Q Q Q WINDOWS MIGRATION
IT’S NOT TOO LATE… YET.
IT’S TIME TO PLAN YOUR MOVE AWAY FROM WINDOWS XP
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f your organization – like a surprising 30-plus percent of companies – is still running Windows XP, you’ve got less than a year to develop and execute a Windows 8 migration plan.
On April 8 of next year Microsoft will officially pull the plug on all support, patches and security updates for the increasingly wheezy XP operating system. That means you will be on your own against the kinds of threats and vulnerabilities Microsoft routinely addresses today. While the thought of a Windows migration may be daunting, the good news is that by waiting this long to upgrade, you – and all of your system users – will immediately see significant improvements in performance, productivity and stability in your new Windows environment.
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Beyond that, you are positioned to save your organization from making an interim move to Windows 7. That relatively recent upgrade cycle is keeping many organizations from enjoying the security and mobility enhancements that Windows 8 delivers – as well as the BYOD potential it represents. Better still, you don’t have to go it alone. One call to a Zones account executive can rally a team of experts to guide your organization through the migration process.
Better for your people The way people work has changed dramatically since XP debuted over a decade ago. Today, workers use technology at home and at work interchangeably. They’re mobile and expect access from anywhere. They increasingly use their personal devices to do work, and vice versa. They want to connect to work files and personal files from the device at hand. Windows 8 allows them to do all of this. Windows 8 delivers the same great experience across all hardware, from tablets to laptops to all-in-ones. Users get the same start screen, applications, files and settings across all devices. This means users can work with Windows wherever they need to and however they need to, whether using touch or a mouse and keyboard – whatever is most appropriate for the task at hand and the device in hand.
Windows 8 is also cloud-connected. built into new machines such as By signing in with a Microsoft integrated WiFi and Bluetooth, account, users instantly connect fast USB ports and high-resolution to everything that makes Windows monitors are either poorly their own, including personalized supported or not supported by XP. themes, language preferences, What’s more, the typical 32-bit XP and Wi-Fi settings. Mail, calendar, operating system is not able to take a and people apps advantage of the d stay 100% in sync de facto standard across all devices, minimum 4GB of Windows Migration m m and the SkyDrive memory, which can ROI … will be rapid bbe fully exploited app provides access and measurable b to their files. by a 64-bit install o of Windows 7 or 8. Internet Explorer 10 gives your users an experience The clock is ticking specifically designed to work with Windows 8. Every navigation and There are a few key decisions you action you want to execute is just have to make before fast-tracking a swipe or tap away. And it contyour migration, chief among them: inues to provide the most trusted Will you migrate to Windows 7 or 8? browsing experience, keeping systems safe from web security At this point, leapfrogging to and privacy concerns. Windows 8 looks like the smart
Better for your bottom line A 2012 IDC study pegged the overall support cost of existing XP installations at $870 annually, versus a cost of $168 per PC to support Windows 7 installations, for an incremental $702 per PC per year for IT and end-user labor costs.
Features like Windows to Go let IT administrators deploy Windows to USB keys, letting users carry their entire Windows experience wherever they go, using any device they like. And it’s all safe and secure. With robust security features like Trusted Boot and Measured Boot, and built-in malware resistance, Windows is secure right from startup. People can work anywhere, and connect everywhere.
This fact alone suggests that the ROI on migration costs will be rapid and measurable – even if those costs should include hardware upgrades that will allow users and administrators to take full advantage of Windows 8 functionality. It’s also interesting to note that virtually any PC acquired in the last three years is vastly overpowered and under-utilized in an XP environment. Many features
move. Microsoft is about to release Windows 8.1, with further security enhancements, additional BYODfriendly features, remote-wipe capability and the ability to opt for a more traditional Windows user experience. Windows 8.1 will bring your organization completely up to date and keep it there longer. Whatever you decide, you will need to move quickly. With just nine months to go before XP support ends, you’re looking at an ambitious – though certainly doable – migration schedule. To get you there most efficiently, Zones has teams of licensing and implementation experts on hand who can help you with every aspect of migration planning and execution. Reach out to us, and we’ll help ensure a smooth move away from XP. Q
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Q Q Q IT TRENDS WE’RE WATCHING: SOFTWARE DEFINED NETWORKING
IS
SDN
THE ANSWER?
