Editor’s note: The dateline below was updated post-publication to be consistent with the date of the original German-language version of this press release.
UNTERSCHLEISSHEIM, Germany — July 18, 2014 — BASF is focused on innovative technology. To enable its 112,000 staff members to collaborate even more efficiently, the company relies on a collaborative communication infrastructure based on a Microsoft solution. By mid-2015, all employee accounts are to be migrated to Microsoft Office 365.
Because BASF decided to implement Office 365, all its staff members will be empowered to access their emails and documents from anywhere. At the same time, the intuitive use of the graphical user interface of Office ensures that they work productively in an integrated environment. The Office 365 cloud solution can be scaled more flexibly than stationary IT and be expanded easily and rapidly as the size of the organization grows.
BASF uses Office 365 for modern knowledge organization
“The goal of the global implementation of Microsoft Office 365 is to establish an efficient and user-friendly IT solution that supports our business processes optimally — and works independent of the devices our staff members use,” said Wiebe van der Horst, senior vice president, Global Process & Enterprise Architecture of the BASF Group Information Services & Supply Chain Operations.
BASF uses the Microsoft cloud as an integrated platform to connect phones, tablets and traditional computers. As a result, staff members benefit from a highly state-of-the-art working environment. In the future, BASF will also rely on Microsoft technology for managing the company’s smartphones. Using Windows Intune, BASF will be able to administer the mobile devices far more efficiently from the cloud.
“Microsoft supports BASF in this comprehensive and complex project by being available as a partner,” said Thomas Schröder, general manager, Enterprise and Partner Group, Microsoft Deutschland GmbH, who is responsible for Microsoft’s key accounts and partners. “The key criterion for BASF was the ability to transition smoothly, with the support of IT tools, so ongoing operations were not impaired.”
Experience in this field and high-quality standards in security as well as the ease of use and scalability of Office 365 were crucial for the decision in favor of the Microsoft solution as compared with competitors.
Microsoft helps companies combine a more flexible style of working with the opportunities of digital technology and security. The company recently published a manifesto for the new workplace aimed at reshaping the understanding of digital collaboration. By establishing the Office 365 Trust Center, Microsoft also created a standard for security in the cloud.
About Microsoft Deutschland GmbH
Microsoft Deutschland GmbH, founded in 1983, is a subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, U.S.A., the world’s leading manufacturer of standard software, services and solutions, generating $77.85 billion in revenue and $26.76 billion in operating income (in fiscal year 2013; as of June 30, 2013). Alongside its headquarters in Unterschleissheim near Munich, Microsoft Deutschland GmbH operates six regional offices in Germany and employs more than 2,700 staff members. In association with 36,500 partners, Microsoft Deutschland GmbH serves companies of all sizes across all industries. The Advanced Technology Labs Europe (ATLE) in Munich is focused on research in IT security, privacy, mobility, mobile applications and Web services.
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