Network Support for Small Businesses

Meanwhile, all server, workstation, and laptop computers sold in the last few years already have the ability to run in 64-bit mode. As a Microsoft Partner with years of experience helping businesses carry out network-wide upgrades, Progent can help you understand the costs and benefits of moving to 64-bit processing, design an efficient migration strategy that minimizes operational disruptions, and provide affordable, expert remote support to assist you in upgrading your existing computers and software.

The advantages of 64-bit computing go beyond gigantic spreadsheets. Software is more stable, system performance improves, memory capacity expands, security can be more extensive, and more servers can be consolidated through virtualization. These advantages equate to more uptime, increased productivity, better data protection, and lower equipment costs. Yet for most small businesses, 64-bit computing is still a great untapped resource.

Sticking with 32-bit software and under utilizing 64-bit hardware seems to make no business sense, but in fact there are serious obstacles to migrating to 64-bit computing that have prompted companies to hold back. There is no seamless path for replacing a 32-bit operating system with a 64-bit equivalent. The upgrade requires a clean installation, which means reinstalling existing applications, backing up and restoring data, and installing new 64-bit drivers. In some cases, it can be difficult or impossible to find 64-bit drivers for older peripherals. To avoid business disruption and minimize technical risk, a 64-bit migration demands careful planning and extensive experience.

Advantages of Moving Up to 64-bit Processing
The advantages of 64-bit over 32-bit computing may seem vague and hard to quantify, but they are significant. The memory allocation schemes utilized by 32-bit operating systems are essentially a technical band-aid that undermines stability. Memory-starved programs are often not able to access available memory because the O/S cannot allocate it effectively. This results in programs shutting down or running erratically even when a computer seems to have plenty of unused RAM. Also, 64-bit software platforms support much more addressable memory than 32-bit ones and crunch twice as much information per clock cycle. You can also jump from one memory-intensive application to another faster when you are running in a 64-bit system. Basically, 64-bit processing makes systems more reliable, more expandable, and more efficient, which makes businesses more competitive.

Microsoft's 64-bit Initiative
Microsoft's “x64” technology supports the 64-bit processors found in most servers and desktop PCs currently installed in business networks. (Microsoft's 64-bit "Itanium" software is limited to special high-end processors and is intended for applications that require large-scale multi-processing.) Prior to the release of Microsoft Office 2010, most Microsoft client applications such as 2007 Office and Visual Studio 2005 were available solely in 32-bit editions, which can still be run on x64 platforms. The new generation of Office offers significant enhancements. As an example, Excel 2010 is available in a 64-bit edition that allows you to create spreadsheets with enormous datasets that are not restricted by the 2-gigabyte maximum file size that hampers previous releases of Microsoft Office Excel.

Microsoft offers true x64 versions of key Microsoft Server System products, such as Microsoft Windows Server 2008 and 2003, SQL Server 2008 and 2005, Exchange Server 2007, Microsoft Commerce Server, Microsoft BizTalk Server, as well as System Center Operations Manager. Microsoft Windows Server x64 editions are priced and licensed identically to their 32-bit counterparts, so in most circumstances you pay nothing more for 64-bit server software or hardware.

For client computers, Microsoft offers Windows 7 and Windows 8 in same-price x64 versions that provide high stability, scalability, and performance. Like all migrations from 32-bit to 64-bit operating systems, the move up can't be carried out seamlessly. Every desktop PC and server requires a clean setup that involves reconfiguring applications, backing up and recovering data, and installing 64-bit drivers. In fact, for most in-place workstations, and for all PCs powered by Microsoft Windows XP, even the 64-bit edition of Microsoft Windows 7 or Windows 8 will require you to perform a clean install. Consequently, there has never been a better time to upgrade to x64 computing on the desktop, since it will require little additional work.

How Progent Can Help Your Business to Migrate to 64-bit Processing
Besides helping you to understand the business advantages, costs, and technical risks associated with migrating to 64-bit computing, Progent's Microsoft-certified engineers can help you design, document, carry out, administer, and troubleshoot a network-wide move to 64-bit server and client operating systems and applications. Progent can help you pilot your 64-bit infrastructure to make sure it handles all of the important 32-bit applications which you intend to retain plus the latest 64-bit versions of applications you plan to run. If moving to Microsoft Windows 7, Windows 8.1, or Windows 10 is included in your 64-bit upgrade plan, Progent's Windows 7 engineers, Windows 8.1 migration consultants, and Windows 10 testing and upgrade consultants can help your company to decide which desktop computers and programs can or ought to be retained, and plan an upgrade procedure that is minimally disturbing to your business operations.

Additional ways Progent can assist your business to migrate to 64-bit computing include:

• Progent's expertise delivering remote computer support services can save you effort and expense over the course of your 64-bit upgrade, and Progent's experience cooperating with internal IT personnel and delivering technical knowledge transfer to them can improve the effectiveness of your support staff.

• Progent's certified Cisco CCIE network consultants can verify that your network infrastructure is optimized to accommodate your 64-bit processing environment, that it is simple to monitor, manage, and repair, and that it provides a high level of data protection and dependability.

• Progent's business continuity engineers can help you in developing and testing a disaster recovery plan that incorporates your x64 servers. Progent's Microsoft certified Microsoft System Center System Center Data Protection Manager (SCDPM) engineering experts can assist you to deploy Microsoft System Center SCDPM to support near-continuous remote backup with the capability of fast system restoration.

• Progent's CISM, CISSP, GIAC, and CISA certified security experts can help you create a company-wide security strategy that deploys some of the powerful protection mechanisms included with 64-bit server platforms. Progent can also perform network security vulnerability testing to assess or validate your company's compliance with industry or government security requirements.

• Progent's virtualization consultants can help you benefit from 64-bit virtual server solutions to leverage your equipment, streamline administration, improve reliability, cut colocation costs, and reduce restoration time in case of a disaster.

• Progent's online training classes can help bring your IT support team and your desktop workers up to speed quickly and cost-effectively by delivering remote virtual training customized for your computing requirements and business processes.