Spotlight on cost: Core Infrastructure

To generate cost efficiencies in the current economic environment, it's important to assess your IT infrastructure. Is it performing at its most efficient? Do you have too many servers? How flexible is your IT environment? How easy is it to manage? What would it take to reduce your running costs? Take a look at the information on this site to find out how Microsoft can help you optimise your core infrastructure and adopt best-practice server management.

Get essential information and best practices on improving your IT service levels without adding new costs.
Whitepaper: Spotlight on Cost

Core Infrastructure Optomisation Solutions

Server Infrastructure

Server Infrastructure

Are your servers performing at their most efficient? Find out how a Microsoft solution could help you align your IT systems with your business strategies, processes and goals - to help you control costs, improve your security and availability, and increase the overall agility of your IT.
Integrated Virtualisation

Integrated Virtualisation

Do you have too many servers? Are they taking up unnecessary space, or consuming unnecessary energy, increasing your power costs? Find out how Microsoft Virtualisation could help you drive new value from your IT investment, leverage your existing software investment, and consolidate your physical servers into one, easy to manage solution.
Desktop Infrastructure

Desktop Infrastructure

Your desktop infrastructure can help you drive new levels of efficiency throughout your organisation. Give your people the information, power and flexibility they need to do their jobs efficiently – while ensuring the highest levels of security, manageability and control.
Branch Infrastructure

Branch Infrastructure

Business can be won or lost at your branch sites – where your customers see, touch, and experience what you have to offer. Find out how a Microsoft solution can help you centrally manage your branch sites, more efficiently use hardware and bandwidth, automate backup procedures, and improve the security of your stored and transmitted data.

Videos

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Spotlight On Cost: Trailer Video introduction of Microsoft's two year research effort with 162 IT organizations to identify the 31 data center best practices to reduce cost and achieve improved business performance. Watch the video
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Spotlight On Cost: Secrets to Success Researcher Elliott Morris discusses what it takes to do a good job of implementing best practices in the datacenter. Watch the video
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Spotlight On Cost: Study Surprises Researcher Elliott Morris reflects on the surprises that his team discovered in Microsoft's study on IT costs and best practices. Watch the video
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Spotlight On Cost: Backup and Restore Learn what you can do today to help reduce IT Costs, starting with Backup and Restore. Watch the video
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Spotlight On Cost: Print Management Researcher Brett Williams talks about the primary thing that IT departments can do today to improve service at little or no cost. Watch the video
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Spotlight On Cost: Analyst insight on core focus areas for IT managers today Research director Neil Macehiter of Macehiter Ward-Dutton outlines the core areas IT managers should focus on to reduce datacenter costs, while still providing value added services to the business. Interview supports the research findings from Microsoft’s Best Practices for Reducing IT Operational Costs. Watch the video
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Spotlight On Cost: Analyst guidance for today's IT manager Research director Neil Macehiter of Macehiter Ward-Dutton provides guidance on where IT can add value to the business during a down economy. Focus areas include benchmarking & how to optimize your infrastructure to meet changing business needs. Interview supports the research findings from Microsoft's Best Practices for Reducing IT Operational Costs. Watch the video
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Spotlight On Cost: Best Practices Organisations can still make big things happen in the datacenter at little or no cost. You want to reduce costs, consolidate your servers and resources, and get more from your IT investments. Microsoft can help. We worked with 162 IT organisations to get the 31 best practices that you can implement now to improve IT service levels without adding new costs. Watch the video

Resources

Downloads / Online Test Drive
Get started by downloading the following trial software:
- Windows Server 2008 R2 Evaluate the next generation of the Windows Server® operating system with built-in Web and virtualisation technologies, is designed to help you increase the reliability and flexibility of your server infrastructure.
- System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 Evaluate a comprehensive, cross-platform management solution for the virtualised data centre.
- System Center Virtual Machine Manage R2 Evaluate a comprehensive, cross-platform management solution for the virtualised data centre. This version enables you to take advantage of new platform enhancements in Windows Server 2008 R2 - such as live migration, clustered shared volumes, hot add/remove of storage, network optimisation, and remote desktop services.
Events
- Windows Server Webcasts Tune in as experts discuss technology strategies that help you improve your business and increase profits.
Virtual labs
- Windows® Server 2008 The Windows Server 2008 test drive allows you to try the latest release from Microsoft instantly.
- Microsoft Forefront™ Watch this demo and learn how Forefront Client Security provides unified malware protection for business desktops, laptops, and server operating systems that is easy to manage and control.
- Microsoft® System Center See how Microsoft System Centre can help you improve service levels and IT efficiency across your servers, applications and clients.
- Windows Vista® Explore the improved security, management and productivity by experiencing Windows Vista in these Virtual Labs.
E-Learning
- Windows® Server 2008 Get the skills and knowledge you need to be successful with Windows Server 2008.
- Microsoft Forefront™ Learn how these business security products provide greater protection and control through integration with your existing IT infrastructure and through simplified deployment, management, and analysis.
- Microsoft® System Center Learn how to more effectively manage your physical and virtual IT environment from desktop to datacentre.
- Windows Vista® Get how-to instructions, technical articles, demos, and community discussions on the official help and support site for Windows Vista.
Videos
See how other customers have benefited from Microsoft Virtualisation:
- NAB See how the bank is using new features to improve deployment, and how employees have more reliable access to applications and data. In addition, see how NAB plans to take advantage of Windows Server 2008 technology to consolidate their server hardware. Watch as WMV
- LaTrobe University See how La Trobe University, a leading higher education institution in Australia, was able to automate network access controls for all people – students and staff - connecting to the campus-wide network. Watch as WMV
Case studies
Take a look at these customer success stories:
- La Trobe University Learn how La Trobe University, a leading higher education institution in Australia, automated the health check and repair of staff and students’ computers connecting to the campus-wide network.
- Worley Parsons See how Worley Parsons was able to save over $1 million in time spent managing their server fleet per year.
- Symbion Health Understand why Symbion Pharmacy Services has experienced improved application performance and decreased IT support costs with Microsoft® Windows Server® 2008 by reducing the complexity of their management of remote servers.
- Telstra Business Systems See how the company has significantly improved the capabilities of their branch environment to provide better service to their front-line employees, Telstra Business Systems has also reduced costs by consolidating servers using Hyper-V, which is included in Windows Server 2008.
- Bridgestone Learn how Bridgestone avoids expensive late penalties by deploying wide-area failover clustering to protect business-critical applications —in Windows Server® 2008.
- NAB See how the bank is using new features to improve deployment and provide employees with more reliable access to applications and data. In addition, see how NAB plans to take advantage of Windows Server 2008 technology to consolidate their server hardware.
Whitepapers
Download these complimentary whitepapers:
Community
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