Storm Group selects NComputing and ITX for new call center

Storm Group, a Danish marketing company, recently expanded their business model to provide telemarketing services to its customers. To be successful, Storm Group would need to build out a complete call center with dedicated computers that would allow call staff to rapidly access sales and marketing information as well as input customer and deal information. For their initial deployment, Storm Group turned to ITX, an NComputing Danish partner, to replace their obsolete PCs with NComputing’s state-of-the-art virtual desktops. Since the deployment of the NComputing desktop virtualization solution, Storm Group has realized many benefits including significant cost savings and an improved working environment for its employees.

Storm Group signed a contract with a major new customer, which included providing both field-marketing support as well as a range of telemarketing services. Torben Marvin Jensen, Managing Director of Storm Group, had considered the idea of a telemarketing department for a long time and decided that this was the perfect opportunity to get started. The company had previously invested in a centralized telephone system and searched for an IT system that would match the new department’s specific needs.

Optimum Utilization of Hardware Capacity

Looking for solutions that were cost effective and low maintenance, Mr. Jensen discovered NComputing through a US based Technology Company he had previously worked with to install NComputing devices in his home. The NComputing solution works because today’s PCs are so powerful that the vast majority of applications only use a small fraction of the computer’s capacity. NComputing’s hardware and vSpace™ virtualization software tap into this unused capacity so that it can be simultaneously shared by multiple users. Each user’s monitor, keyboard, and mouse connect to the shared PC through a small and very durable NComputing access device. The access device itself has no CPU, memory, or moving parts—so it’s rugged, reliable, and easy to deploy and maintain.

Economy and Safety

After assessing a number of virtualization technologies, Mr. Jensen immediately recognized the financial and administrative benefits the NComputing solution would bring to Storm Group. For their initial deployment in the telemarketing department, Storm Group purchased 15 L300 units from ITX, a Danish NComputing technology provider. The deployment was so successful, that within two weeks, Storm Group purchased and installed an additional seven L300 units.

Mr. Jensen was delighted and explains, “The primary reason we chose the NComputing based solution was because it was cost-effective and easier to maintain than any other solution we assessed. We have saved a tremendous amount in acquisition costs and with a power consumption of only 5 watts per unit, we have the greenest IT solution you can imagine. Furthermore we only need to maintain one host server to support all 22 units running simultaneously. An additional benefit is that, our working environment is much better.”

A built-in advantage of NComputing is that its access devices are completely silent and hardly emits any heat, which is a typical problem for call centers and similar office environments. Furthermore the NComputing access devices are mountable on the back of the LCD screens, creating a clean and tidy environment for Storm Group.

Satisfied Users

The employees of Storm Group have adjusted swiftly to their new to NComputing virtual desktops. Since all of the company’s applications are browser based, users are able to have the same computer experience as they did when working on a dedicated PC. As well, the NComputing units are compatible with the existing office productivity tools, making the transition easy. Acknowledging the simplicity of the NComputing solution and ease with which it can be set up, Mr. Jensen explains, “In the future we will not have to spend excess money and hire outside consultants each time we need a new workstation.”

An optimistic future

The success of the NComputing solution has given Storm Group the confidence to deploy access devices across additional departments providing updated computing technology to more employees. At this juncture Storm Group has initiated plans to expand the telemarketing department and deploy an additional 40 NComputing access devices. There are also future plans to provide administrative personnel with NComputing devices.