Munich, November 28, 2016. The Siemens-Betriebskrankenkasse (SBK), one of the largest company health insurance funds in Germany, is now leveraging Microsoft’s large-format device, Surface Hub, along with Skype for Business to enhance customer service. Since October 1, 2016, a Surface Hub model has been in use at the Munich headquarters. As the next step, the health insurance fund will equip its nationwide branches with a total of 16 Surface Hubs by the end of the year. These large-format devices will enable SBK employees to collaborate more easily and efficiently. Combined with Skype for Business, experts can participate in virtual conferences via Surface Hub, facilitating knowledge exchange with customer advisors distributed across the country, thereby reducing previously necessary travel costs. Additionally, Windows 10 as the platform ensures high user acceptance among employees and IT staff, offering familiar, easy operation and seamless integration into the sensitive IT infrastructure through stringent data protection standards.
The SBK was supported by authorized Microsoft partner Datavision, which oversaw the initial rollout of the systems through a “proof-of-concept,” transportation, assembly, and on-site consultation.
Quick Employee Acceptance and Secure Integration
To fully utilize the potential of the Surface Hub, SBK encourages employees to independently explore different application possibilities for the device. The quick acceptance of the Surface Hub among staff was evident, largely due to the familiar Windows 10 platform. “We appreciate the simple operation of the Surface Hub, and the fact that you really can’t make any mistakes. This increases our colleagues’ willingness to engage with the device’s features,” said Sotzny.
Similar to a regular PC, the Surface Hub can be easily integrated into the company’s infrastructure. While this brings advantages in IT management, as a statutory health insurance provider, SBK has particularly high standards for data protection. SBK is one of the 20 largest statutory health insurers, covering over one million people and serving more than 100,000 corporate clients in Germany, with more than 1,500 employees across around 100 offices. For over 100 years, SBK has supported its customers with all matters related to insurance and health.
With Windows 10, the Surface Hub meets the highest data protection standards and can be configured to meet critical requirements. SBK has found a pragmatic solution for these challenges: documents cannot be accessed from the network via Surface Hub. Instead, files must be transferred to the Surface Hub via USB or wirelessly from another device. The IT administration has applied this rule to all company devices, ensuring from the Munich headquarters that critical data protection regulations are adhered to across Germany. Additionally, every device resets itself after use, automatically deleting all data from the previous session to further ensure security.
Large-Format Device for More Effective Collaboration
Surface Hub is designed for modern teamwork, enhancing meeting efficiency and offering a comprehensive alternative to traditional video conferencing systems and existing digital whiteboards. Since October 13, 2016, the Windows 10 Anniversary Update has been available for Microsoft’s large-format device, introducing new features for digital pen input and content sharing. Information on installation and accessing the update is available on the Surface Hub Support webpage.
Since its rollout in March 2016, more than 600 customers across 24 different countries have benefited from Surface Hub. German business customers are using the device in various ways: for example, the European School of Management and Technology (ESMT) Berlin employs Surface Hub for interactive group work and to facilitate internal communication, while becos GmbH in Stuttgart uses the device to reduce administrative overhead in combination with custom-developed planning software.
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