As a Microsoft Gold Partner for Advanced Infrastructure Solutions, BSG is recognised for its competency in designing, deploying and operating high-availability infrastructure solutions. You benefit
from a proven approach and practical advice on infrastructure solutions that maximise investment, whilst reducing operating costs and at the same time increase operational efficiency and productivity.
Keeping the business running and reducing cost, whilst the business itself is increasingly demanding more in terms of service levels and capabilities are the challenges for IT departments today. You need to do more with less:
By translating your challenges into business objectives, BSG provides Microsoft infrastructure solutions to enable you to do more with less.
Increasing operational efficiency solutions enable you to reduce the risk, cost and effort required to operate and manage IT infrastructure, whilst at the same time increasing the service levels, security and support for end users. The following table explains how you can achieve these objectives with BSG and the Windows Server System.
Increasing infrastructure productivity solutions enable you to increase the security, reliability and management of your messaging infrastructure, with greater protection from virus and spam. This creates a higher degree of communication and collaboration for your users anytime, anywhere. The following table explains how you can achieve these objectives with BSG and the Windows Server System.
- Communication - Create a secure, remote messaging infrastructure. Increase reliability, business uptime, and protection from viruses and spam using a familiar, well-integrated end-user experience with Outlook®.
- Mobile and remote user - Enable anytime, anywhere access. Enable remote and mobile device access, providing the same familiar Windows and Outlook experience that your end users demand.
- Collaboration - Enable team collaboration while increasing IT security and manageability. Enable team productivity with familiar Windows experience that your end users demand while increasing security and manageability.
Business Value
Communication: Deliver increased productivity to Information Workers (i.e. mobile, home and remote workers), while:
- Improving availability and security of the communications infrastructure.
- Lowering ongoing infrastructure operational costs.
- Deploying Windows Server TM 2003, Active Directory, Exchange Server 2003, and Outlook 2003 to take advantage of these benefits:
- Benefiting from advanced information management features of Outlook 2003.
- Experiencing overall improved performance with Exchange 2003.
- Deploying better anti-spam capabilities delivered by the combined solution.
- Integrating with the security systems in Windows Server 2003 and Exchange Server 2003.
- Improving antivirus capabilities enabled by Exchange Server 2003.
- ISA Server 2004 delivers advanced security for Exchange Server 2003 through integrated application layer filtering. Reduced operational costs are made possible by using Active Directory®, site and server consolidation and improved management facilities delivered through the Microsoft Operations Manager.
Mobile and remote users:This message extends the value proposition of the previous theme by focusing on the mobile and remote e-mail access capabilities delivered by Exchange Server 2003.
- Increase Information Worker productivity by making it easier to access mission-critical business information contained in their e-mail anywhere and anytime using a wide variety of devices and connections. For the first time, Microsoft delivers these capabilities in a form that is easy to deploy, low cost to manage, and which meets the security requirements of a majority of our clients.
- Fast and easy access to e-mail from Windows Mobile®-connected devices: SmartPhone, Pocket PC Phone Edition devices, Outlook Web Access, and Outlook RPC/HTTP connections.
- Inclusion of the mobile access components directly into Exchange has greatly simplified the deployment of these services, resulting in lower deployment and management costs. Integration with Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, Outlook 2003, and ISA enable connections that meet the security requirements of most clients.
Collaboration: The deployment of Windows Server 2003, Windows SharePoint Services, and Outlook 2003 enables IT to deliver new business value by enabling team document sharing and team productivity technologies. Because these technologies are part of an integrated set of familiar client and server applications, you are able to implement while increasing security and manageability and decreasing end-user support.
Microsoft Technology Solutions
The Technologies
BSG's relationship with Microsoft spans over 10 years. This ensures that its Microsoft certified Consultants, Technical Architects, Engineers and Trainers have prompt and direct access to Microsoft staff and in-depth access to exclusive resources and early product information which is evaluated in the dedicated BSG test lab.
