News & Review

Could U.S. IT Pros Be Losing a Seat at the Strategic Table?

New study commissioned by Microsoft underscores the importance of IT innovation for business success

REDMOND, Wash. — June 23, 2009 — While many information technology (IT) professionals are investing in specific areas of IT infrastructure, 55 percent say the economy has changed the role of IT and 51 percent say that budget constraints are the biggest barrier to their innovation, according to a new study commissioned by Microsoft Corp. and conducted by Harris Interactive®. The study results indicate that IT professionals in the U.S. are devoting less budget to innovation than their counterparts in the U.K., Japan and Germany.

See survey highlights.

Watch video on how IT innovation fuels growth and increases business efficiency for NuStar Energy.

Solution and Product Related News

VMworld: Microsoft Unleashes Free Virtualization
Paul Thurrott
Sept. 1, 2009
Windows IT Pro

After a frantic bit of airline-related stupidity on Sunday, I arrived in San Francisco for VMWorld with the need to catch up. What I discovered was that Microsoft (not coincidentally, given the impending industry event being held by one of its most important competitors), had just released the latest version of its confusingly-named free virtualization product Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008, the standalone version of Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V Server.

Microsoft Adds Virtualization to Its Data Center Software Mix
Chris Preimesberger
Sept. 1, 2009
eWeek

SAN FRANCISCO -- Most people don't yet equate Microsoft with data center management or virtualization software, but the fact is, the world's largest software company has been developing these for a few years in the form of its System Essential data center wares. At VMworld 2009, Microsoft on Sept. 1 introduced a new option, available immediately, for midmarket enterprises and small businesses a new, discounted software license that includes both System Center Essentials 2007 and System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008.

Virtual Value – An Innovative IT Project Cuts Costs While Saving Power for SABMiller
By Alliston Ackerman and Alarice Padilla
August 17, 2009
Consumer Goods

Going Green in IT
By Christopher M. Sullivan, MCSSP
June 30, 2009
www.advanceweb.com

Nissan Shifts Manufacturing Costs with Hyper-V
By Charles Babcock
June 23, 2009
Information Week

Product Reviews

Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2 Bolsters Hyper-V
Cameron Sturdevant,eWeek

Windows Server 2008 R2 RTM
Jonathan Hassell, ComputerWorld

Windows Server 2008 R2 Is Microsoft's Best-Ever Server OS
Samara Lyn. CRN

New Features in Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2
Mike Otey, Windows IT Pro

Windows Server 2008 R2 Serves as Virtualization, Windows 7 Foundation
Jason Brooks, eWeek

Taking Microsoft's Hyper-V R2 for a Spin
Ken Hess, Linux Magazine

Press Releases

Squeezing IT Dollars without squashing service

Wells’ Dairy saves More Than $500,000 with Microsoft Virtualization and Management Solutions

Microsoft partners with Cisco

Lionbridge Reduces Costs, Enhances Security With Microsoft Virtualization

New Microsoft Premier Support Offering Provides Mission-Critical IT Support

EMC and Microsoft Extend Strategic Alliance Through 2011

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