greaterefficiency and cost savings.

SolutionBy choosing the Microsoft .NETFramework with its nativesupport for web services, it isable to offer a fully end-to-end,web-based booking service.

Benefits• Call centre productivity up

by up to 40 per cent• Agents concentrate on

complex requests• Supported infrastructure

and lower cost of ownership• Integration with other

systems via web services• New automated services

Software and servicesMicrosoft® .NET FrameworkMicrosoft Windows® Server2003Microsoft SQL Server™ 2000Microsoft Visual Studio® .NET


49

Saggar says: “When we did time analysis on how long it took to make abooking, the new .NET system took three-to-four minutes while previouslyover the telephone this would have taken 12 minutes.”

More efficiency and savings for customersWith more routine bookings being made through an automated process,BTI UK is able to develop all areas of its business including developingproducts and services for those clients with more complex requirements.Saggar says: “We are now much more efficient because the consultantscan spend more time on a one-to-one basis with those customers whohave special needs, while the simple or less lengthy bookings are madeeasier to service. As a result we are also able to deliver higher value andbetter savings for our customers.”

Low total cost of ownershipWith BTI UK now committed to the .NET Framework, Hogg Robinson hasachieved significant efficiencies by converting the whole booking systemto .NET. “When we first started, because of the scale of the development,we weren’t as cohesive as we could have been,” says Saggar. “With thewhole system now migrated, we now have more efficient technologysupport and our ongoing maintenance costs are lower, particularly withthe advantages of Visual Studio .NET and its reusable code.”

Automating new servicesThe .NET Framework has also now been incorporated into BTI UK ‘s latesttechnology solution, BTI UK Online, one of the BTI intellect bookingapplications. It is a web-based tool that allows users to book theirindividual air, hotel and other travel reservations online.

Customisation and flexibility are also features of the BTI UK Onlineoffering, with the ability to modify the product for individual needs. It is asimple to use, easily implemented solution that may be tailored asappropriate – catering for clients’ own negotiated rates, policy andcompliance issues. Saggar says: “We have already started developmentof several other applications using .NET and web services. One of thesedevelopments is very significant as it involves shifting an entire systemfrom a competitive technology over to the .NET Framework.”For more information about BTI UK, go to: www.bti.co.uk

“We have alreadystarteddevelopment ofseveral otherapplications using.NET and webservices. One ofthese developmentsis very significantas it involvesshifting an entiresystem from acompetitivetechnology over tothe .NETFramework.”

PAUL SAGGARDIRECTOR OFTECHNOLOGYDEVELOPMENTHOGG ROBINSON

Industry50

BACKGROUNDWhen core business processes reach the end of their life they oftenbecome expensive to maintain and hamper the development of theenterprise. Customer relationships are usually the first to suffer whenmanagers are unable to supply accurate data.

This was the experience that encouraged a major review of businessprocesses some 15 months ago at GE SeaCo, Sea Containers’ jointventure with GE Capital of the US. It decided to build a new Depot DataCollection (DDC) system for its major operations centres and to improvecommunications with its 300 depots worldwide.

GE SeaCo is the world’s premier lessor of marine containers, with afleet that is the equivalent of almost one million standard sizedcontainers. GE SeaCo works closely with over 300 container repair andstorage depots at ports around the world. They store and service GESeaCo’s fleet, as well as containers owned by other parties.

GE SeaCo decided to use the DDC project as an opportunity to reviewthe use of technology in its business processes, with a view tostandardising on one technology. The decision-making process resulted ina win for the Microsoft .NET Framework. Andrew Perkins, programmemanager, SeaCo, says: “Fifteen months ago the choices were less clearcut than they are today and to some people J2EE looked on the face of itto be more mature, but given our success I’m now feeling very contentabout our decision to standardise on Microsoft .NET.”

