Woodbine Entertainment Group

Success Story

After outgrowing its e-mail system, Woodbine Entertainment wanted a new system that would provide greater stability, as well as a desktop management tool to standardize workstations across its enterprise. The company now runs Novell® GroupWise® on SUSE® Linux Enterprise Server to protect against virus attacks and uses Novell ZENworks® to reduce desktop administration.

Overview

Woodbine Entertainment Group (Woodbine) is a billion-dollar company that offers a range of racing, gaming and entertainment products available across North America and virtually world wide through the company's various internet sites. With its Champions off-track wagering network and other entertainment operations, Woodbine employs approximately 3,000 employees.

Challenge

As in most companies, e-mail is a major part of doing business at Woodbine. The company had outgrown its previous collaboration solution and wanted something that offered robust calendaring and scheduling. Protection against viruses was also a paramount concern after companies were hit by the Slammer virus in 2003.

The IT team also wanted to reduce the time spent managing its desktops. To deliver new applications across the company, Woodbine had to hire expensive consultants to travel to individual workstations. The company also evaluated its licensing costs and looked to Linux for a more cost-effective operating system.

Novell solution

"When my peers tell me about their problems, I ask them why they aren't running a Novell solution. Without Novell, we would have to significantly increase our staff and our budget just to keep up."

Randy Folmes
Director of Information Services
Woodbine Entertainment Group

Woodbine evaluated Microsoft* Exchange before upgrading to Novell GroupWise 6.5 to run on a SUSE® Linux Enterprise Server. The company also found Novell ZENworks to be the right fit for desktop management.

"We took a good look at Microsoft Exchange, but had far too many security concerns," said Randy Folmes, Director of Information Services at Woodbine Entertainment. "We know the damage that a single virus can cause. Novell GroupWise running on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server is one of the best decisions we've ever made."

Woodbine runs GroupWise for 600 users and the company has yet to experience an e-mail virus attack. Users also like the ability to use GroupWise Messenger for secure instant messaging to other employees.

"Novell GroupWise has given us reliable e-mail which is at the core of our business," said Folmes. "We do a lot of e-mail, both internally and with our partners, and GroupWise works flawlessly. We don't ever have to worry about downtime."

Woodbine runs GroupWise on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server to give users better performance and even greater protection again virus attacks. The company leveraged existing Intel* IBM* blade server hardware to run SUSE Linux, eliminating the need to purchase new hardware.

"We only need one administrator to manage SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, replacing the team of people we would need with Windows," said Folmes. "Linux has a smaller footprint and is a more solid and secure platform."

Novell ZENworks has automated desktop management at Woodbine, freeing up its IT staff to focus on other projects. Woodbine can now distribute applications and upgrades throughout the company in a day, rather than weeks, from a central location. The IT staff used ZENworks to upgrade its workstations to Microsoft Windows 2000, and recently distributed the Windows* 2000 patch to protect against the Sasser virus, without having to travel to individual workstations.

The remote control capabilities of ZENworks allow a small IT staff to remain at their desks when providing user support. The staff can now fix 80 percent of its helpdesk calls without physically visiting a workstation.

"ZENworks has made everything we do easier," said Folmes. "We no longer have to drive 50 kilometers to install a new application or troubleshoot a problem. We would never be able to keep up with our growing number of users without ZENworks."

In the past, Woodbine had more than 30 desktop images and one IT person could spend an entire day imaging just PCs. The company now has four standard workstation images and one person can image eight PCs or more per day. The IT staff also uses policy management to standardize its desktops, giving users access only to the applications they need and preventing them from downloading software that might disrupt their machines.

"When my peers tell me about their problems, I ask them why they aren't running a Novell solution," said Folmes. "Without Novell, we would have to significantly increase our staff and our budget just to keep up."

Results

Novell GroupWise running on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server provides the secure and reliable collaboration that is at the heart of Woodbine's business. The company needs only one administrator to manage its entire e-mail system.

Novell ZENworks has automated desktop management and has reduced overall administration time by 80 percent. Woodbine has also reduced travel time and costs by 60 percent and has eliminated the need to hire expensive consultants. The IT staff can provide faster response to its users and has cut the number of open support calls by 70 percent.

"Novell has helped us consolidate our IT functions throughout the company in the past few years," said Folmes. "Our success has really changed the company's perception of IT and we are now viewed as an essential service. We have a better relationship with both our executive team and our users."