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Change in IT environment can impact business profits

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CIOL Bureau
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INDIA: To make management and deployment of IT infrastructure in an organization more systematic, the Microsoft Enterprise Services division works towards making the entire lifecycle of implementing technology easier by collaborating with customers, partners, and teams across Microsoft to provide the greatest impact of solutions, services, and support. Vikas Arora

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In an exclusive interview with CIOL, Vikas Arora, Enterprise Services, Microsoft India, talks about IT spends and upgradation of IT infrastructure in an organization.

Excerpts:

CIOL: What is the importance of effective and efficient management of IT infrastructure in an enterprise?

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Vikas Arora: IT environments are subject to a plethora of product upgrades, device consolidations and user change requests that require the organization to seamlessly incorporate these changes. The pressure to keep these systems available, reliable and performing constantly is evidently intense. In today's complex webs of systems, networks, applications and databases - any change in the IT environment of an organization can seriously impact the profitability of the business. In such a situation, it becomes critical for IT managers in all organizations to meet the challenges of providing consistent availability of critical applications.

Customers today constantly thrive to improve their IT infrastructure and make optimum usage of it from the perspectives of cost, risk, security and operational agility. For them, rather than mere automation of business processes - improving business agility through productive use of technology is the main priority. It is not about just using technology, but about optimal and productive use of technology. Many CIOs we meet constantly evaluate if their use of technology is optimal and drives a high ROI, is delivering impact and is 'future ready'.

This is where Microsoft Enterprise Services can help organizations understand the current state of their IT infrastructure and give them a view of the optimization journey. To make management and deployment of IT infrastructure in an organization more systematic, the Microsoft Enterprise Services division further works towards making the entire lifecycle of implementing technology easier by collaborating with customers, partners, and teams across Microsoft to provide the greatest impact of solutions, services, and support.

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CIOL: In your view, how liberal are enterprises in their IT budgeting?

VA: Just like customers worldwide, customers in India have always demanded value on their IT spends. Increasingly the discussions are about greater return on investments and long term partnering approach by platform vendors like us. We believe that issues like IT budgeting and spend are best addressed when there is effective partnering and collaboration between technology providers and enterprises.

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CIOL: How precisely does Microsoft Enterprise Services division enhance optimum deployment of IT solutions?

VA: Since we are the worldwide leaders in software, in both personal and business computing, Microsoft understands how mammoth the job of managing IT infrastructure can be.

With this in mind, Microsoft Enterprise Services was introduced to help organizations plan optimum utilization of their IT investments. With our exhaustive expertise and easy access to Microsoft Technology, widespread collaboration with the partner ecosystem, broad array of tools and experience with industry known best practices - Microsoft Services offer a wide range of consulting competencies that support organizations in driving maximum business results with advantages like complete lifecycle services with end-to-end capability, world class experience utilizing proven best practices, flexibility to cater to specific needs, expertise from the source and innovative & responsive service.

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Microsoft Services provides deep expertise and best practices regarding leading edge adoption and productive use of Microsoft technology. We enable this through collaboration internally with Microsoft product groups, Microsoft IT and early technology adoption programs by making use of methodologies, architecture (e.g. SOA, Core Infrastructure, Business and Application platform optimization) and processes for effective support of technology systems.

CIOL: What are the various offerings that you provide under Microsoft Services?

VA: Microsoft Services has three different types of offerings:

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Architecture and Planning

Microsoft Services' Architecture & Planning offerings help CIOs align IT to organizational strategies and initiatives while empowering them to make IT decisions that can reduce risk and maximize value.

Technology Consulting

Microsoft Consulting Services (MCS) helps customers align IT to organizational strategies and initiatives. Determining what applications and infrastructure can best fill those needs efficiently and cost effectively can significantly reduce time to value. These services include Core Infrastructure Management and Optimization Services Offerings to deploy, manage and secure server, device and desktop environments. In addition these services address the Business Productivity Platform and help Implement, manage and streamline communications, collaboration, content and data environments. Furthermore these services include design, development, integration and management of connected, flexible and secure applications including implementation of Microsoft Dynamics business solutions.

Support

Microsoft's Health and Support offerings provide customers who have significant investments in Microsoft technology customized and pre-packaged support that can provide proactive services to improve IT Health, reactive services when issues arise, and various levels of Support Account Management.

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CIOL: Which are the popular solutions/services of Microsoft Services for enterprises?

VA: We see our role as proven catalyst for Technology Innovation and Excellence. Many of our customers and partners are very keen to adopt new Microsoft technology or applying it in ways that are new to their market or organization.

Customers and partners have always looked to Microsoft to provide high quality support and we expect large enterprises to continue to demand the high level of service there in future too. Lately, we have seen a keen interest by our customers in proactive support services like health checks, risk assessment services, diagnostics etc. From a consulting standpoint, most new technology launches drive a spurt in demand of services to help these for early adopters. We have seen this trend during all technology rollouts from Microsoft - whether they have been in areas of Core infrastructure like System Center products, or in business productivity with the launch of Office Server System and Unified Communications or in application platform areas like e-commerce, integration or databases.

CIOL: Are there any new solutions and services that will be introduced by Microsoft Services in the near future?

VA: Recently, we have re-organized our services portfolio across seven service lines:

· IT Architecture & Planning Services

· Core Infrastructure Optimization Services

· Business productivity Infrastructure Optimization services

· Application Platform Optimization services

· Business Applications

· Industry Vertical Solutions

· Support & Health

We are also focused on delivering specific service offerings within each of the above that is based on proven IP built over years of experiences delivering solutions to customers worldwide. In addition to all optimization, planning and support services that have been around for a while, in India we also have recently started offering services on our Dynamics business applications and some specific industry vertical solutions for ITES and Telcos.