SOLUTIONSea Containers had initially turned to Information Management Group(IMG) for advice on a DDC system to replace its 10 year-old, expensive tomaintain in-house system (called QDS), which served its operationscentres. A major drawback was that the QDS system was not directlyavailable to GE SeaCo’s network of depots. IMG is a Microsoft GoldPartner in collaborative solutions and business intelligence with a strong

Sea Containers Information Services implemented a new web services-based data collectionsystem for operations centres and depots using the Microsoft .NET Framework. Working closelywith Microsoft Partner, Information Management Group (IMG), Sea Containers replaced its 10-year-old, expensive to maintain system in just nine months. The business is benefiting fromreduced cost of maintenance, faster turnaround time for data and increased staff productivity.

Customer profileSea Containers’ GE SeaCojoint venture is one of thelargest global organisationsoperating in marine containerleasing. Sea Containers alsooperates in passengertransport and leisure-basedservices.

Business challengeAn aged and expensive tomaintain data collectionsystem existed at GE SeaCo’soperations centres for itsmarine container leasingbusiness. The companywanted a new depot datacollection system for marinecontainers.

SolutionUsing the power of theMicrosoft .NET Framework,Information ManagementGroup implemented a DepotData Collection (DDC) systemto replace the existing systemin GE SeaCo’s operations’centres and to extend it to alldepots.

Sea Containers Information Servicesreduces operational and maintenance costs


51

.NET practice, but started from the basis that Sea Containers had no priorexperience in .NET technologies. Thanks to the versatility and scalabilityof the Microsoft technology, six developers completed the project in justnine months.

The key ingredient in the solution was the .NET Framework, which bothIMG and Sea Containers’ project managers judged was superior tocompetitor products. “By using .NET it was much more straightforward tointegrate existing systems than it would have been with Linux, because of.NET’s native support for web services,” says Daniel Probert, projectmanager, IMG. GE SeaCo’s operations centres for containers were usingthe previous QDS legacy system, but 80 per cent of the transactionsprocessed by the system from its 300 depots came through electronicdata interchange (EDI). That presented IMG with a dilemma that it wasable to solve by using Microsoft technology. IMG chose Microsoft BizTalkServer 2002 as the key enabler to translate the EDI files into the muchmore adaptable XML format.

Sea Containers is taking full advantage of the native support for webservices in the .NET Framework to provide greater accessibility and fasterdata collection. The complete solution provides data collection, EDItranslation and data cleansing, before parsing the files in XML to anexisting system. The application’s transaction-based processing systemuses Microsoft BizTalk 2002 to handle the integration with existingsystems. It uses Microsoft SQL Server 2000 for interim data storage.

BENEFITSLower support and maintenance costsBy replacing an aged and high maintenance legacy system with a solutionbased on the .NET Framework and its development environment MicrosoftVisual Studio .NET 2003, IMG ensured that GE SeaCo’s business hasbeen transformed in this area.

A primary benefit of the completed system is lower support andmaintenance costs, but the business has also gained by becoming moreintelligent. Sea Containers says it is too early to quantify theimprovements, but the change is already apparent in feedback fromcustomers. “We want totally seamless systems and we are absolutelysure that the .NET Framework is the right path to lower costs,” saysPerkins. “We have much better and cleaner data and we know where the

“By using .NET itwas much morestraightforward tointegrate existingsystems than itwould have beenwith Linux, becauseof .NET’s nativesupport for webservices.”

DANIEL PROBERTPROJECT MANAGERINFORMATIONMANAGEMENT GROUP

“.NET is becomingubiquitous and haswon the battleagainst J2EE. Weare now going touse it for the rest ofour developmentprogramme.”

DUNCAN SCOTTVP INFORMATIONSERVICES & CIOSEA CONTAINERS

Industry52


53

business is at any one time. We’ve moved away from a system that waslogistically oriented towards a much more customer-centric view.”

500 users in five monthsThe ability to deploy to a wide range of users, particularly in GE SeaCo’spartner depots, which use a wide range of different systems, has given anew agility to the business. ASP.Net, SQL Server and BizTalk haveprovided users with a flexible web-based system to access data.

