Computer Support for Midsize Businesses

With most office IT systems, 64-bit computing is a giant untapped power source. Intel and AMD, the leading CPU manufacturers, have been delivering 64-bit capability in their commodity processors for years, so that all types of business computing hardware such as notebooks, desktop PCs, high-powered workstations and back-office servers now possess the ability to run in 64-bit format. Yet most of these computers still run 32-bit operating systems.

The primary reason for this common hesitation to participate in the 64-bit revolution is that the real benefit for upgrading in-place computers has seemed to be modest in relation to the effort needed. There is no automatic process to upgrade from a 32 to a 64-bit operating system. The enhancement requires a clean installation, which means reinstalling existing applications, backing up and restoring data, and configuring new drivers. This demands thorough planning to do efficiently. Furthermore, most office applications are currently offered only in 32-bit versions, so what's the advantage?

Benefits of Upgrading to 64-bit Processing
The advantages of 64-bit vs. 32-bit processing may seem vague and difficult to define precisely, but they are significant. The memory management schemes used in 32-bit platforms are basically an engineering band-aid that limits system stability. Memory-starved applications are sometimes not able to utilize free RAM since the operating system cannot assign it efficiently. This can be the cause of software freezing or running fitfully even though a computer appears to have plenty of available memory. In addition, 64-bit software platforms allow much more physical RAM than 32-bit ones and process twice as much information per clock cycle. You can also jump from one memory-hungry application to another more quickly while using a 64-bit system. Basically, 64-bit processing makes systems more stable, more expandable, and more efficient, which makes companies more productive.

Microsoft's 64-bit Computing Initiative
Microsoft's “x64” software supports the 64-bit CPUs used in virtually all servers and desktop PCs now deployed in office IT environments. (Microsoft's "Itanium" platform is limited to special advanced CPUs and is intended for environments that need large-scale multi-processing.) Before the release of Microsoft Office 2010, the majority of Microsoft client applications such as Microsoft Office 2007 and Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 were available only in 32-bit versions, which can nevertheless be used on x64 platforms. The new generation of Office 2010 delivers significant improvements. For example, Microsoft Office Excel 2010 is offered in a 64-bit edition that permits you to create spreadsheets with enormous databases that are not restricted by the 2-gigabyte maximum file size that hampers 32-bit editions of Excel.

Microsoft offers native x64 versions of key Microsoft Server System products, including Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008 and 2005, Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, Microsoft Commerce Server 2007, BizTalk Server, plus System Center Operations Manager. Windows Server 64-bit versions are priced and licensed the same as their 32-bit editions, so in most circumstances you pay nothing more for 64-bit server software or machines.

For workstations, Microsoft supplies Windows 7 and Windows 8 in same-price x64 editions that provide high dependability, capacity, and throughput. Like all migrations from 32-bit to 64-bit operating systems, the upgrade can’t be carried out seamlessly. Each desktop PC and server requires a clean installation that entails reconfiguring applications, backing up and restoring data files, and installing 64-bit drivers. In fact, for typical in-place desktop PCs, and for all PCs powered by XP, even the 64-bit version of Windows 7 or 8 requires you to carry out a "from scratch" install. Consequently, there has never been a better time to migrate to 64-bit computing on the desktop, since it will require scarcely any additional work.

How Progent Can Help Your Business to Migrate to 64-bit Computing
Besides assisting your organization to evaluate the practical benefits, expenses, and technical risks attached to migrating to 64-bit computing, Progent's Microsoft-certified consultants can help you design, document, implement, administer, and troubleshoot a network-wide migration to 64-bit server and client operating systems and business applications. Progent can help you test your 64-bit infrastructure to make sure it handles all of the important 32-bit applications which you want to retain plus the new 64-bit versions of software you plan to install. If adopting Windows 7, Windows 8.1, or Windows 10 is part of your x64 upgrade plan, Progent's Windows 7 engineers, Windows 8.1 consultants, and Windows 10 evaluation and migration consultants can help your company to decide which desktop computers and programs can or ought to be preserved, and outline a migration process that is the least disruptive to your business productivity.

Other ways Progent can help your business to migrate to x64 computing include:

• Progent's experience delivering online network support services can save your business effort and expense during your 64-bit upgrade, and Progent's experience working with internal support personnel and providing technical information sharing to them can increase the effectiveness of your network support staff.

• Progent's certified Cisco CCIE network engineers can make sure that your network infrastructure is configured to support your 64-bit computing solution, that it is simple to monitor, manage, and repair, and that it provides a high degree of data protection and fault tolerance.

• Progent's business continuity engineers can assist you in creating and validating a disaster recovery plan that includes your x64 servers. Progent's Microsoft certified System Center System Center Data Protection Manager (SCDPM) consulting experts can help you to deploy System Center SCDPM to provide near-continuous remote backup with the capability of rapid data restoration.

• Progent's CISM, CISSP, and GIAC certified security engineers can assist you develop a company-wide security plan that deploys some of the powerful security mechanisms included with 64-bit servers. Progent can also perform security vulnerability testing to assess or validate your company's adherence to mandated security standards.

• Progent's virtualization experts can help you utilize 64-bit virtual server technology to save money on hardware, streamline management, improve robustness, cut hosting expenses, and reduce restoration time in case of a catastrophic breakdown.

• Progent's online education can help bring both your IT management staff and your desktop employees up to date rapidly and cost-effectively by delivering interactive online virtual training specialized for your computing requirements and business processes.