Compellent Highlight

To continue the topic of storing data more effectively, let’s take a look at one of the fastest growing storage companies in America, Compellent.

Compellent is quickly growing into a strong contender for leadership in the storage marketplace because they have developed some of the most advanced tools to manage disk space and performance.  Compellent storage can connect via FC or iSCSI, use SSD, FC, SAS or SATA drive technology in one management space & typically features the industry’s lowest cost per Byte ratio.

Strengths

• Advanced storage virtualization: http://www.compellent.com/Products/Software/Advanced-Virtualization.aspx
• Unmatched disk (capacity & performance) management: http://www.compellent.com/Products/Software.aspx
• Robust reporting, management and analytics: http://www.compellent.com/Products/Software/Enterprise-Manager.aspx
• Fluid Data Architecture: http://www.compellent.com/popups/FluidData/FluidData.html

- 3^rd place on America’s fastest growing Tech Companies list

How do I store all of this stuff?!?!

We all know that the amount of data we are storing is growing at an exponential rate, which makes it difficult to manage for many reasons.  The question is how does an IT organization effectively manage the data to ensure availability and integrity at the lowest total cost of ownership.  Lewan currently has 4 main storage partners NetApp, Compellent, Dell and Hewlett Packard.  First let’s take a look at NetApp and in the following weeks I will cover the other technologies.

NetApp believes that integration with your applications is critical to building a storage foundation that will meet your data management goals.  The Data ONTAP operating system provides a robust set of features and ability to adapt to your changing business requirements.

Strengths

Database (Oracle & SQL) Efficiency and Manageability: http://media.netapp.com/documents/wp-7079.pdf

Simplified MS Exchange Backup & Restoration: http://media.netapp.com/documents/netapp-solutions-ms-exchange.pdf

NetApp, Cisco & VMware Alliance: http://www.imaginevirtuallyanything.com/?REF_SOURCE=netappmicrosite

Flexible connectivity protocol: FC SAN, FCoE SAN, IP SAN (iSCSI), NAS, NFS, CIFS

Communicate More Effectively

Whether your organization is looking for a better way to communicate internally or with your customers, it is critical to have a video strategy to reach today’s audience.  The mass proliferation and commoditization of high-definition devices and broadband internet service has made lifelike HD video communications from the living room to the board room a reality.  Our partner LifeSize, a division of Logitech, is ushering in a new era in communications using legacy internet protocols to deliver video communications.

Video Conferencing – Utilizing any monitor(s), with HDMI connectors, you can build a video conferencing and digital information sharing solution that will significantly impact your business in a positive way by reducing expenses and improving communications.

Video Center – This new product enables the ability to record any video, created on a LifeSize unit, on the fly and share the recorded video over the instantly over the internet.  Essentially this acts like an internal YouTube for new employee training, corporate messaging, HR updates, marketing information, education, historical recording, etc.  To see Video Center in action click here. (all of these videos are produced by the LifeSize devices)

Passport – This product will deliver HD video conferencing that fits in the palm of your hand for about the cost of a one week business trip.  Perfect for your small or home offices.

The acquisition by Logitech will enable more development to make HD video communications available to a much larger market.  The ultimate goal of LifeSize/Logitech is to provide the world a standardized way to communicate with video much like we use telephones today.

Zettabytes?

IDC predicts that we the amount of digital data will hit 35 ZB by 2020.  It’s probably mostly Phish show MP3′s though.

http://bit.ly/cq71Vm

Microsoft End of Support Update

Microsoft’s end of support for the client operating systems Windows 2000 and Windows XP SP2 as well as the server operating system Windows 2000 will take effect July 13^th, 2010.  In addition, Windows Server 2003 will change from Mainstream Support to Extended Support on this same day.

If you are not planning for a migration to Windows 7 and Server 2008, now is the time to get started because these changes have significant implications for the security of your machines and application support.  Our Microsoft certified professionals have helped many local customers build a strategy to effectively manage these upgrades, so as you begin to discuss how these changes might affect your organization, please let us help.

Lewan PROS can assist with customized environment health check, planning/design, configuration/testing, installation/integration and contract management services.

Here are some helpful links with more information about these changes:

Overview

Microsoft Support Lifecycle Policy

Microsoft Product Lifecycle Support Lookup Page

Microsoft Windows Client TechCenter