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Thomas Seltz-Kurzweg in the reference customer interview

Why G&W chose oneclick™ as its solution and what goals and successes have been achieved through its use.

About G&W

G&W Software AG is one of the largest independent software specialists for optimizing processes and costs for construction and maintenance. Its more than 7,000 customers include private architecture and construction planning companies as well as public sector organizations such as municipal utilities and district offices. In addition to its own development, sales, and support, G&W has a nationwide network of competent sales and service partners. The core competence of G&W lies in the development, implementation and application support of integrated software solutions for cost planning, AVA and construction controlling up to the cost documentation of completed construction measures and the planning and billing of measures on the basis of annual service specifications, e.g. for maintenance and other recurring measures.

For more information see: https://gw-software.de/

solution results G&W

Initial situation

  • Self-developed Windows application only available as offline product
  • Increasing demand for a cloud solution
  • Desire to outsource the project without tying up own resources

Impact

  • Customers had to take care of the hardware for the software operation themselves
  • Projects with cloud requirements could not be won
  • Own solution approach would have required staff recruitment and training

Solution

  • Turnkey cloud infrastructure packages
  • Secure and high-performance access to the servers via browser
  • Managed service for setup, updates and ongoing operation

What IT solutions were you using for application delivery before you switched to oneclick™?

We used to offer our Windows application as a pure offline product, which meant that our software had to be installed by customers on their own servers or end devices. In recent years, requests for cloud offerings have increased, so we looked for a solution without the need to redevelop our software.

What problem did G&W solve with oneclick™?

We could serve certain customer groups only inconveniently. Customers with Apple computers, for example, could only use our software with Parallels or Bootcamp. Both solutions were cumbersome for our use case and our clientele.

Where did G&W start looking for a solution to the problem?

Our IT initially looked at Microsoft Azure and other cloud providers. However, the standalone products required specialized IT knowledge, and the additional licenses and tools needed were not easy to determine. For us, that would have led to a complicated pricing model with open flanks, such as based on actual usage or traffic consumption. We also didn’t want to take on the role of a cloud administrator for our customers, but rather focus on our core competencies, namely the development and sales of our application. During our search for a solution, we then became aware of oneclick™ via social media.

How did oneclick™ stand out from other options?

In addition to an application delivery platform, oneclick™ is a service provider for us that solves exactly the problems we had with other approaches. We, or rather our customers, get everything from a single source from oneclick: servers in the cloud and a highly secure access possibility via the browser, without having to install our software or clients on their own servers or end devices or maintain them themselves. Together we have developed turnkey cloud infrastructure packages, with an easy-to-understand billing model at fixed prices.

Was there an obstacle that almost prevented the deployment of oneclick™?

That is answered quickly: No.

What was the decisive product feature for your decision?

The all-round carefree package. The oneclick™ team takes care of the complete setup for test and live environments, including installation and updates of our software. Our application is provided in a GDPR-compliant data center. The management system of oneclick is ISO 27001 certified. Our customers also positively highlight the high-performance servers, the drive for exchanging files between the local end device and the cloud infrastructure, the option to use multiple screens, as well as the integrated printing solution.

What does G&W like best about working with oneclick™?

As I said, we want to have as little to do with IT operations in the cloud as possible. That’s why I like best that the oneclick team takes care of everything. We and our customers have competent contact persons at all times. The customer-oriented service always finds quick and uncomplicated solutions, even if – as is so often the case in IT – problems or challenges sometimes arise due to special customer requirements.

Solution Support

What have you achieved by using oneclick™?

We have been able to convince many Apple users of the coherent overall concept and thus win new customers. Even existing customers who no longer want to operate servers have now opted for our cloud solution. Currently, 31 customers are already using our jointly designed cloud infrastructure packages, and the number is growing by the week. The customers are small and larger architecture firms, construction planning companies, as well as district offices and municipal utilities, each with a handful to more than 100 users. Of course, we also compared the price to other cloud offerings. We estimate that with our jointly developed packages, there is a price advantage of up to 30% compared to a fully managed infrastructure from other providers.

What has exceeded your expectations in working with oneclick™?

The service is unbeatable, whether for a corporate group or individual users. With the turnkey packages, the operational responsibility and customer relationship lies with oneclick. This was important to us for the start of the cooperation in order to build trust in the company and the solution. The next step is now the joint implementation of a SaaS offering, where we take full responsibility towards our customers and oneclick takes care of the setup and operation.