Within five months of going live the new solution will be available for upto 500 external users, enabling GE SeaCo dramatically to improve itsservice to customers and differentiate itself from competitors. The rapiddevelopment time on the project was realised because of the ability tobuy off-the-shelf Microsoft .NET components. Angus Frew, president &CEO, GE SeaCo, says: “The end result is that DDC is giving our customersmuch better information, greater certainty about where our containers areat any one time.”

Quicker turnaround times for dataThanks to the object-oriented methodology within Microsoft Visual Studio.NET 2003, Sea Containers developers have enjoyed the benefits of re-using code. This has not only enabled quicker turnaround times for databut greater precision. Duncan Scott, CIO, Sea Containers Group, adds:“We are using object oriented features because there are loads ofproducts in our system, for example boxes and reefers (refrigeratedcontainers), but with this technology you only need to make a change inthe data once and in one place.”

Pilot for migrating systems to .NETSea Containers used the DDC project as a pilot for the possible extensionof the .NET Framework to more of its operations. Perkins says: “We usedthe .NET Framework to solve a business problem for both our internal andexternal customers, but getting our people dirty in .NET was veryimportant. We needed to blood them.”

Scott says: “.NET is becoming ubiquitous and has already won thebattle against J2EE. We are now going to use it for the rest of ourdevelopment programme.”For more information about Sea Containers go to: www.geseaco.com

Benefits• Cost reductions in support

and maintenance• Flexible web-based system• Rapid time to market – 500

users in five months• Quick data turnaround • Increased productivity for

container operations staff• Scalable for future

development

Software and servicesMicrosoft® .NET FrameworkMicrosoft Visual Studio® .NETMicrosoft SQL Server™Microsoft Exchange Server2000Microsoft SQL Server™ 2000Microsoft Windows® 2000ServerMicrosoft Content ManagementServer 2001Microsoft BizTalk® Server 2002Microsoft Windows XP

Partners Information Management Group

For more information aboutINFORMATION MANAGEMENTGROUP, go to:www.imgeurope.com

BACKGROUNDIn 2000, the government passed the Transport Act, making localpassenger transport authorities responsible for providing comprehensivetravel information to travellers. Because the availability of information atstations and bus stops is critical to customer satisfaction, publictransport organisations are eager to deliver information quickly,accurately and comprehensively.

Centro, the transport executive for the West Midlands, wasparticularly keen to improve the customer experience by making busroute and timetable information even more accurate, comprehensiveand widespread than before. Information sheets would include detailssuch as the name of the bus operator, the service number, a graphicalbar showing the route, a list of stops, times of buses at each stop andthe maximum standard fare, as well as the Centro logo and Hotlinetelephone number.

Until recently, information sheets providing this kind of detailedinformation were installed at only five per cent of bus stops. The problemsof poor coverage are outlined in a recent DfT Transport Statistics Bulletinentitled ‘Bus Quality Indicators: England Q4 2002/3’. This states that,“the poor coverage is reflected in the satisfaction rate that passengershave with at-stop information (40 per cent), which is the lowest in thecountry compared to a satisfaction rate of 72 per cent in London and 55to 65 per cent in other metropolitan areas.”

Part of Centro’s problem is that bus stops and shelters in the WestMidlands are the responsibility of different bodies. All shelters withoutadvertising belong to Centro; shelters with advertising to Adshel; and busstop poles without shelters to the region’s largest bus operator, TravelWest Midlands. With these important partners the organisation decidedto take a lead in the provision of at-stop information. It began to re-evaluate some of the processes that were in place to generate at-stopinformation sheets. These included:

Customer profileCentro is responsible forincreasing the use of publictransport in the WestMidlands. It employs nearly300 transport professionalsincluding planners, designers,policy experts, andmaintenance operatives.

Business challengeCentro wanted to improvecustomer experience byproviding more accurate,comprehensive bus route andtimetable information. Beforeimplementation, this wasavailable at only five per centof stops.

