Step up your infrastructure

I was recently watching a movie Step Up 2 The Streets and this got me thinking about how customers that I talk to want to Step up their IT infrastructure to the next level to given them edge in the market that they play in.

As a Technology Specialist for Windows Server I tend to spend a lot of time talking to Enterprise customers in Australia regards their IT Infrastructure. The conversation revolves mainly around how Microsoft and it's integrated platform can help them Step Up to the next level in their IT Infrastructure maturity. There are models that I use to understand the current status of the customers IT Infrastructure, specifically The Infrastructure Optimisation Model.

What is The Infrastructure Optimisation Model

The Infrastructure Optimisation Model helps customers realize dramatic cost savings for their IT infrastructure by moving from an unmanaged environment towards a dynamic environment. Security improves from highly vulnerable in a Basic infrastructure to dynamically proactive in a more mature infrastructure. IT infrastructure management changes from highly manual and reactive to highly automated and proactive.

Microsoft and partners can provide the technologies, processes, and procedures to help customers move through the infrastructure optimization journey. Processes move from fragmented or nonexistent to optimized and repeatable. A customer's ability to use technology to improve their business agility and deliver business value increases as they move from the Basic state up the continuum toward a Dynamic state, empowering information workers, managers, and supporting new business opportunities.

By working with Microsoft and using this model as a framework, an enterprise can quickly understand the strategic value and business benefits to the organization in moving from a "basic" level of maturity (where the IT infrastructure is generally considered a cost centre) towards a more "dynamic" use, where the business value of the IT infrastructure is clearly understood and the IT infrastructure is viewed as a strategic business asset and business enabler.

This leads to a Dynamic IT discussion. At Tech•Ed 2007, Bob Muglia (Senior Vice President, Microsoft Server & Tools Business) took Microsoft’s commitment another step further, introducing the company’s comprehensive strategy for Dynamic IT for the People-Ready Business (Dynamic IT). Building on the company’s Dynamic System Initiative and ongoing Application Platform efforts, Dynamic IT is Microsoft’s long-term strategy to provide customers with critical technologies to enable IT and development organizations to become more strategic to the business.

“Our customer promises reflect the most important things we have heard from customers about their top priorities as they look to make IT a strategic asset for their businesses,” Muglia said. “Dynamic IT is our long-term technical approach to help customers ultimately realize those promises.”

Dig deeper into Dynamic IT vision from Microsoft and you will find that Virtualisation is a key enabler of the Dynamic IT vision. In order to achieve Dynamic IT, companies need a virtualisation strategy that mobilizes and manages the resources of the entire infrastructure, both virtual and physical, to meet fast-moving business demands. The right virtualisation strategy - applied within an effective licensing structure - can enable IT to deliver faster and more reliable service, free up critical resources to address larger business goals, reduce costs, and ultimately achieve competitive advantage through business agility.

How do you plan for a Virtualised IT Infrastrcuture?

Microsoft recently announce The Microsoft® Assessment and Planning Solution Accelerator (MAP) which makes it easy for you to assess your current IT infrastructure and determine the right Microsoft technologies for your IT needs.

MAP is a powerful inventory, assessment, and reporting tool that can securely run in small or large IT environments without requiring the installation of agent software on any computers or devices. The data and analysis provided by this Solution Accelerator can significantly simplify the planning process for migrating to Windows Vista®, Microsoft Office 2007, Windows Server® 2008, Microsoft Application Virtualization (formerly SoftGrid), and Windows Server virtualization technologies including Virtual Server 2005 R2 and Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V.

The Microsoft Assessment and Planning Solution Accelerator expands upon the assessment features included in the Windows Vista Hardware Assessment Solution Accelerator. These features include Windows Vista assessment, Microsoft Office 2007 assessment, and non-Windows device inventory, using the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).

The Microsoft Assessment and Planning Solution Accelerator performs three key functions; hardware inventory, compatibility analysis, and readiness reporting.

Get the Microsoft Assessment and Planning Solution Accelerator

Technorati Tags: MAP,IO,Infrastrcuture,Windows Server 2008