eMazzanti Technologies

Shinola, an eMazzanti customer that designs and manufactures consumer products, is showcased in a Microsoft Windows 8 Pro case study

Hoboken, New Jersey ­- (Vocus) November 29, 2012 —With a mission of bringing back manufacturing to the United States, Shinola, once known primarily for its quality shoe polish, now has a much bigger success story to tell as part of Microsoft’s Windows 8 launch. As an eMazzanti customer for more than two years, Shinola was nominated by the IT partner because of its leading-edge adoption of Windows 8 into its Detroit and Dallas offices.

The company needed the latest technology solutions that would address its main business challenges—mobility, gaining a competitive edge, and point-of-sale presentations. In particular, Shinola needed a portable device that it could use to demonstrate its product line to potential buyers.

“We imagined a computer on which we can flip through the inventory easily,” says Andy Olsen, Planning Manager at Shinola. “It has to be a tangible experience that would allow us to show buyers a selection of products to choose from. We want to be able to connect to our business, our people, and our customers at any time and from any location.”

eMazzanti Delivers a Windows 8 Solution

In April 2012, Shinola worked with its network consulting partner, eMazzanti Technologies, a Microsoft Gold Partner, to begin using two tablets running the Windows 8 Pro operating system through a consumer preview. Olivier De Boel, Plant Manager at Shinola, has a tablet at the Detroit plant, while Olsen and the company’s IT professional use the other tablet at the Dallas office. Windows 8 Pro features a Start screen with customizable tiles that update in real time. “The Start screen is really clean,” says De Boel. “You can start any window, any application, or any executable.”

As workers move between locations, Windows 8 Pro automatically and seamlessly connects to an available wireless network through Domain Join, a Windows 8 Pro feature that helps protect and manage machines on the domain. “With Windows 8 Pro, I can connect to the plant cameras and view the business activity from anywhere,” says De Boel. “I use that functionality from home all the time.”

Bottom-line Benefits

As a small company, Shinola is poised to take advantage of the advanced technology available with a tablet running Windows 8 Pro. “Windows 8 integrates seamlessly into our infrastructure,” says Olsen. “It has the power and familiarity of a Windows desktop and support for enterprise-level capabilities, which gives us a competitive advantage as a startup.”

Shinola is also realizing improved mobility, enhanced productivity and an increase in usability because of Windows 8 Pro intuitive interface.

About Shinola

Shinola is a design and manufacturing company with operations in Detroit, Michigan and Dallas, Texas, that hopes to reinvigorate the manufacturing industry in the United States. Among other items, the company currently produces watches, bicycles, and small leather goods.

About eMazzanti Technologies

With a company name that sounds more like a purebred, high-performance sports car than a IT support and consulting firm, eMazzanti Technologies is all about delivering powerful solutions in a variety of Outsourced IT services, such as cloud computing, managed printing services, PCI DSS  compliance, computer network management, network troubleshooting, business continuity and disaster recovery, green computing, mobile workforce technology, information security, cloud computing, cloud computing services, and business information optimization in the most efficient manner possible. The Hoboken, N.J., firm is located in one of the most densely populated – and competitive – regions in the U.S. It provides business technology consulting services for companies ranging from home offices to multinational corporations in the New York metropolitan area, the United States and throughout the world. eMazzanti Technologies is Microsoft’s 2012 Partner of the Year for the third year, WatchGuard’s Partner of the Year for three years running and made the Inc. 5000 for the third year in a row. For more information contact us today.