SolutionMicrosoft Gold Partner, MMTComputing, worked with Centroto create a fully integratedsolution built on the Microsoft.NET Framework. Thisintegrates a legacy databasewith a new Microsoft SQLServer 2000 IBSS andMicrosoft Visio using webservices.

Microsoft. NET customer solutionPUBLIC SECTOR

55

Centro, the UK’s biggest local transport authority has implemented a new, fully integratedsolution called the ‘Information at Bus Stops System’ (IBSS) to provide bus timetableinformation at each and every stop. Built on the Microsoft .NET Framework, the system hasreduced the time required to generate a comprehensive information sheet from five minutes tojust 15 seconds, representing an improvement of 2,000 per cent.

New, Microsoft-powered solution improvesinformation flow by 2,000 per cent

• A Microsoft Visual Basic application that dealt only with providinginformation at bus stations

• Extensive use of Microsoft Excel spreadsheets • Manual build of sheets using PageMaker templates Instead of working with these three disparate processes, which

occasionally required Centro to cut and paste pieces of paper manually,the executive needed a fully integrated system to generate and installinformation sheets quickly and accurately. This approach would also berequired to stop information becoming out of date and to eliminate theerrors associated with manual sheet production. The transport executivealso wanted the ability to audit and report on bus stop information toensure accuracy on an on-going basis.

Centro began searching for a technology solution that would addressthese issues and enable the placement of information sheets at everysingle one of its 13,000 stops. After placing an advertisement inEuropean Journal and undergoing an extensive tender process, UK-based solutions provider MMT was selected to build a new, fullyintegrated system.

SOLUTIONMMT initially created a detailed project specification for a project called‘Information at Bus Stops System’ (IBSS), including a high-levelarchitecture diagram. According to this plan, there would be two maindatabases at the back end, including a new database built on MicrosoftSQL Server™ 2000 and a legacy Microsoft SQL Server 7.0 publictransport database containing details of all bus routes, times, and stops.

Before the implementation, Centro was exporting data from thepublic transport database into other systems, such as the schedulingsystem. Now, data is also mirrored from the public transport databaseinto the IBSS database to ensure information sheets are kept up todate at all times.

Ranjit Ruprai, technical architect, MMT, says: “We knew we had to keepinformation sheet data current on the IBSS database and found thatMicrosoft Data Transformation Services (DTS) was the ideal tool toenable this. Instead of having to add numerous keys to existing tables inthe public transport database, we are able to export only the tables weneed quickly and accurately.”

“Before weimplemented thenew solution, it wastaking us up to fiveminutes to generatea new informationsheet ... Now, it takes just 15seconds to generatea new sheetrepresenting a timereduction of 2,000 per cent.”

STEVEN HARRIS PROJECT MANAGER ANDSENIOR SYSTEMSDEVELOPER CENTRO

Public sector56

Microsoft. NET Customer SolutionPUBLIC SECTOR

57

Access to the legacy database is achieved using a data access webservice built using the Microsoft .NET Framework and Visual Studio .NET.This enables centralised security access to the system.

Ruprai says: “Using web services improves the security of the system,but it also builds in significant flexibility. For example, we could quiteeasily rewrite a web front end or upgrade the database we are usingwithout undertaking any significant architecture redesign. For the samereason, we are completely free to re-brand the entire product or evenchange the language information is printed in if required. This flexibility isone of the key benefits of the Microsoft .NET Framework, web servicesand object-oriented development in general.”

The solution also uses web services to fully integrate information fromthe public transport database with Microsoft Visio. This enables graphicalroute bars to be added to information sheets automatically in a fractionof the time required to perform this task manually.

Finally, the solution comprises a mobile element. Here, Compaq iPAQsusing Symbol 3000 Scan jacket devices are being used to record thestatus of information by Centro employees on location at stops. Whenstaff return to the office, they plug the devices into the system using aUSB cable. Active Sync enables them to update the status of variousstops on the main public transport database. This ensures that at-stopinformation never becomes out of date.

