Computer Network Outsourcing for Mid-size Companies

For most office networks, 64-bit computing is a giant unexploited power source. Both Intel and AMD, the top CPU makers, have been delivering 64-bit capability in their mainstream processors for years, so that all classes of business computers including laptops, desktop computers, engineering workstations and back-office servers already possess the ability to operate in 64-bit format. Yet the majority of these computers continue to run 32-bit operating systems and applications.

The primary cause for this widespread reluctance to participate in the 64-bit millennium is that the business advantage for updating in-place computers has appeared to be small in relation to the work needed. There is no seamless path to migrate from a 32 to a 64-bit operating system. The upgrade requires a clean install, which means reinstalling existing programs, backing up and recovering data, and installing new 64-bit drivers. This demands careful planning to carry out efficiently. Meanwhile, most office applications are still offered only in 32-bit versions, so where's the benefit?

Advantages of Upgrading to 64-bit Processing
The benefits of 64-bit over 32-bit processing may seem subtle and difficult to quantify, yet they are real. The memory management schemes utilized by 32-bit platforms are essentially a technical band-aid that limits system stability. RAM-starved programs are sometimes unable to utilize existing memory because the operating system cannot allocate it efficiently. This can be the cause of software freezing or running erratically even when a machine seems to have ample available RAM. In addition, 64-bit software platforms allow far more physical RAM than 32-bit systems and process twice as much information per clock cycle. You can also go from one RAM-hungry program to another faster while running in a 64-bit system. Basically, 64-bit processing makes environments more stable, more scalable, and more efficient, which makes companies more competitive.

Microsoft's 64-bit Computing Initiative
Microsoft's “x64” technology supports the 64-bit CPUs used in virtually all servers and desktop PCs currently installed in business IT environments. (Microsoft's "Itanium" initiative is restricted to a few high-end Intel and AMD CPUs processors and is intended for environments that require large-scale multi-processing.) Prior to the release of Office 2010, most Microsoft desktop applications including Microsoft Office 2007 and Visual Studio 2005 were offered only in 32-bit editions, which can nevertheless be used on x64 Windows. The new family of Office 2010 delivers dramatic improvements. As an example, Office Excel 2010 is available in a 64-bit edition that permits you to build spreadsheets with enormous datasets that are not restricted by the 2-gigabyte maximum file size imposed by 32-bit releases of Office Excel.

Microsoft has developed native x64 editions of many Microsoft Server System products, including Windows Server 2008 and 2003, SQL Server 2008 and 2005, Exchange Server 2007, Microsoft Commerce Server, Microsoft BizTalk Server 2006, plus System Center Operations Manager. Microsoft Windows Server 64-bit editions are priced the same as their 32-bit counterparts, so typically you pay nothing more for 64-bit server software or hardware.

For workstations, Microsoft offers Windows 7 and Windows 8 in same-cost 64-bit versions that offer advanced dependability, capacity, and throughput. As with all migrations from 32-bit to 64-bit platforms, the move up can't be done without effort. Every desktop PC and server needs a clean setup that involves reconfiguring applications, backing up and recovering data files, and installing 64-bit device drivers. In fact, for most current workstations, and for all PCs powered by XP, even the 64-bit version of Microsoft Windows 7 or 8 requires you to carry out a clean install. This being the case, there will never be a better time to upgrade to 64-bit computing on the workstation, since it will require little additional work.

How Progent Can Assist Your Business to Upgrade to 64-bit Processing
Besides helping your organization to evaluate the practical advantages, costs, and technical variables associated with upgrading to 64-bit computing, Progent's Microsoft-certified consultants can help you design, document, implement, manage, and troubleshoot a system-wide migration to 64-bit server and client operating systems and applications. Progent can help you test your 64-bit environment 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 plan to install. If moving to Windows 7, Windows 8.1, or Windows 10 is included in your x64 migration strategy, Progent's Windows 7 engineers, Windows 8.1 consultants, and Windows 10 evaluation and upgrade experts can assist you to decide which desktop hardware and programs can or should be retained, and design a migration procedure that is the least disruptive to your network operations.

Additional ways Progent's consultants can assist you to migrate to x64 computing include:

• Progent's expertise delivering remote network consulting and support can save you time and expense during your 64-bit migration, and Progent's experience working with in-house IT personnel and providing technical knowledge sharing to them can improve the effectiveness of your support staff.

• Progent's Cisco CCIE network engineers can verify that your network infrastructure is configured to accommodate your x64 computing solution, that it is easy to monitor, administer, and troubleshoot, and that it offers a high level of data protection and robustness.

• Progent's business continuity engineers can assist you in creating and validating a business continuity strategy that includes your 64-bit servers. Progent's Microsoft certified Microsoft System Center SCDPM consulting professionals can help you to configure System Center SCDPM to support automated remote backup with the capability of fast system recovery.

• Progent's CISSP and GIAC network security specialists can help you develop a comprehensive security plan that deploys some of the new security mechanisms incorporated into 64-bit servers. Progent can also carry out network security vulnerability checking to assess or verify your company's adherence to industry or government security standards.

• Progent's virtualization engineers can show you how to use 64-bit virtual server solutions to leverage your hardware resources, simplify management, improve robustness, cut hosting expenses, and speed up recovery time in the event of a catastrophic breakdown.

• Progent's online training classes can help bring your IT support staff and your desktop workers up to speed rapidly and cost-effectively by delivering online webinars specialized for your computing environment and business processes.