This means that whatever the level of involvement you require from BSG, be that a free technology workshop or business briefing to keep you up to date with current and new Microsoft technologies, technical or end user training, architecture design, design ratification, solution deployment or indeed to outsource the operation of your complete IT infrastructure, BSG are best placed to help you achieve your infrastructure business objectives
Windows Server 2003 Migration - Takes the best of Windows 2000 Server technology and makes it easier to deploy, manage, and use. The result: a highly productive infrastructure that helps make your network a strategic asset for your organisation.
If you are planning to migrate from Windows NT4/2000 or Novell to Windows Server 2003, BSG can help you drive down the cost of implementation and achieve greater server consolidation, higher availability and improved scalability.
BSG Technical Architects (TA's) have successfully migrated many of its client environments from 100 to 5000 users. BSG TA's work from initial consultation and planning, through to implementation and rollout. BSG use a tried and tested phased approach of workshop, scope/audit, test, implementation, review and support.
Part of this migration strategy includes a thorough understanding of your business and technical objectives which BSG believe is fundamental to developing the correct strategy.
There are two ways to illustrate BSG's approach to migrating from Windows NT4 to Windows 2003.
- Domain Upgrade - A domain upgrade is the process of upgrading the Primary Domain Controller (PDC) and the Backup Domain Controller BDCs of a Windows NT domain from Windows NT Server to Windows 2003
- Domain Restructure/Consolidation - A domain restructure is a complete redesign of the domain structure, usually resulting in fewer, larger domains. This choice is for those who are dissatisfied with their current domain structure or who feel that they cannot manage an upgrade without serious impact to their production environment.
Upgrade and restructure are not mutually exclusive; some organisations might upgrade first and then restructure, while others might restructure from the start. BSG can advise you on which route is the most appropriate for your business and plan its implementation. A recovery plan will also be put in place to prevent accidental data loss during upgrade, which will be the procedure of how to back up your domain controllers, applications, and other data. The recovery plan will determine if there is a point at which incremental migration can stop and full migration can begin.
Once the new Windows environment is running your key business systems, BSG's accredited engineering teams can provide flexible support for your infrastructure whenever you need it.
Active Directory Design - A central component of the Windows platform, Active Directory provides the means to manage identities and relationships that make up network environments. Windows Server 2003 makes Active Directory simpler to manage and easier to migrate and deploy.
You can use BSG's experienced design capabilities to implement and migrate the solution for you or have an experienced Technical Architect ratify a design on the drawing board and be on-hand as you implement and migrate the solution in-house.
Active Directory design is a crucial part of an organisation's environment. It plays many roles; from being the backbone of distributed security to providing a service publishing framework. Therefore any design needs to be right from the start. BSG's Microsoft Solution division will ensure that your business optimises the benefits of Active Directory through detailed planning of the structure, designing and testing the solution, and implementing a phased rollout
BSG take a thorough approach to designing Active Directory and take particular care in auditing the following:
- Company geographic distribution
- Company departmental distribution
- Company politics and administration centres
- Company policies
- Company office size and communication links
- Company applications
- Company plans for growth and acquisition
Exchange Server 2003 - Exchange Server, the Microsoft messaging and collaboration server, is software that runs on servers and that enables you to send and receive electronic mail and other forms of interactive communications through computer networks. Designed to interoperate with a software client application such as Outlook®, Exchange Server also interoperates with Outlook Express and other e-mail client applications.
BSG prides itself on implementing and designing Exchange 2003 messaging systems, which take advantage of the new features incorporated into Exchange 2003 since Exchange 5.5/2000. Increases in reliability, scalability and performance have enabled companies to realise the true value of Exchange and many organisations now believe that it is the most mission critical part of their IT investment.
