For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Peer Adoption: The State Of Server Virtualization  (471 KB PPT)

by Christopher Voce, November 20, 2009

This data chart examines the usage and trends of server virtualization in enterprises today as well as the motivations that drive adoption.

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Aligning Your VMware Licensing Strategy With Your Broader Virtualization Plans

by Christopher Voce, Galen Schreck, November 12, 2009

It's not easy for enterprises evaluating their licensing options with VMware. In addition to worrying about the mechanics of how an enterprise licensing agreement (ELA) fits with your internal deployment plans, you need to consider a shifting competitive . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Case Study: Lionbridge Uses Virtualization To Reclaim Its Data Center

Microsoft Hyper-V's Maturation In Windows Server 2008 R2 Yields Improvements

by Christopher Voce, November 10, 2009

Microsoft Windows Server is ubiquitous in corporate data centers, but its server virtualization solution, Hyper-V, a feature of the operating system (OS), has faced an uphill battle in capturing market share. Microsoft recently released Windows Server . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Inquiry Spotlight: Cloud-Based Email, Q3 2009

by Christopher Voce, July 31, 2009

Interest in cloud-based email is rapidly rising. The promise of reducing operational costs and refocusing on their core competencies has many Forrester customers asking about the cloud. Cloud-based services like those of Google and Microsoft are more . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Plan Now For Licensing Windows 7

Analyzing Your Options For Upgrading Today Can Save You Down The Road

by Christopher Voce, Benjamin Gray, July 22, 2009

Windows XP has remained the corporate desktop operating system (OS) standard for most enterprises for several years, but its reign will end with the availability of Windows 7 to IT professionals as early as August 6, 2009. Windows 7 is shaping up to be . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Case Study: Learning From GlaxoSmithKline's Cloud-Based Email Decision Process

How GlaxoSmithKline Decided To Move To Microsoft Online Services

by Christopher Voce, June 16, 2009

GlaxoSmithKline is moving approximately 90,000 email users to Microsoft's Exchange Online, a cloud-delivered service. To make the decision, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) went through a rigorous internal discovery process to calculate costs, find dependencies, . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Case Study: What Enterprises Can Learn From Universities' Cloud-Based Hybrid Email

by Christopher Voce, June 10, 2009

Faced with escalating costs in providing email and rising student needs, schools are looking for a better way than going it alone. Educational institutions like St. John's University and Hinds Community College have moved tens of thousands of student . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Protecting Email With The Cloud

How Cloud Services Can Play A Role In Message Continuity And Recovery

by Stephanie Balaouras, Christopher Voce, June 8, 2009

Ensuring that your users can access email and keep business moving in the event of a disaster is critical, but it can be complex and costly. Traditional methods carry heavy facility, hardware, software, and personnel requirements, and the capital and . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Q&A: Licensing Microsoft Cloud Services

How Sending Your Infrastructure Into The Cloud Impacts Microsoft Licensing

by Christopher Voce, February 9, 2009

Microsoft communication and collaboration customers are at a crossroads. How should they handle Exchange and SharePoint — keep running it themselves and try to manage the costs, or ship it off to one of a growing number of hosted service providers? Microsoft . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Inquiry Spotlight: Corporate Email, Q1 2009

by Christopher Voce, January 30, 2009

Corporate email is a hot topic, and Forrester has received more than 130 inquiries on the topic from IT professionals within the past year. Email impacts several parts of IT, from the infrastructure and operations professionals responsible for the architecture . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Measuring The Cloud's Impact On Corporate Email   (380 KB PPT)

by Christopher Voce, Ted Schadler, January 8, 2009

There is a significant amount of cost, complexity, and attention required to maintain corporate email on premise - and firms are looking for a better way. The cloud offers the promise of simplifying and reducing costs associated with providing email, . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Should Your Email Live In The Cloud? An Infrastructure And Operations Analysis

