Cervelo Pharmaceuticals

Pharmaceutical Firm Treats Productivity Concerns with Windows Vista®, Office 2007

Posted: February 25, 2009

Cervelo Pharmaceuticals operates in the competitive pharmaceutical industry, taking drugs through clinical trials to help make them commercially viable. The firm is developing a specific drug that could help people living with painful neurodegenerative diseases such as shingles better cope with their illness. To protect its valuable intellectual property Cervelo needed a more reliable and secure IT system to support employee productivity and information security. Working with Microsoft® Gold Certified Partner ProServeIT, Cervelo deployed the Windows Vista® operating system and the 2007 Microsoft Office system on company laptops for efficient information access and protection. The IT system incorporated Windows® Small Business Server 2003 R2 for Internet connectivity, email and calendar-sharing. Today Cervelo’s data is protected, employees are productive, and the firm has an IT platform that will grow with its business.

Company Overview Cervelo Pharmaceuticals develops drugs for neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease. Headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, the company conducts clinical trials that help validate early-stage drug candidates for pharmaceutical manufacturers, which then transform the medicine into commercial products.

Business Challenge

Cervelo began in 2006 when Dr. Mark de Somer and colleague Anthony Giovinazzo left their former workplace, also in the pharmaceutical industry, to explore drug candidates for brain-related illnesses. They identified one drug in particular as a potential development subject, known as Drug Candidate CPL7075. CPL7075 demonstrated a safe and potentially effective treatment for people suffering from shingles, a painful nerve disorder. Cervelo aims to see the drug through the human testing process to help prepare it for commercialization. The drug-development industry is fast-paced and competitive. Cervelo, a small firm of 16 core employees and a network of consultants working remotely, needs every advantage to rapidly advance its drug candidate. From the beginning, the company realized its IT infrastructure would have to support secure information-sharing among employees and partners.

“Intellectual property is very important in this field as our revenue is closely aligned with our ability to manage information and ensure that only authorized people can access the data,” said Giovinazzo, President and CEO, Cervelo.

The company also wanted to boost productivity so the software would have to provide efficient document-editing, processing and filing capabilities. Giving people the ability to arrange meetings and schedule appointments would likewise be an important piece of the IT infrastructure. Reliability was also critical.

It was clear to us from the start that an ad-hoc information system wouldn’t provide the protection or productivity we needed and we wanted to avoid investing in software that would not grow with the company,” Giovinazzo said. “We had to be confident that workers accessing data from remote locations like home offices or other locations could get information when they needed it, and that they’d be able to securely manage the data.”

Solution
Although Cervelo initially considered purchasing computers from Apple, most of Cervelo’s financial and research partners rely on Microsoft®-based software. Cervelo was concerned about having to constantly re-format information. The company also wanted a technology environment that didn’t have any hidden long-term expenses, such as the cost of hiring Apple-specialized IT experts to support the technology, and the cost of waiting for software to be available on Apple computers.

After looking at the total cost of ownership of an Apple computing environment versus a PC environment, Cervelo engaged with Microsoft Gold Certified Partner ProServeIT to develop a network of laptop PCs running the Windows Vista® operating system and the 2007 Microsoft Office system. The network also incorporated Windows® Small Business Server 2003 R2 to help users access information remotely and securely.

“This is a forward-thinking company, so it really made sense that they use the most advanced Microsoft software available,” said Eric Sugar, Vice-President of Project Management and Consulting, ProServeIT. “We suggested Windows Vista and the 2007 Office system combined with Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2 to help Cervelo meet its current requirements and to arm the company with software that would support the business as it grew.”

Windows Vista addressed Cervelo’s data protection, reliability and productivity requirements. With security features built deep into the operating system’s underlying technology, Windows Vista helps prevent malicious applications from connecting to the operating system and potentially introducing a security risk such as software-code-based attacks. The Windows Firewall intrusion-prevention software also stops many kinds of malware programs before they can infect the PC while Windows Defender anti-spyware software helps protect the company’s PCs from applications designed to steal data. The anti-phishing functionality in the Internet Explorer® 7 Web browser warns users away from suspected and known data-stealing Web sites.