BSG are able to offer advice on long term strategic uses of Microsoft Exchange which include the following:
- Integrating Exchange into company portals and collaboration products
- The ability to deliver messaging through mobile solutions
- Archiving and regulatory issues
- Email retention and Reference Information Storage Systems (RISS)
Migrating from other messaging solutions such as GroupWise/Lotus Notes or upgrading from Exchange 5.5 requires careful planning and design work. BSG use Technical Architects with specialisations in Exchange to deliver the right solution, ensuring a successful transition.
BSG analyse the company structure and size in detail and take special care with regional and branch offices to ensure that the Exchange design takes advantage of the latest developments built in Exchange 2003 and Outlook 2003. These include:
- Centralised Exchange design for operational efficiency
- Taking advantage of Outlook 2003 Cached mode with slow links in branch offices
BSG have a specific mobility offering for Exchange Server 2003, enabling remote users to access email and data from home or on the road.
Learn about BSG's Microsoft Mobile Solutions
Microsoft server/storage consolidation and server virtualisation - Many companies have realised that over the years, their Microsoft server and storage estate has grown exponentially. In some cases it has grown out of control leading to spiralling support costs and ineffective management. BSG have realised this and have the expertise to advise on consolidating the environment.
BSG employs Principal Consultants experienced in datacentre consolidation projects outside the Microsoft arena. BSG use these expertise along with its Microsoft Technical Architects to provide consolidation solutions. BSG couple this knowledge with the latest know-how in server and software technology. These include:
- Server Blade Technology
- NAS storage technology (NetApp and Microsoft Storage Server 2003)
- Server Virtualisation Technology (VMware and Microsoft Virtual Server)
- Windows System Resource Manager
Our consultants have the breadth of expertise to consolidate the following business platforms:
- File and Print servers
- Exchange server consolidation and redesign
- SQL server consolidation (multiple instances on large scale servers)
- Domain consolidation and rationalisation
- Web server consolidation
Operating system (OS) virtualisation software, which can emulate multiple guest OS's on a host OS such as Windows Server 2003, enables organisations to run legacy applications from diverse platforms on consolidated servers. For example, a virtual server can be used to create a virtual Windows NT or OS/2 server on Windows Server 2003. BSG uses its expertise in VMWare and Microsoft Virtual Server to consolidate multiple server environments into larger scale single boxes hosting multiple guest operating systems.
Windows SharePoint Services - Arguably the best kept secret of Windows Server 2003, Windows SharePoint Services allows teams to create web sites for information sharing and document collaboration, benefits that help individual and team productivity. Windows SharePoint is a component of the Windows Server 2003 information worker infrastructure and provides team services and sites to Microsoft Office System and other desktop programmes. It also serves as a platform for application development.
BSG use its expertise in Windows AD design, Microsoft Exchange and portal development expertise to develop Sharepoint solutions. BSG's direct links with Microsoft's Sharepoint teams, enable it to deliver the most effective portal solutions.
Learn about BSG's Microsoft Sharepoint Portal Solutions
Microsoft Thin Client including Citrix
Many organisations have moved into the 'thin' world of server-centric computing. This is still an area which requires the most careful thought and planning to achieve the best results.
BSG will devise a Terminal Services Design (incorporating hardware requirements) based on your business requirements which may include; administrative control, remote access, a core set of business applications and central desktop deployment.
To enable you to take optimum advantage of thin client technology BSG can also introduce Citrix MetaFrame - BSG are a Silver Accredited Citrix Partner. In the right place and with adequate planning and testing Citrix technology can produce tremendous benefits in terms of administration, security, application deployment and cost.
Many businesses rely on older releases of Citrix technology and have yet to take advantage of the newer release providing higher levels of resilience and load-balancing; capable of driving thousands of users.
BSG Citrix consultants can help you evaluate your Citrix requirements, and develop a plan to create the appropriate testing, evaluation and implementation of server-centric systems. BSG take into consideration the following areas:
- Number of and types users
- Number and types of applications
- Number of geographic sites
- Bandwidth between sites
- Scalability and size of Citrix/Thin Client server farms
- Type of Citrix software required
Learn more about the Microsoft products used in BSG solutions and services