I-Open is creating a revolutionary advertising medium, so it only made sense to build on the revolutionary Microsoft® Windows® 2000 platform.
Customer Profiles
I-Open is deploying a network of high-definition plasma displays to provide dynamic advertising to consumers in shopping malls and other high-traffic retail outlets. Using the Internet, the company delivers rich advertising and promotional messages to these individually addressable displays and can update advertisements in real time. "Right Message. Right Place. Right Now."
Deploying a network of thousands of "virtual billboards"—flat panel displays programmed over the Internet to provide targeted advertising in public spaces—means developing technology that can scale quickly. I-Open chose Windows 2000 because its Active DirectoryTM service provides a robust infrastructure on which the company can deploy that network. Not only does Windows 2000 simplify management of the network, but it also helps ensure that the network is secure.
I-Open Is Depending on Windows 2000 to Manage Its Business
As an Internet start-up, speed to market is critical for I-Open. The reliability of the Windows 2000 platform gives I-Open the confidence to roll out quickly. I-Open is unique among Internet companies because it is using the Web as the infrastructure to deliver its service while also deploying thousands of clients that must be managed remotely. Using a combination of Windows 2000 Server (to provide a secure platform for its Web-based advertising, scheduling, and distribution solutions) and Windows 2000 Professional (to deliver the ads to I-Open's Virtual Billboards), the company can take full advantage of the platform’s deployment features and centralized management. This combined platform provides a lower-cost option, in both the short and long terms, than any other prospective deployment the company has identified.
Seamless Migration; Continued Partnership
It was critical for I-Open to be able to migrate its prototype system, built on the Windows NT® platform, into the next stage of development on Windows 2000. Working with Micro Modeling Associates (MMA), Microsoft’s 1999 MCSP Partner of the Year and the company that built I-Open’s prototype, I-Open was able to make that transition quickly. I-Open had to migrate the proprietary application suite it had built for Windows NT, while ensuring continued integration of the other Microsoft software it was using—including Microsoft Internet Explorer and Windows MediaTM Player on the front end and Microsoft SQL ServerTM version 7.0 on the back end. With the help and expertise at MMA, I-Open was able to complete this migration quickly and without running into any significant obstacles.
Windows 2000 Provides a Distinct Competitive Advantage
Remaining competitive on the Web means making the most of every new technology. If that technology is going to provide an advantage, companies must strike a balance between being on the leading edge and not getting too far ahead of their partners. For I-Open, the decision to move to Windows 2000 was made easier by the knowledge that the hardware and software providers with whom I-Open works had already tested and validated their products on the platform.
Combining that assurance with the confidence that I-Open could migrate its own application suite just as easily, I-Open knew that it could mitigate the risks and take full advantage of the benefits the platform would afford. For an Internet start-up, the technology you choose can make or break the business. I-Open is confident that Windows 2000 is the most reliable platform on which to grow its business.
Software and Services
Windows® 2000 Server and Professional
Internet Explorer
SQL ServerTM version 7.0
Windows MediaTM Player
