Challenge

Major change is afoot in the Swiss utilities industry, with the drive for market liberalization gaining momentum. Large organizations already have the freedom to choose their electricity and gas supplier.

Daniel Epprecht, Head of IT Services at SH POWER, begins: “The energy market in Switzerland is changing very rapidly. To take full advantage of the new business opportunities, we want to be able to react fast.”

Urs Iseli, Head of Application Services at SH POWER, elaborates: “To meet evolving market requirements and new customer demands, rapid, reliable and mobile access to the latest business data is essential. The ability for employees to share documents without delay is increasingly crucial to the smooth running of our business.”

Solution

Having used Micro Focus Filr for file sharing as part of the Micro Focus Open Workgroup Suite for some years, SH POWER decided to upgrade to Filr Advanced Edition.

Daniel Epprecht comments: “Micro Focus Filr Advanced Edition enables our staff to share documents in just a few clicks, instead of having to send large emails back and forth, configuring FTP servers or even carrying around USB sticks. Filr is very user-friendly and, because it is available on all devices – desktop PCs, laptops, tablets and smartphones – staff can log in remotely, and we can easily exchange files with external partners.

“One of the main reasons we chose to move to Filr Advanced Edition was that we wanted to streamline processes and make network folders available more flexibly. The advanced security features including multi-factor authentication enable us to protect sensitive data in a regulated environment much better, and we are always looking for ways to improve security.”

SH POWER works closely with trusted partner NEXPERT AG. “Support from the NEXPERT team has always been excellent with specialists at hand to help with a wide range of products,” says Urs Iseli. “NEXPERT enabled us to automate many processes and guided us through certification processes to optimize our business.” NEXPERT also connects SH POWER with other Micro Focus customers to facilitate knowledge sharing.

Micro Focus Filr Advanced Edition integrates seamlessly with SH POWER’s existing Micro Focus and NetIQ® solutions, which form the backbone of its IT services. The company uses Micro Focus Open Enterprise Server for file and print services, Micro Focus GroupWise® for email, calendaring and instant messaging, Micro Focus ZENworks® for endpoint management, NetIQ Identity Manager and Access Manager® to control user permissions, and Micro Focus Vibe for collaboration.

Results

With Micro Focus Filr Advanced Edition, the 250 internal and external users are able to share data quickly and easily while the IT team has full control over storage location and access permissions.

Daniel Epprecht notes: “Engineers can share construction plans and documentation almost instantly. Surveyors can fill in forms on the go while inspecting locations, avoiding duplicate data entry and speeding up information flow across departments. This increased flexibility provides staff with the information they need to get on with their jobs without delay – which is particularly important during this period of change in the Swiss utilities sector.

“Micro Focus Filr Advanced Edition is also integrated with our NetIQ and Micro Focus solutions including GroupWise, leveraging existing information and avoiding additional configuration workload."

SH POWER changed the look and feel of Micro Focus Filr Advanced Edition to match the company’s corporate design, making sharing with external partners look more professional and strengthening the company’s brand. Allowing staff to specify when access to shared files should automatically expire strengthens security when working with external partners.

Daniel Epprecht remarks: “We plan to boost security further by implementing NetIQ Advanced Authentication and enabling two-factor authentication for file sharing.”

Looking to the future, SH POWER also aims to implement Micro Focus Service Desk to track and resolve issues more efficiently, relieving pressure on the IT team.

Urs Iseli concludes: “Supported by our partner NEXPERT, and with the reliable and powerful Micro Focus Open Workgroup Suite and NetIQ solutions, we’re confident that we can keep pace with industry changes, and make the most of the new business opportunities they bring.”