MS Exchange India

  Inter Globe Services Standardizes Business Processes and Improves 

Overview

Country: India

Industry: Textile Exports

Customer Profile:

Inter Globe Services is a Government of India recognized export house operating out of city of Bombay, India. Its exports consist of value added textile products. With a turnover of over Rs 50 crore  with a year on growth of 40%.

Business Situation:

Inter Globe Services used a Novell Netware based solution. This solution offered only file and print services. To meet the organization’s growth, Commitments to international clientele and the government, Inter Globe required a more comprehensive solution.

Solution:

Techgyan, Microsoft’s Business Partner and IT consultant to Inter Globe Services, suggested a Microsoft Windows Small Business Server based solution. Techgyan also developed and deployed a SQL Server 2005 based application, Textile Tracker 2003, which automates its business processes.

Benefits:

1. Easy to manage

2. Improved performance

3. Better communication
4. Secure Network

Situation:

Inter Globe Services is a Mumbai-based, Government of India recognized, golden status holder export house. Set-up in 1974, its exports consist of value added textile products such as bleached/ dyed/ printed cotton, manmade fibre textile products. 

In the last few years, the textile exports market has become more competitive, a fallout of the liberalization and globalization of the Indian economy. India's textile exports are targeted to reach US $ 50 billion by 2010. Inter Globe has benefited from the liberalization with a turnover of over Rs 50 crore in 2003-04, a 20% year on year growth.

While the market is very competitive on price, international buyers are also looking for high quality products. This has led to radical changes in the industry. Most companies have upgraded their manufacturing processes to come at par with other players in the global arena. Because of this, India has seen an increase in exports of a wide variety of items not only in cotton but also rich blends of cotton, synthetics and other fibres.

While the shop floor has seen technology upgradation, international customers expect the communication and technology infrastructure of the exporters to be at par with other companies round the world.

Inter Globe Services has implemented a Novell Netware 3.12 based LAN in 1991. While the solution provided robust file and print services, it did not offer any other functionality such as centralised fax server or messaging. The organization has begun to feel the constraints of its existing IT infrastructure.

“Our customers wanted us to be connected via email and Internet round the clock. This was not possible, as our infrastructure did 

not permit it. Over a period of time, we felt an over-riding need to upgrade our IT infrastructure,” explains Paresh Haria, Partner, Inter Globe Services.

Inter Globe Services decided to improve internal efficiency, ensure compliance with government regulations and provide high quality service to its customer. To achieve this goal, the company decided to deploy an end-to-end technology backbone.

Solution:

The organization began planning the new solution with the help of its IT consultant, Techgyan. “Being a small organization, with a LAN for just 15 people, we wanted a cost-effective solution. Also, we did not want to add overheads such as  full time IT administrator, therefore the solution had to be easy enough to be managed by IT non experts,” explains  Paresh Haria, Partner, Inter Globe Services Private Limited. Another key requirement was a solution for easy management of business contacts.

Techgyan suggested a Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003 based architecture. “We have implemented several SBS based networks in the last few years and were confident that we would be able to provide a world class infrastructure at competitive prices,” explains Suresh Ramani, CEO, Techgyan. 

Solution Overview :

The organization acquired 10 licenses of Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003 in early 2004. After conducting configuration and sizing exercise, Techgyan suggested a 15 port LAN which would allow Inter Globe Services to add five PCs as and when the need arises. Also, it recommended that the organization upgrade its LAN infrastructure to from the old 10 Mbps LAN cabling to 10/100 Trunet Cabling. It also recommended a new HP Server, Compaq desktops and an APC UPS.  

A HP Prolaint Server and Intel 10/100 Fast Ethernet Switch, with Microsoft Windows Server 2003 forms the backbone of the organization. On this one server, the organization has implemented several applications for file, print, Web, application and management services.

All the old desktops have been replaced with HP PCs running on Windows XP Professional and Office XP Professional.

The migration from Novell Netware 3.12 to Microsoft Windows 2003 was a painless process with Windows Services for Netware. Once the network was up and running, Techgyan implemented the Fax Server which is a part of Microsoft Windows Small Business Server. Users can create and send faxes from their desktops. All incoming faxes are routed to a network laser printer.

With the Fax Server in place, Shared Contacts we the next application deployed using Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 and Outlook 2003. Using the import/export wizard of Outlook, contacts from multiple sources were consolidated to Shared Contacts. Inter Globe Services extensively relies on email group calendaring and public folders to conduct day-to-day activities.

Microsoft Exchange 2003 Server implemented took only three days to provide the messaging and collaboration needs for the organization. This brings the organization at par with its international customers with anytime, anywhere access email and information. 

In addition to this, Inter Globe Services has also effectively used other components of Microsoft Windows Small Business Server such as Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server 2004 as a firewall and Web cache server. ISA Server met all pre-requisites for broadband connectivity  such as proxy server and firewall; therefore, no additional investments were required.

In addition, Inter Globe Services has implemented a comprehensive anti-virus solution from Trend Micro. It protects the network at all four entry levels i.e. desktop, server, email server and Internet gateway. 

Developing and Deploying SQL-based Textile Tracker 2003

A key pain area for Inter Globe Services was standardization of business processes. To resolve this problem, Techgyan created a Microsoft SQL Server 2005 based solution, Textile Tracker 2003. Since SQL Server 2005 is included in Microsoft Small Business Server, there was no need to procure software licenses.

Textile Tracker 2003 streamlines manufacturing, processing, and export operations. It took TechGyan nine months to develop, test and deploy the application.

The application manages the manufacturing process from Grey Contract (contracts with quantity and quality details); receiving the Grey cloth and checking it against the contract to processing and warehousing.  It also tracks textile manufacture for export and local markets, thereby providing and end to end solution for textile export.

Inter Globe Services, a Government of India recognized, golden status holder export house required a solution that would improve communication, standardize business processes and streamline day-to-day activities within the organization.

With the help of Techgyan, a Microsoft Business Partner, it has effectively utilized all key components of Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003 to improve network functionality and communications. 

With growing business needs, it felt an acute need to use a business solution to manage textile manufacturing, processing and exports, its core business activities.  Built on Microsoft SQL Server 2003, the solution offers functionality that has simplified and streamlined business processes. 

Today, Inter Globe Services has an infrastructure comparable with the best at a fraction of the cost. 

“Shared Business Contacts is one of the best features of the solution. All our contacts are available in a central database and can be accessed from any desktop. We no longer need to worry about lost contacts or spend precious time finding contact details.”

Paresh Haria, Partner

Inter Globe Services

“The migration from Netware to Windows 2003 took us only 2 days to complete”

Suresh Ramani,  CEO,   

Techgyan

Benefits :

*Easy to manage – no need for IT Administrator

Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003 has helped create a user friendly and easy to manage solution. “We are able to manage the infrastructure in-house with weekly onsite visits by the Techgyan engineers. This has helped us keep our costs in control,” Paresh Haria, Partner, Inter Globe Services.

*Better Communication

By sharing contacts, email access from desktop as well as the web mail, Inter Globe  Services has been able to improve communication within the organization as well we with its customers. “With growing competition, our expertise textile manufacturing and exports was not enough. Our customers wanted us to have the right technology infrastructure as well. With Microsoft Exchange Server and Outlook we conduct our business far more professionally,” comments Paresh Haria, Partner, Inter Globe Services.