Despite the many concerns the Comit Gruppe encountered while migrating to NT, it also identified many tangible benefits. These benefits are in addition to the lower costs associated with deploying NT vs. deploying another network operating system (NOS).
Increased Security
With NT's enhanced security, end users can no longer change critical system settings through the Windows Control Panel or add unauthorized software to the PC. The Comit Gruppe can also use NT to create shared project areas, decide which users can access those shared areas, and store user data on NTFS partitions on the NT file servers to restrict access to certain information.
Fewer Support Calls
The number of support calls to the Comit Gruppe Help desk has decreased by 20 percent because users can no longer accidentally corrupt their operating system. NT's common server and workstation environment lets the company resolve problems quickly and effectively because support staff can confidently deal with both environments.
Increased Productivity
NT's multitasking capability makes users more effective. Also, moving the file and print services to the NT platform lets the Comit Gruppe better manage and use the UNIX environment because the company can optimize the UNIX servers to function as database and project servers without the overhead of providing file and print services.
Easier Mobile Access
With NT, mobile workers can easily move from office to office because the local Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server assigns them an appropriate address for the segment of the network they connect to. Remote users can also dial in to the network using the Remote Access Service (RAS) to access data on the network or update their email databases.