Rethinking Where Your Email Lives And Who's Managing It

by Christopher Voce, January 5, 2009

There isn't much that hasn't already been said about the criticality of email in business today — but the cost of hosting and managing your own email infrastructure is probably reaching the breaking point. Google's $50-per-user annual fee has set a new . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Inquiry Spotlight: Microsoft Licensing, Q4 2008

by Christopher Voce, November 21, 2008

Of the more than 20,000 inquiries Forrester receives annually, a very regular stream comes from IT operations professionals and sourcing and vendor management teams about Microsoft licensing — more than 150 between August 2007 and August 2008. The vast . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Q&A: SharePoint's Licensing Complexities

Licensing SharePoint, And How Federation And Virtualization Play A Role

by Christopher Voce, November 10, 2008

Microsoft's SharePoint continues to spread like wildfire, making it difficult for IT to respond with efficient ways to deploy and manage it. SharePoint is a component in Microsoft's broader infrastructure and collaboration offerings and carries complex . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Is Hyper-V For You?

Answering Questions Related To, And Examining The Benefits And Gaps Of, Microsoft's Server Virtualization Solution

by Christopher Voce, September 19, 2008

Although VMware has significant mind and wallet share in organizations' server virtualization plans, and some show an interest in Xen, many of the servers out there run a Microsoft server OS — and the Redmond giant looks to make up some ground with Hyper-V . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

Successfully Negotiating Microsoft Licensing Agreements

by Duncan Jones, Christopher Voce, June 20, 2008

Negotiations with Microsoft can be a daunting challenge for a sourcing and vendor management team. Not only is it likely to represent a major financial commitment, but Microsoft's unique terminology, complex pricing structure, and rapidly changing product . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Thinking About Desktop Virtualization? Rethink Your Windows Licensing Strategy

by Natalie Lambert, Christopher Voce, June 5, 2008

As a desktop operations professional, you've managed to avoid getting down in the weeds with Microsoft licensing — unfortunately, times have changed. Desktop virtualization is forcing desktop managers to understand the world of Windows licensing to successfully . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Untangling Windows Server Licensing Issues

by Christopher Voce, May 14, 2008

Windows Server 2008, formerly code-named Longhorn, is finally out in the wild. The new version delivers enhancements in virtualization, manageability, and security that will entice firms to the new edition — but Microsoft's server virtualization solution, . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Trimming The Fat From Exchange

Strategies To Consolidate Resources Dedicated To Running Microsoft Exchange Server Infrastructure

by Christopher Voce, April 28, 2008

Consolidation is top of mind for many IT managers, and a portly email infrastructure is a ripe target to put on a diet. Business factors such as mergers and acquisitions and technical factors such as scalability limitations have driven up the cost of . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

The Forrester Wave™: Active Directory Management Solutions, Q4 2007

NetPro And Quest Software Lead, With NetIQ Close Behind

by Christopher Voce, December 6, 2007

Forrester evaluated leading Active Directory management solution vendors across 82 criteria and found that Quest Software and NetPro lead in Active Directory management. Quest provides the most complete set of capabilities across its product suite. NetPro . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

X86 Server Virtualization For High Availability And Disaster Recovery

How x86 Server Virtualization Affects Business Resiliency

by Stephanie Balaouras, Christopher Voce, October 24, 2007

To date, the primary driver behind the adoption of server virtualization has been consolidation. But as enterprises gain experience with the technology, additional uses and benefits are surfacing. According to a recent Forrester study, 49% of enterprises . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Messaging Continuity: Ensuring High Availability For Microsoft Exchange

How IT Professionals Can Apply New Technology To A Traditional Staple

by Christopher Voce, October 9, 2007

A majority of firms now point to email as one of the most critical applications in their business — and Microsoft Exchange is by far the most widely deployed email platform. And it's not just about email any longer; Exchange is the backbone for corporatewide . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

What Does Windows Server 2008 Mean To My Organization?

by Christopher Voce, August 1, 2007

Microsoft's server operating systems hold a majority stake in enterprise data centers. According to Forrester's Business Technographics® May 2006 North American And European Enterprise Infrastructure And Data Center Survey, 80% of the 767 surveyed . . .