Reference Die Jungfraubahnen

Die Jungfraubahnen – On track for digitalisation.

In 1912, an electric cogwheel railway was opened between Kleine Scheidegg and the Jungfraujoch via the Eiger and the Mönch. The Jungfrau railway boasts the highest railway station in Europe. The journey to the Jungfraujoch – Top of Europe – is owned and operated today by Jungfraubahn Holding AG, the largest mountain railway in Switzerland. A winter sport complex, a site-owned hydropower plant, restaurants, and holiday options round off the attractions for people who want to experience the mountains.

Project details.

Services

Cloud

Industry

Transport / Logistics

Manufacturer

Microsoft

Company size

250 – 1,500 employees

Starting point.

For the Jungfraubahn Group, the wellbeing and security of, and communication with customers around the globe was paramount. The company also required reliable, quick, and networked reservation and booking systems that could also be accessed and used on-the-go. This would ensure that customers remain closely connected to the Jungfraujoch experience and look forward to visiting again. The Jungfraubahn Group needs to maintain constant dialogue with their customers. Dialogue that needs to be able to take place day and night – even from very decentral and exposed workplaces at up to 3,466 metres above sea level. More than 650 employees (up to 1,000 at peak season), many of whom have little technical experience, have to be able to access their IT. This can only work with cutting-edge IT that works affordably and secures the company’s investment in the mid-term.

Project objectives.

For the Jungfraubahn Group, modern primarily means that their IT demonstrates good dispersal and supports both server and client applications. Because the level of flexibility required in the mountains demands an agile IT system with optimum value for money – both in terms of infrastructure and in relation to the customer. New developments need to be able to be quickly implemented and easy to realise. The ultimate goal was to digitalise the Jungfraubahn Group with a cloud solution that would also work on-premise in the high Alpine environment for safety reasons, be scalable, and ensure all enterprise compliance requirements.

With the Microsoft 365 cloud platform recommended by Bechtle, we have laid the foundation on which everything can be connected: our employees, the up to 500 mobile devices, our cashier systems – some in very out-of-the-way places – service providers, and tour operators the world over. Microsoft 365 with Office 365, Windows Enterprise and the EMS Suite are exactly the right tool for our requirements!

Urs Siegenthaler, Head of IT (CIO), Jungfraubahn Holding AG

Process.

The method elected by the Jungfraubahn has been in place for several years and is now supported by Bechtle as a partner. Together, the IT system was transformed from being internal and sealed to one that is externally accessible. Any conflicts between the Microsoft and OpenSource solutions used by the Jungfraubahn Group were nearly entirely eliminated. The hardware, which is up to 95% run on Microsoft servers, now runs in the cloud.

Solution.

It was possible to replace the conventional Microsoft licencing with Microsoft 365 for the Jungfraubahn Group. Bechtle initially made the workspaces accessible for internal and external exchange via SharePoint as part of a software asset management project (SAM365), not least simplifying collaboration with external service providers and tour operators. The cash register PCs at the railway station were also fitted out with Office 365, with licensing per user being illogical as the computers are operated by a large number of people working in shifts. Bechtle therefore split the licence into two profiles. The Jungfraubahn Group now licences their cash registers per device and their employees use all Microsoft cloud technologies on a custom basis. Microsoft 365 enables them to share information within their team and distribute tasks to those responsible.

Microsoft 365’s Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) also equips the Jungfraubahn Group’s up to 500 mobile devices with new management and security features for their Office applications. Identities and accesses are managed directly in the cloud – centrally and for all devices. Apps installed and data stored on the devices are also easy to centrally manage. Changing reservations, translations for international customers, and the option to use their own devices are easy thanks to Microsoft Office 365 and Intunes for Mobile Devices.

The cloud and mobile devices are optimally protected against attacks with Azure Information Protection (AIP) Plan 1. Azure Rights Management assists document classification and Digital Rights Management within the Jungfraubahn Group. And even monitoring of social media is now possible with Microsoft 365.

Business benefits.

But the best is that the employees know Office 365 because they know Office. And employee acceptance is crucial for the new system to be actually used. Introducing Microsoft 365 with the EMM Suite let the Jungfraubahn Group make the leap into digitalisation and Bechtle ensured that the entire team were along for the ride. Work is now easier for everyone, tasks have been optimised, and solutions are available more quickly because teams can connect better with each other.

But this isn’t the end of the SAM365 project. The Jungfraubahn Group is still on the hunt for the right CRM – one that can make their dreams reality. Customers and IT alike provide input for innovations that have to be implemented in harmony. IT is increasingly the business partner with the right solution. And Bechtle is the IT partner who provides secure licensing.