With Windows Backup and Restore, Cervelo has access to complete PC backups that help users recover from hardware failure, malware, and other issues that threaten reliability. In addition, the Shadow Copy feature creates point-in-time copies of files, so users can recover documents accidently deleted or changed.

Windows Vista productivity features such as Instant Search help users find information quickly, such as research data and contracts Cervelo has with partners. This complements the 2007 Office system, including Microsoft Office Word 2007 for word processing and Microsoft Office Excel® 2007 spreadsheet software, which help Cervelo’s staff edit and process documents efficiently.

On the back end, Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2 provides file- and print-sharing capabilities, a secure Internet connection, and remote access to corporate data. Combined with Microsoft Office Outlook® 2007, the messaging and collaboration software in the 2007 Office system, Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2 lets people quickly share calendars and schedule meetings – important for fast-moving businesses such as Cervelo, which need to operate as efficiently as possible.

The software also integrates with a wide range of Microsoft and third-party applications, allowing Cervelo to add functions to the IT system as it progresses. “We wanted to protect our technology investment and benefit from the reliability, productivity and security capabilities of an advanced IT platform. Together Windows Vista, the 2007 Office System and Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2 provide solid PC uptime, productivity, data protection, and investment protection,” said Cathy Auld, Vice-President, Finance, Cervelo. ProServeIT enabled Outlook Anywhere on Cervelo’s Windows server, so employees have access to all Office Outlook 2007 functions – even while using laptop PCs off-site. ProServeIT also installed Virtual Private Network (VPN) software on Cervelo’s PCs to connect off-site computers to Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2. The VPN encrypts data traveling between the computers and the server, so Cervelo’s workers can securely access corporate resources such as email, calendars and files.

The partner added an application to Cervelo’s PCs to install software updates and to provide ProServeIT’s technicians remote access to the computers so they can help ensure the computers are performing optimally.

Cervelo subscribed to ProServeIT’s RemoteCare support program, which provides 24-7 IT monitoring, management and help desk support.

“Partnering with ProServeIT allows us to focus drug development confident that our IT systems are stable and available,” Auld said.

ProServeIT provided training on the 2007 Office system and Windows Vista, teaching users how to access information and share data though Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2.

“Many of them were already familiar with the Windows interface,” Sugar said. “It only took a couple of days to familiarize users with the advanced remote-access features and the productivity enhancements.”

Business Benefits
The security features of Windows Vista provide Cervelo with strong intellectual property protection, while the 2007 Office system makes it easier for employees to work faster and more efficiently, boosting productivity. The new, integrated infrastructure is also designed to support Cervelo as it grows and realizes its business plans.

Superior security
Windows Vista helps Cervelo keep information safe, so the company’s managers and investors can rest assured that the valuable clinical data won’t end up in competitors’ hands. And since the PCs are protected from malware and operating reliably, Cervelo’s employees can get on with their work.

ProServeIT’s managed-security and PC maintenance service helps Cervelo’s IT systems perform reliably. Any computer problems are fixed quickly, so staff members can focus on their jobs instead of the underlying software supporting the work they do.

“In this business, downtime is not an option,” Giovinazzo said. “Windows Vista gives us the confidence we need to move ahead with our drug development work.”

With the anti-phishing filter in Internet Explorer 7, Cervelo’s employees can research new business and partnerships without concerns about hackers.

“Many of our employees browse the Internet to learn about businesses we want to work with, and to research industry news,” said Giovinazzo. “We wouldn’t want to open a door for hackers to come onto our network and steal information. The anti-phishing filter gives us the freedom to explore, and provides the protection we need.”