Mobility, cloud, and big data are just some of the trends challenging legacy networks. And IT managers are relying on tech innovations for help.
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ctually, your first question might be, “How is SDN different?” After all, software has been controlling network equipment for a long time. With SDN, it’s where the software “lives” that’s turning the long-standing network paradigm upside down. SDN or application-oriented networking abstracts or “decouples” network logic and policies from the underlying hardware devices to enable intelligence and state of the network to be managed centrally.
current networking certifications In the industry. The innovation and change that SDN brings to the IT infrastructure gives rise to significant benefits. Q
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Are SDN and network virtualization the same? No. Network virtualization allows IT managers to consolidate multiple physical networks, divide a network into multiple segments, or create software-only networks between virtual machines. The main goal of network virtualization is to improve speed, automation and network management.
The promise of SDN With the introduction of SDN technology, a static network can evolve into an intelligent, extensible service delivery platform capable of responding quickly to business, end-user, and market changes. Zones solutions architects know how to design SDN solutions with these factors in mind. They hold the most
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Centralized management and control of networking devices from multiple network equipment manufacturers Rapid innovation of network capabilities and services without the need to configure individual devices or wait for updates Programmability by operators, enterprises, and software publishers (not just hardware manufacturers) using common programming environments Increased reliability and security as a result of centralized and automated management of network devices, uniform policy enforcement, and fewer configuration errors More granular network control with the ability to apply comprehensive and wide-ranging policies at the session, user, device and application levels Better end-user experiences as applications exploit centralized network state information to seamlessly adapt network behavior to changing user activities
The first steps to SDN Laying the groundwork for SDN is OpenFlow™. The Open Networking Foundation (ONF) is a non-profit consortium that is leading the advancement of SDN and standardizing critical elements of the architecture such as the OpenFlow protocol. OpenFlow is currently being featured in a variety of networking devices and software. Q
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Cisco® Open Network Environment (ONE) is a comprehensive, holistic approach to help networks become more open, programmable, and application-aware Brocade® MLX® and NetIron® XMR Routers feature integrated support for OpenFlow, enabling SDN for programmatic control of the network IBM System Networking offers one of the most complete solutions today for SDN: Programmable Network Controller (PNC), SDN for Virtual Environments (SDN VE), and OpenFlow-enabled switches VMware® SDN architecture consists of the Virtual Distributed Switch and VMware vCloud® Networking and Security Edge Gateway, managed through vCloud Director or vCenter HP® supports OpenFlow on forty switch models within its portfolio and builds on the success of the FlexNetwork Architecture
We know that SDN is a different approach to networking – a transformation which, when executed properly, can result in delivering significant value, that
better aligns to the demands of the business. And while SDN is new and it’s in the early stages, Zones networking specialists and solutions architects are already working with organizations on strategies to bring their networks forward with OpenFlow and other SDN technology innovations.
Zones is your proactive partner even as technology changes SDN is considered by many to be the next step in the new era of IT and the evolution of virtualization and cloud computing.
The Department of Defense has awarded $910, 000 to a team of computer security experts at Indiana University to lead effort in securing SDNs. Is this the only game-changing trend you should be aware of? Of course not. Technology is in a constant state of flux with new trends emerging and new products appearing every day. Some of these technologies will make significant differences in how you do business, others might not. That’s why Zones stays ahead of technology trends by anticipating them, helping you adapt to them in your unique IT environment, and ultimately enabling you to profit from them. Q Software-Defined Networking: The New Norm for Networks, Open Networking Foundation White Paper, April 2012 http://searchsdn.techtarget.com/answer/SDNnetwork-virtualization-Are-they-the-same http://www.opendaylight.org/ http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/ 24381.html
SOFTWARE DEFINED DATA CENTER D P Pioneered by VMware and rrecognized by the industry and analysts alike, the software-defined a data center (SDDC) delivers all d IT resources and applications as software and governs them with policy-driven automation, greatly speeding and simplifying provisioning and management. Q Q
Applications at business speed Cloud service provider economies within your data center
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Deploy an SDDC today Zones offers VMware solutions for implementing the SDDC architecture in your private data center and beyond. For expert advice and information about SDDC solutions or any other SDN products, contact your Zones account executive.
http://www.vmware.com/solutions/datacenter/ software-defined-datacenter/index.html
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DEMYSTIFYING
THE CLOUD AND DELIVERING IT ON YOUR TERMS
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he cloud is meant to simplify computing, but the technology is not easy to understand. What is the cloud? How does it work? Which solutions are really cloud-based? What are the first steps to the cloud? The Zones team of cloud technology specialists demystify the cloud and provide cogent solutions to meet client IT business goals and guide clients into the technology future that is cloud computing.