When changes are recorded in the public transport database, triggersare activated to show that information sheets must be replaced. Thisenables Centro to respond quickly to alterations such as:

• New operators on particular routes• Route changes• Time changes• Addition of new routes• Seasonal timetable changesDevelopment of a pilot for the solution involving six Centro employees

started in May 2003. It was deployed and user acceptance testing beganin September 2003. This pilot will be launched in October 2003.

BENEFITSIncreased customer satisfactionWhile just five per cent of bus stops had information sheets before the

Benefits• Information sheets

generated 2,000 per centfaster

• Solution serves 100 percent of stops – rather thanfive per cent

• Increased customersatisfaction

• The politically motivatedsolution has exceeded theexpectations of the centralauthorities

• Rapid time to market• Standardised development

practices• A platform for the future

Software and ServicesMicrosoft® .NET FrameworkMicrosoft Visual Studio® .NETMicrosoft Windows® Server2003Microsoft SQL Server™ 2000Microsoft Visio®Web Services

Partners MMT Computing plc

implementation, the new solution is designed to cope with all of the13,000 stops listed on Centro’s public transport database.

Steven Harris, project manager and senior systems developer, Centro,says: “Before we implemented the new solution, it was taking us up tofive minutes to generate a new information sheet. When you consider thatwe deal with hundreds of timetable and route changes and that eachchange impacts on tens of stops, you can see we needed to find a newway of ensuring the travelling public got the best and most up to dateinformation quickly.

“Now, it takes just 15 seconds to generate a new sheet representinga time reduction of 2,000 per cent. This vast improvement willultimately enable us to keep all sheets up to date across every singleCentro stop. This will improve customer satisfaction to the point wherewe are not only in line with other local transport authorities, butovertaking them.”

Ease of useNew users can generate new information sheets quickly and easily. Thisis critical to reducing costs for Centro. Harris says: “Training has beenintegrated within the application itself. If an employee forgets how tocomplete a certain task, they can click on a menu option and be showna ‘slide-show’ of the required operation. This not only helps us to keeptraining costs down, but also ensures that our employees can be asproductive as possible, as quickly as possible.”

Rapid time to marketThe Microsoft .NET Framework incorporates class libraries of pre-builtapplication functionality, enabling developers to build new solutionsquickly and accurately. In addition, the ability to build web services rapidlyusing the .NET Framework has enabled flexible connectivity betweenCentro’s public transport database, the new SQL Server 2000 IBSSdatabase and Microsoft Visio.

Ruprai says: “By releasing very early versions of the software, we wereable to demonstrate the rapid development times that are made possibleby Microsoft .NET and Visual Studio .NET. Centro was also impressed bythe extensible nature of .NET and by the flexibility web services offer inparticular. Because we used .NET, we were able to bring the new solution

Public sector58

For more information about MMT COMPUTING, go to: www.mmtplc.com


59

to market much more rapidly and enable Centro to generate more rapidreturns on its investment.”

Standard development practicesThe Microsoft .NET Framework enables developers to build applicationsin the language of their choice and make full use of existing skill sets.More importantly, programmers can also use a consistent approach todeveloping solutions in both the desktop and mobile environments.

Ruprai says: “While the Microsoft .NET Framework offers a morecomprehensive range of features, the Compact Framework enablesdevelopers to transfer their skills directly into the mobile environment.This not only ensures that mobile applications are fast and easy to build,it also means developers are productive almost immediately.”

Plans for the futureThe Centro solution is entering phase two of development in which anadditional web service will be created. This will give the public access toall the latest information sheets online via a desktop or handheld device.There will also be electronic displays at bus stops, updated in real timewith information from the Centro public transport database. Customerswill also be able to scroll through maps and interactive displays at busstops from January 2004.

In the future, the functionality of the solution’s mobile features will alsobe extended. This will enable Centro employees to update the transportdatabase remotely online, saving time normally spent returning to theoffice. In addition, there are plans to equip vans with mobile printers sonew information sheets can be generated from the road and fitted tostops immediately as required.