Enhanced productivity
The remote access features of Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2 help staff members work efficiently. With Office Outlook 2007 in conjunction with the new server software, employees can quickly access colleagues’ calendars and schedule appointments. This cuts down on back-and-forth correspondence that would hinder the speed of business.

The Instant Search feature in Windows Vista allows Cervelo’s employees to research documents saved on their laptop PCs quickly, saving valuable time when Cervelo needs to send information to partners, or if the company requires specific information immediately to address research and business-development questions.

The Office Fluent interface in the 2007 Office system provides fast access to the features and functions Cervelo’s employees use the most, shaving down the amount of time required to complete tasks.

“I often use the Compare and Combine feature in Office Word 2007 to tell what’s changed from version to version in documents,” Auld said. “When you’re sending financial statements to auditors and board members, and incorporating their edits and changes, being able to see the difference line by line helps me get more work done.”

The rich end-user experience of Outlook Anywhere supports productivity everywhere. And the file-sharing capabilities of Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2 mean users don’t have to rely on emails and message attachments to exchange data – the information can be uploaded to the Windows server and accessed immediately. This helps Cervelo’s employees communicate more quickly.

“We need to be responsive and agile, and we need to be able to deal with issues in real-time,” Giovinazzo said. “The Microsoft software gives us the ability to communicate quickly. The technology works the way we need to work.”

Secure data
Security has also become more manageable. Using the dedicated security page included in the Essential Business Server 2008 administration console enables TGHC to address threats before they have a chance to affect operations or interfere with day-to-day work.

“Having a central point of management allows TGHC to better administer the overall network more securely, while also allowing for more consolidated back-ups. This is key to developing a more holistic and enterprise-wide security strategy,” says LoPatriello.“This also helps us avoid unnecessary problems with the network. We simply set the policy, and no longer have to worry those viruses will be inadvertently pushed into the system,” says Tong.

Growth support
Cervelo is developing its drug candidate as quickly as possible to maintain a competitive edge. The business will need to add new applications and functions to its IT infrastructure to support this rapid maturation process. Using Windows Vista and the 2007 Office system on the laptop PCs, and Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2 in the back end, Cervelo now has a technology solution that can be readily enhanced. The company will be able to source unique programs from the thousands of application developers creating novel software for Microsoft platforms. Cervelo will also be able to add other parts of the 2007 Office system to its IT systems.

“We know we’ll have to add employees and offices to our operations in the future, so the enterprise content management features in Office SharePoint® Server 2007 would work for us,” Giovinazzo said. “The comprehensive document-version controls and collaboration capabilities would help us work efficiently when we’re growing.”

Microsoft Office System
The Microsoft Office system is the business world’s chosen environment for information work, providing the programs, servers, and services that help you succeed by transforming information into impact.

For more information about the Microsoft Office system, go to: www.microsoft.com/office

Windows Vista
Windows Vista can help your organization use information technology to gain a competitive advantage in today’s new world of work. Your people will be able to find and use information more effectively. You will be able to support your mobile work force with better access to shared data and collaboration tools. And your IT staff will have better tools and technologies to enhance corporate IT security, data protection, and more efficient deployment and management.

For more information about Windows Vista, go to: www.microsoft.com/windowsvista

For More Information
For more information about Microsoft products and services, call the Microsoft Sales Information Center at (800) 426-9400. In Canada, call the Microsoft Canada Information Centre at (877) 568-2495. Customers who are deaf or hard-of-hearing can reach Microsoft text telephone (TTY/TDD) services at (800) 892-5234 in the United States or (905) 568-9641 in Canada. Outside the 50 United States and Canada, please contact your local Microsoft subsidiary. To access information using the World Wide Web, go to: www.microsoft.com

For more information about ProServeIT products and services, call (416) 363 - 9320 or visit the Web site at: www.proserveit.com

For more information about Cervelo Pharmaceuticals products and services, call (905) 402 - 3226 or visit the Web site at: www.cervelopharm.com