The great technology misnomer The term “cloud” implies that software applications and information are somewhere in “cyberspace.” But it’s not that ethereal. While cloud computing separates data and software from the servers and storage systems running them, those systems still exist somewhere. Basically, cloud computing is on-demand computing over the Internet.
The cloud changes its shape The most frequently talked about cloud offering is Software as a Service (SaaS). This is when software applications are hosted by a service provider and accessed by subscribers over the Internet. SaaS allows the storage, access, and sharing of data from Internet-connected devices, anyplace you are.
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Q Q Q DEMYSTIFYING THE CLOUD
Before there was SaaS, and before the Internet existed, IBM and other IT companies operated service bureau businesses called time-sharing or utility computing. Expansion of the Internet in the 1990s brought about a new class of centralized computing called Application Service Provider (ASP). SaaS extends the idea of the ASP model, offering organizations the service of hosting and managing specialized business applications. SaaS has dramatically changed since its first mention in an article published in 2001 by the Software & Information Industry’s eBusiness Division entitled “Strategic Backgrounder: Software as a Service.” At the time, SaaS was making news as the next big thing in modern technology. But the revolution hit a speed bump with the dot-com shakeout, and many people were calling SaaS a fad. They were wrong. Cloud computing represents a major change in how we run applications and store information. And SaaS is more robust than ever before. A common misperception is that cloud computing implies an “external” location of resources, based on the public cloud model. The fact is that cloud computing is “a way of doing computing,” not a destination.
Zones Public Cloud Solutions
PUBLIC
Public clouds are a way of doing computing and commonly referred to as software as a service (Saas). The public cloud service provider makes resources, such as applications and storage, available over the Internet. These applications and associated data reside inside the service provider’s data center (managed by that provider). This gives users access to resources from anywhere. But don’t let “public” mislead you. A public cloud is designed with security in mind. Case in point: Zones recommendation of Microsoft Exchange Online solution for a healthcare organization. Zones aided one of the largest nonprofit healthcare systems in the United States by moving 30,000 computers from on-premise Lotus Notes to Microsoft Exchange Online via the cloud. The move ultimately will save this client $2.5 million in IT costs, plus provide increased email management, stronger security and
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reliability, and enhanced business continuity. This first step to the cloud also proactively assists the healthcare organization’s IT manager by setting a foundation for their planned cloud-based unified communications solution.
Zones Private Cloud Solutions
PRIVATE Private cloud is the cloud infrastructure operated internally for a singular organization. Key hardware resources — compute, storage, and networking — are pooled and abstracted into units that enable IT managers to dynamically provision and scale applications and resources. It can be managed by the organization or (a third party) and can exist on-premise or in geographically distributed data centers. And everything is done behind the security of a firewall. These are the reasons Zones recommended a private cloud solution to a client with soaring sales, outdated equipment and limited floor space. A Zones client was looking for dynamically scalable servers, increased storage availability, efficient automation, and reduced IT support costs. Our cloud solutions and storage specialists designed a private cloud and unified computing solution — a VCE Vblock architecture of Cisco, EMC and VMware products that was developed, tested and adapted to meet the organization’s requirements. The Zones solution enabled full migration to a virtualized cloud delivery platform for all of the client’s business applications housed within their own data center.
Zones Hybrid Cloud Solutions
Benefits of the cloud, when it’s done right
HYBRID
A hybrid cloud is composed of two or more clouds, private or public, that remain unique entities but are bound together by standardized technology that enables data and application portability (e.g., cloud bursting for load balancing between clouds when demand for computing capacity spikes). The hybrid approach is a valid option for organizations wanting to keep some IT resources out of the pubic cloud. And the mix and match of public clouds and local IT assets gives IT managers another way to get the most from their IT budgets. Business and IT alignment was the primary goal when one of our long-time clients requested that our solution specialists implement a hybrid cloud. Determined to contain its IT costs and improve productivity, an electronics manufacturing company looked to Zones to help them test two cloud-based solutions, one of which was Microsoft Office 365. Zones arranged a two-week trial and after putting the solutions through their paces, the client concluded Office 365 was the best choice. Zones transitioned the company’s traditional volume licenses to the Office 365 subscription service. The service also included messaging and collaboration solutions Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Lync Online and Office Professional Plus. Not only did the company avoid employee downtime during the testing and smooth transition, but also it reduced total cost of ownership and laid lai a foundation for further migration to the cloud.