Harris says: “We are positioned to develop the functionality of thesolution on a continual basis to improve service levels to the citizen andmake our own people more productive. Whether we decide to updateinformation sheets from the road or add new information to at-stopsheets, we now have a flexible IT architecture in place to support ourstrategic goals. Centro is now positioned as a thought leader in this areaand a number of other local transport authorities have already taken akeen interest in the new system!”For more information about Centro, go to: www.centro.org.uk

BACKGROUNDChildren are the future. Ensuring they have the opportunities, advice,and support to reach their full potential, both at school and beyondremains a key government objective.

The Department for Education & Skills (DfES) provides thegovernment’s central policy for education and training. A key aspect ofthis is the delivery of services to young people both in compulsoryeducation and beyond. Connexions is the government’s initiative aimedat 13-19 year olds in England. It provides advice, support, guidance andaccess to personal development opportunities for this group to helpthem make the transition to adult and working life. Its success relies oncommunication and listening and acting on the views’ of young people.This is achieved through 47 local Connexions partnerships that work tonational plans. Services are publicly funded, delivered by the privatesector and managed by local management committees (LMCs).

The DfES Connexions Service National Unit (CSNU) collectsmanagement information (MI) on a monthly basis from the partners anduses it to support policymaking and wider government initiatives.Information was collected using template spreadsheets and e-mailthrough the government office (GO) network. But the presentation andaccuracy of this information varied from partnership to partnership andthe whole process of data collection was not as smooth, fast or reliableas the department wanted.

SOLUTIONThe CSNU worked with its technology partner, Cap Gemini Ernst &Young (CGEY) to design and create a system that met these needs andwas capable of capturing data at any level using Internet technology.Initial discussions started in January 2003 and the system had to belive by the end of April 2003.

CGEY worked with the department to brainstorm ideas and tease out

“We were veryimpressed withCGEY's ability tounderstand thebusiness side of ourorganisation. I neverhad any doubtsabout its technicalcapabilities, but itpicked up on someof the nuances andpolitics with a smalland large ‘p’ thatwe need to dealwith as agovernmentdepartment veryquickly.”

BRENDA ALEXANDERMANAGEMENTINFORMATION ANDSYSTEMS DIRECTORCSNU

Public sector60

CSNU, the department responsible for collating data from Connexions Partnerships, thegovernment’s support services initiative for young people, has implemented a web-based datacollection system for its 47 partnerships nationwide. The new system was developed byMicrosoft partner Cap Gemini Ernst & Young. It has reduced administration by one-quarter andprovides better information to ensure the partnerships continue to meet targets.

CSNU reduces management informationadministration by at least 25 per cent

all the dependencies and characteristics that the new system shouldhave. This planning stage was lengthy in order to ensure that allpotential areas were covered. User consultation was key in this processso that feedback could be incorporated into the initial design and futurereleases of the software.

The CSNU has to adhere to national and government standards, suchas the e-government interoperability framework (e-GIF) for data transfer.So in addition to its own requirements for the solution it had to bearwider departmental strategy in mind. Front-end integration was also amust to enable URL links between applications as was the ability tosupport data layer extraction, transformation and loading from onedatabase to another.

Based on these requirements, and the tight timescales, CGEY optedto use the Microsoft .NET Framework, which is the foundation of thenext generation of Windows-based applications that are easier to build,deploy, manage, and integrate with other systems. It uses the CommonLanguage Runtime and standard class libraries, which means that codeused to generate underlying or common application functionality can bequickly and easily replicated and reused.

CGEY broke the project down into manageable tactical and strategicchunks in order to meet the deadline. The end result was a site, whichis accessed via http://nexus.dfes.gov.uk using a user name andpassword. It has been integrated with Microsoft Active Directory tosupport 854 initial users and up to 200 simultaneous usersconcurrently in addition to 19,000 update transactions and 270,000queries daily. It was written predominantly using Microsoft Visual Basic.NET, the Shared Business Logic of which provides data capture,cleansing, and reporting mechanisms. A Web services authenticationservice provider called Stormkeep was also created using Microsoft C#.NET to ensure access control and security. Microsoft ASP .NET formsand Microsoft SQL Server 2000 were also used.

