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Greetings from Telecom Software Licensing, You know our hardware and professional services already, but may not know that we are continually investing time, money and resources in our Software Licensing capability, which has grown substantially over the last two years. Here are some ways and means with which we can assist your organization:
Telecom is currently implementing our own Unified Communications and Collaboration methodology, based on Exchange 2007, SharePoint, Office Communications Server and Office Communicator Clients. We are a member of Microsoft's TAP (Technology Accelerator Program) and will soon be using OCS internally, in conjunction with (as well as in place of) standard PBX handsets and hardware. In our "what-you-see-is-what-you-get" Telecom office environment, we will be able to utilize and demonstrate how efficiency in communication and collaboration can save time, money and frustration. If you would like to see how this all works, we invite you to the Burlington Arts Centre for a BitNet Breakfast Seminar on May 13th, when Microsoft's Eric Moll will demonstrate the technology that you will be using in the near future - including Microsoft Roundtable, the most remarkable collaboration and conferencing device that provides a 360-degree view of the conference room, wideband audio, and video that tracks the flow of conversation between multiple speakers. Your account manager can arrange for your breakfast to be compliments of Telecom Computer - just let him/her know that you would like a formal invitation. Along with the new glitzy Microsoft offerings, Telecom continues to provide the basic licensing expertise for the Office family of products, the new Windows 2008, SQL 2008 and Visual Studio 2008 releases, and most importantly, how to tie them all together with Active Directory, Operations Server and SharePoint. To that end, we have partnered with SharePoint HQ in Toronto - the top Canadian MS partner for training, professional services, web parts, hosting and custom development solutions for Microsoft SharePoint Products and Technologies. Telecom and SharePoint HQ work together to cover ALL the bases for Unified Communication, Collaboration, Workflow, Content/Knowledge Management, Business Intelligence and Enterprise Search.
REALLY BIG NEWS from Microsoft: Their new Open Value Subscription Licensing (just introduced on March 1st, 2008) is the easiest, least expensive way to purchase, control and use MS licensing in your organization. It's more effective than Enterprise or Select licensing, at controlling software usage, budgeting for the same (you can license LESS software from year to year, with no financial penalty) and you can even buy the annual licensing outright - if you want to spend more money for perpetual ownership......the norm to this point. Open Value Subscription Licensing has been a long time coming, but it makes more economical sense in the long run. It's a new concept, it's complex, but we have the expertise to explain it to your organization - and to supply you with the cost saving benefits.
Security and Protection It's no longer just Anti-virus and Ant-spam......as threats evolve and networks become more elaborate, you need more protection. And the best protection includes elements of Active Directory and Network Access Control. Just purchasing and plugging in an appliance will not save you. Telecom is proficient and knowledgeable with all the best security software and devices from Sophos, Symantec, Websense/SurfControl, McAfee, Trend, CA, and Sonicwall....... we can suggest, advise, and supply. And don't forget about Microsoft - their new ForeFront licensing includes security engines from Sophos, Kaspersky and CA, and Microsoft will be introducing two types of security appliances in the next year.
Databases and Content/Knowledge Management Microsoft, Oracle and IBM are all at each other's throats over this and you - the customer - is the winner. All three companies are willing to give you great discounts to replace the competition. If you need SQL, Oracle or IBM database software, let us show you how to save money. And when it comes to licensing databases - the world has changed. Dual- and/or quad-core technology, the number of CPUs in a server: the CPU manufacturer, 32- vs. 64-bit usage, number of Users vs. number of Clients - these are ALL considerations, because they all impact on PRICE and PERFORMANCE. There are currently 538 SQL-only part numbers in MS Open Value Licensing Program - multiply that by the Open Business, Open Value, Select and Enterprise programs and add in the retail boxed products, a number of time-sensitive rebates or special promotions, and either you hire an experienced full-time person just to interpret MS licensing alone, or call us to make sure that your software doesn't end up as “Shelfware”, because of not knowing all the tips, tricks and traps.
Backup, Restore and Archive As the song goes: "You never know what you've got, until it's gone".......and if you are not doing a COMPLETE restoration of you backups at least once a quarter, for test purposes.....then you could be singing that song in the key of C flat (as in see flat revenues if you lose your corporate information). Almost every Telecom customer assures us that they test their backups and restore "a few files" on a regular basis. Compliance and good governance requires more than that. If you aren't capable of, or can't handle 100% backup and restore coverage in-house, we can introduce you to our partner, Global Data Vault, who will do it for you economically. And companies who have always stored all data internally, for security reasons might want to talk to their savvy teenagers - the kids prefer to trust their digital pictures to online storage websites (not the home computer), where they KNOW that they will be safe and retrievable at will. Your internal data is growing exponentially and that means it has to be stored, catalogued, life-cycled, and most of all - protected. For in-house backups, Telecom provides Backup Exec, ArcServe, BrightStor and Ultrabac, all the required hardware and the backup media. All of your corporate data has to be stored in the best possible methodology - with older, less important data being archived and stored in less expensive fashion. That's where SANS, Storage and Virtualization come into play.
Virtualization Although many think that virtualization = VMware (like all tissues = Kleenex), that's no longer the case. The new MS Windows 2008 servers can be acquired with Hyper-V (Microsoft's virtualization); Citrix has purchased and incorporated XenSource for that purpose; Oracle has released their virtualization software; and, the race is on. Each of the above companies has specialized software quirks that make them different and task-specific. And all of these vendors will continue to push the others to add, adapt, change and grow. Telecom is authorized for all of these manufacturers, and realizes that YOUR situation is unique. When it comes to virtualization - one size does NOT fit all. Before deciding on virtualization technology, you need to visit the hardware requirements and capabilities. Blade servers and SAN storage are now grouped with death and taxes - they are inevitable. And they are a Telecom strength (the servers and SANS, not the death and taxes). Buying the required hardware to enhance virtualization should not be a process of ordering a box online, to fit in a rack - it takes a technology account manager who knows your business and a team of SEs to provide technical expertise to do it right. Over half of Telecom's technical expertise is used to solve problems that could have been avoided by proper planning, purchasing the right solution, along with expert configuration and implementation. Instead of adding an after-the-fact slush fund for such projects, it's usually less expensive to engage our resources BEFORE the purchasing decisions are made.
The Bottom Line Because of where technology is heading, you will be buying less physical hardware (due to blades, virtualization and SANS); more software (as VoIP communication, PDAs and web collaboration replace telephone tag, faxes and couriered documents); but you can't possibly be aware of all the alternatives, choices, best practices and special pricing advantages. That's our job at Telecom. Many of your organizations have relied on Telecom for hardware - some for over 20 years. Now we are stepping up to the plate with software, consultation and professional services to make everything work together. NOTE: The above headings are only the tip of the iceberg. With each software manufacturer releasing new versions, updates, patches, and visions daily, there is too much to cover in this short bulletin. Telecom Computer doesn't have all the answers to your questions - but we know exactly where to find them. Our long-standing relationships with all of the technology leaders means that we can get you the expertise that you require to make your projects, solutions and implementations more efficient, more economical and most of all - successful. For more information, or to arrange a complimentary License Consultation, contact your Telecom Account Manager, or Arlene Ferguson |
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