Crossroads 2002 A-List Award Winners

Microsoft Corporation
Redmond, WA

Content Management Server 2001 - Enterprise Edition
> Content Management

CUSTOMERS AT WORK

As the entire enterprise migrates to e-business processes, organizations are publishing a greater volume and variety of content on the Web. Microsoft’s enterprise clients are cost-effectively pursuing this expanded agenda. A global telephony provider, a midsized manufacturer, and a multibillion-dollar distributor were among the reference customers. Common strategic objectives included:

§ Handing off content management processes from IT to the business

§ Lowering the cost of e-business operations

§ Improving the Web publishing process enterprisewide

WHY MICROSOFT?

Companies use Microsoft Content Management Server to enable content owners to create, manage, and publish their own content. IT departments use Microsoft Content Management Server as the foundation for personalized, dynamic, and scalable Web sites. Content teams rely on the workflow, revision tracking, and scheduling features to manage the process. The personalization, dynamic page assembly, and multilingual content capabilities ensure that companies can deliver a compelling Web experience to end users. Organizations value Microsoft’s enterprise-level support, product integration, and worldwide developer community.

BUSINESS IMPACT

Near-term value: Microsoft has combined enterprise-class content management functionality with a reasonable price. Reference customers noted that the Content Management Server delivers more value with less complexity and a lower requirement for professional services than leading alternatives.

Enterprise innovation: Companies want to tap into the reservoir of documentation and content that exists inside their organizations. Microsoft’s clients report that the Content Management Server enables business people to easily publish existing documents of various formats and languages onto the Web. One company has turned over control of online content to the marketing department and has a six to 12 month lead over the competition in terms of collaborative e-commerce.

Technology gains: As e-business enters its second generation, or in some companies its third, consistent and reliable business processes are the key objectives for many organizations. IT teams need to take control of a sprawling Web infrastructure without compromising the effectiveness of individual business units. Using Microsoft Content Management Server, a telephony provider has consolidated nearly 200 intranet sites and created a global resource that is accessible from anywhere, at any time. Individual Webmasters are no longer an operations bottleneck.

SUCCESS FACTORS

Project strategy: Development teams should work with business owners to establish global templates for use in Content Management Server. Leveraging standard presentation templates was a critical source of ROI for a number of reference customers.

Learning: Companies find Microsoft Content Management Server easy to use. They recommend that developers explore how to fully integrate the use of the product with other Microsoft offerings. This is a major source of process efficiency for current customers.

Resources: Companies that rely on business partners as outside content contributors for catalog or publishing purposes should consider how each business unit will manage its roster of contributors and their permissions.

Fit: Enterprises considering a migration to a practical and effective Web publishing platform should consider the potential value of Microsoft Content Management Server.

COMPANY INFO

Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) is a public company with 43,887 employees.

425.882.8080
www.microsoft.com/cmserver
Published: January 2002