The CSNU uses a proprietary system called EMS Eureka that theyuse to extract data from the spreadsheets and analyse it. Eureka is nolonger supported so CGEY had to create extraction routines to bridgethe two systems together.

Development took just seven weeks to reach user acceptancetesting. Paul Smith, project manager, CGEY, says:” A core team of fiveworked on this project, which at its peak had 10 people working on it.

Customer profileConnexions is thegovernment’s initiative aimedat 13-19 year olds in England.It provides advice, support,guidance, and access topersonal developmentopportunities. Its successrelies on communicationbetween young people and 47local Connexions partnerships.The DfES Connexions ServiceNational Unit (CSNU) collectsmanagement information (MI)on a monthly basis from thepartnerships and uses it tosupport policy making.

Business challengeData was collected usingspreadsheets, which created atime consuming process thatwas prone to human error. TheCSNU wanted more control ofinformation in order to helpmeet targets and enable thepartnerships to get on withtheir jobs of helping andadvising young people.

SolutionWorking with CGEY, the CSNUcreated a central, Web-baseddata capture facility accessedthroughhttp://nexus.dfes.gov.uk.


61

We were able to pick up .NET very quickly, and my view is that wewouldn’t have been able to achieve what we have with COM+ or legacy[Microsoft] Visual Basic.

“Debugging is certainly a lot quicker with the .NET Framework. Wealso saved a lot of time, as we didn’t have to deal with DLL hell orregistry conflicts. Initially we only had one environment to test in, butthrough .NET it was possible to create several discrete environmentswithin the one physical environment.”

BenefitsSpeed of development and strong partnershipThe system had to be developed very quickly in order to meet the CSNUdata collection deadlines at the end of April this year. The .NETFramework, with its reusable code and other developer-friendlyfeatures, in addition to the huge collaborative effort between thedepartment and CGEY made this possible.

The project was a learning experience for the CSNU, and many of itsIT team have been able to take on board the management and handson knowledge demonstrated by the CGEY team. “We were veryimpressed with CGEY’s ability to understand the business side of ourorganisation. I never had any doubts about its technical capabilities, butit picked up on some of the nuances and politics with a small and large‘p’ that we need to deal with as a government department very quickly,”says Brenda Alexander, management information and systems director,CSNU.

Reliability, scalability and performanceData is retained online for a minimum of five years, so to meet thisrequirement, the solution conforms to DfES IT Department archivingstandards, which archives data using automated file-based processes.The system supports a minimum of 350,000 records and 75documents to a total of 500Mb over five years.

New process, new lookThe look of the site was very important to the CSNU. It needed to beattractive and intuitive for users to use it and also adhere to CSNUcorporate colours, which are purple and orange. It supports the DfES IT

“A core team of fiveworked on thisproject, which at itspeak had 10 peopleworking on it. Wewere able to pick up.NET very quickly,and my view is thatwe wouldn’t havebeen able toachieve what wehave with COM+ orlegacy VisualBasic.”

PAUL SMITHPROJECT MANAGERCGEY

Public sector62

For more information aboutCAP GEMINI ERNST & YOUNG,go to www.cgey.com

Benefits• 25% reduction in resource

dedicated to datasubmission and processing,meaning more time spenthelping young people

• Speed of development• Flexibility• Ease of use• Better control of information• Reliable, scalable platform

protects investments in thefuture

Software and servicesMicrosoft® .NET FrameworkMicrosoft ASP .NETMicrosoft C#® .NET Microsoft Visual Basic® .NETMicrosoft SQL Server™ 2000

Partners Cap Gemini Ernst & Young


63

Department standard for screen resolution, which currently includes1024x768 and 800x600 screen resolutions.

