Computer Help for Medium-size Businesses

For the majority of business networks, 64-bit computing is a great unexploited resource. Both Intel and AMD, the leading CPU makers, have been incorporating 64-bit capability in their commodity processors for years, with the result that all types of business computers such as laptops, desktop PCs, engineering workstations and back-office servers now possess the architecture to run in 64-bit format. Yet most of these in-place computers continue to host 32-bit operating systems and applications.

The main cause for this common hesitation to participate in the 64-bit revolution is that the business advantage for updating in-place systems has seemed to be small in relation to the work required. There is no automatic process to upgrade from a 32-bit to a 64-bit operating system. The upgrade requires a clean installation, which means reinstalling current programs, backing up and restoring data, and installing new 64-bit drivers. This requires careful planning to carry out economically. Furthermore, many popular office productivity software are currently available only in 32-bit editions, so where's the advantage?

Benefits of Moving Up to 64-bit Computing
The benefits of 64-bit over 32-bit processing may seem subtle and difficult to define precisely, yet they are significant. The RAM memory management schemes used in 32-bit OS platforms are essentially an engineering afterthought that undermines stability. Memory-hungry applications are sometimes unable to access free memory because the O/S cannot allocate it efficiently. This results in software shutting down or executing erratically even when a machine appears to have ample available RAM. Also, 64-bit software platforms support much more physical RAM than 32-bit systems and process more data per CPU cycle. You can also switch from one RAM-intensive application to another faster when running in a 64-bit system. Fundamentally, 64-bit processing makes systems more stable, more scalable, and faster, which makes businesses more productive.

Microsoft's 64-bit Computing Initiative
Microsoft's “x64” software works with the 64-bit processors used in most computers now installed in business IT systems. (Microsoft's 64-bit "Itanium" software is restricted to special advanced CPUs and is intended for applications that need large-scale multi-processing.) Prior to the availability of Microsoft Office 2010, most Microsoft desktop applications such as Microsoft Office 2007 and Visual Studio 2005 were offered only in 32-bit versions, which can still be used on x64 platforms. The new generation of Microsoft Office offers dramatic improvements. As an example, Microsoft Office Excel 2010 is available in a 64-bit edition that permits you to build spreadsheets with huge datasets that are not limited by the 2-Gbyte file size that hampers 32-bit releases of Microsoft Office Excel.

Microsoft offers true x64 editions of key Microsoft Server platforms, such as Windows Server 2008 and 2003, Microsoft SQL Server 2008 and 2005, Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 and 2007, Commerce Server 2007, BizTalk Server, as well as System Center Operations Manager. Microsoft Windows Server x64 versions are priced identically to 32-bit counterparts, so ordinarily you pay nothing more for 64-bit server operating systems or machines.

For client computers, Microsoft supplies Windows 7 and Windows 8 in same-cost 64-bit editions that provide advanced dependability, capacity, and performance. Like all upgrades from 32- to 64-bit operating systems, the move up can't be done without effort. Each desktop PC and server requires a clean setup that entails reconfiguring application software, saving and recovering data, and installing 64-bit drivers. On the other hand, for typical current desktop PCs, and for every PC running XP, any edition of Windows 7 or Windows 8 requires you to carry out a clean installation. This being the case, there will never be a better time to upgrade to x64 computing on the desktop, since it will require scarcely any additional work.

How Progent Can Assist Your Business to Migrate to 64-bit Computing
In addition to helping your organization to evaluate the business advantages, costs, and technical risks associated with upgrading to 64-bit processing, Progent's Microsoft-certified consultants can help you plan, document, implement, manage, and troubleshoot a system-wide move to 64-bit server and client operating systems and applications. Progent can help you test your 64-bit infrastructure to verify that it supports all of the key 32-bit programs which you intend to keep plus the latest 64-bit versions of applications you wish to install. If adopting Microsoft Windows 7, Windows 8.1, or Windows 10 is part of your x64 migration plan, Progent's certified Windows 7 engineers, Windows 8.1 migration consultants, and Windows 10 testing and migration consultants can assist your company to determine which workstation computers and programs can or should be preserved, and plan a migration procedure that is minimally disruptive to your business productivity.

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

• Progent's experience delivering remote network consulting and support can save you time and money over the course of your x64 upgrade, and Progent's background cooperating with in-house support personnel and delivering technical knowledge transfer to them can improve the effectiveness of your network support staff.

• Progent's Cisco CCIE network engineers can verify that your network infrastructure is configured to support your 64-bit computing environment, that it is easy to monitor, administer, and troubleshoot, and that it offers a high level of data protection and fault tolerance.

• Progent's business continuity engineers can help you in developing and testing a business continuity strategy that includes your 64-bit servers. Progent's Microsoft certified System Center System Center Data Protection Manager engineering experts can help you to deploy Microsoft System Center System Center Data Protection Manager to provide automated remote backup with the advantage of fast data restoration.

• Progent's CISSP and GIAC network security consultants can help you create a company-wide security plan that deploys some of the powerful protection technologies included with x64 servers. Progent can also carry out network security vulnerability testing to evaluate or validate your company's adherence to industry or government security standards.

• Progent's virtualization consultants can show you how to utilize 64-bit virtual server solutions to save money on hardware resources, streamline management, improve reliability, lower colocation and hosting expenses, and reduce recovery time in case of a catastrophic breakdown.

• Progent's online education can help get your IT support team and your office employees up to date quickly and affordably by delivering remote virtual training specialized for your network environment and operational procedures.