Selecting a public or private cloud implementation will depend on your application, performance, security and compliance requirements, but with the proper deployment, cloud computing provides significant benefits. Q
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Enhanced productivity: Give authorized users anywhere and anytime access to information using any device over the Internet Cost control: Optimize the use of computing resources, reduce large upfront costs, and scale costs based on only the software applications used in your organization Risk mitigation: Maintain control over security with a private cloud, safeguard data backups off site, and avoid software licensing non compliance Faster application deployment: Adapt to changes quickly through dynamic provisioning of end-user clients and rapid delivery updates and new applications Increased efficiency: Many cloud programs are designed to work with other services seamlessly, integrating functions such as email and contact management to save time Stronger resiliency and redundancy: Get automatic failover between hardware platforms and disaster recovery services in a private cloud, ensuring uninterrupted data center services
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Just how hot is cloud computing? Today, millions of people have their heads in the cloud. And many don’t even know it. 425 million people worldwide use Gmail, and all email users combined send over 204 million messages every minute. 150 million people use Apple’s iCloud. 50 million people use Dropbox to save more than 1 million files every 3 minutes. And by 2015, 340 million more people will have moved to the cloud. http://www.cloudtweaks.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Cloud-Computing-Fact-Or-Fiction1.jpeg vmware cloud pdf
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How Zones sees and sells cloud solutions Zones segments its cloud offerings based on industry standards to help you evaluate the features of our cloud solutions. We have evaluated numerous partner offerings and chose the best solutions within each of the following categories: Messaging: Zones cloud-based email and messaging solutions eliminate the need for IT to perform upgrades, install add-ons or do patching. They also reduce IT staff time and resources for email upkeep and maintenance, provide scalability and deliver predictability in budgeting. Collaboration: Our cloud collaboration solutions – web conferencing, creative tools and services, online file sharing, and hosted CRM – offer efficient and effective ways for people to work together. Because they reside in the cloud, they are easy to setup and use, and provide remote access to applications and their contents. Multiple team members from different locations can share documents, videoconference or access content using a variety of devices. Data protection: We are experts in data protection and security solutions, and partner with the biggest names in endpoint and web security. Our cloud-based data protection solutions monitor and safeguard all your critical data, extend your corporate security and policies to cloud traffic, and combine your security resources to operate your IT with more efficiency and reliability. Infrastructure: Cloud infrastructure solutions from Zones provide smart options for organizations to manage their critical IT infrastructure needs with minimal hardware investment or IT management. Our solutions range from enterprise applications to online hosting and data backup/storage and more. Benefit from increased agility, lower hardware costs, simplified management, improved data recovery and failover abilities, and automatic software upgrades.
Zones can get you there With more than 10 years of experience in cloud-based technology, Zones is the ideal choice for your cloud solutions. Our cloud technology experts are on top of the latest cloud-based solutions and services, and we can help you select the option that will help you successfully achieve your business goals. Dedicated team: Zones Cloud Solutions team focuses on helping our clients understand the key characteristics and benefits of public, private and hybrid cloud solutions and the variety of service, delivery and procurement models. Technical expertise: Zones expertise and knowledge of cloud technologies and data center solutions ensure successful planning, deployment and operation of your cloud computing solutions. Industry leading solutions: Zones evaluates and recommends only partner offerings that are proven to meet or exceed performance expectations. Assessment services: Zones cloud solution architects provide concise reports and migration plans to lay a strong foundation for making technically sound, fiscally responsible decisions. Lifecycle management: Zones solutions specialists continue to provide ongoing support and our professional services group offers lifecycle management services that include everything from integrations to asset disposition.
IT Tools: We offer the best in PC and mobile device management solutions. Advantages of these cloud solutions include minimal setup time and cost, no required maintenance, low upfront cost, and pay-perusage or fixed subscription cost. Q
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