Ease of use and time savingsEach of the partnerships access the site from any browser-based PCusing a password and sign on name. Internal users benefit from asingle sign on as Microsoft Active Directory has been integrated withStormkeep.

Ease of use was a key consideration in the development, as thedepartment did not want any barriers to prevent or dissuade peoplefrom submitting information. The site has also passed the World WideWeb (W3) Consortium’s standards for accessibility and readability andnew users can be added quickly and easily.

As well as being easy to use, the new data collection channel hasdelivered efficiency gains and timesavings. Alexander says: “Thesystem has been very well received by all the partnerships as they nowhave a great deal of flexibility in how they operate. We have been ableto set up various permissions so that people only have access to reador change the data that is relevant to their role.

“It was taking an awful lot of time to collect and analyse data, whichhas always been viewed by many chief executives as a burden that wasfed into a huge governmental black hole. But we’ve worked very hard toensure that partnerships realise we are only collecting the minimuminformation needed to help monitor their performance. We havereduced the amount of administration dedicated to informationmanagement by at least a quarter, and any time savings we can makein this area enables us to dedicate more resources to the business ofdealing with and helping young people.”

AccuracySmith says: “We created a number of business rules so that inaccuratedata entries are flagged before they become a problem using an errortracking and warning level validation tool. Users can also more easilyreview the data collected in line with what Ministers are asking to provethat the partnerships are being successful and are having enoughinteractions with young people to provide the advice and consultancythat they need.”

FlexibilityIt is very easy to change information, and to correct mistakes such asan incorrectly entered figure. Because the system supports multipleusers, the partnerships and CSNU staff can log in and look at the samedata at the same time and change information there and then.

Rob Walcott, management information manager, CSNU, says: “Boththe CSNU and the partnerships can review the data together, make aninstant decision about what needs to be changed and do so at thetouch of a button. Previously there was lots of email or phone contactto make sure everyone was referring to the same version of data. Nowwe don’t have that problem as the same, current, version of informationis in use throughout the country.”

Meeting targets Smith says: “Previously, CSNU staff would literally tick off what datahad been submitted and from whom. It was a case of ticking off thatpartnership x had submitted datasets one, two and three but not four,and then chasing them up to find out why. The new system is muchmore efficient as it flags up any data sets that are still outstanding andenables the department to be proactive.”

Future plansNow that the CSNU has successfully completed the bulk of its originalproject aims, it is confident that it has a foundation to build on. Longterm plans for exploiting the technology include replacing Eureka withMicrosoft Analysis Services Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) engineallows reports to be produced and viewed dynamically. Again, the .NETFramework will enable easy integration of these technologies.

Walcott says: “To a certain extent we are tied by ministerial wings, sowe never know until the end of the year what our data collectionpriorities will be for the following year, and that has always been aproblem for us. We spent a lot of time with CGEY discussing futureproofing and now have a system that can easily accommodate change.We are now well placed to meet ever-changing priorities and whatevercomes out of future government green papers.”For more information about Connexions, go to: www.connexions.gov.uk

Public sector64

“Both the CSNU andthe partnershipscan review the datatogether, make aninstant decisionabout what needs tobe changed and doso at the touch of abutton.”

ROB WALCOTTMANAGEMENTINFORMATION MANAGERCSNU

More information

For more information about Microsoft products or services, or about any of the case studies in this book,please email:[email protected]

To access information about Microsoft products andservices via the World Wide Web go to:www.microsoft.com/uk

To access information about Web Services go to:www.microsoft.com/webservices

To access information about companies that have usedMicrosoft technology go to:www.microsoft.com/uk/casestudies

To access information about the Microsoft .NETFramework go to: www.microsoft.com/.net

This is a Microsoft publication,designed and produced by

Infoconomy Ltd17-18 Margaret StreetLondon W1W 8RPEmail: [email protected]: www.infoconomy.comTelephone: +44 (0) 20 7612 9300

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