Dimension Data

Are you looking to upgrade or standardise your Microsoft Windows desktop fleet, or reduce the cost of managing your Microsoft Windows desktop and server estate?

You could be eligible for free consulting from a Global Award Winning Microsoft Gold partner

What is the Desktop Deployment Planning Service program?

In short, a program aimed at supporting desktop migration and ongoing systems management – with all advice and deliverables adhering to Microsoft best practice, supported by a global award winning Microsoft partner.

The service, provided by Microsoft Certified Partners like Dimension Data, will introduce you to advanced techniques, processes, and tools. Certified consultants will work with you to identify your unique business needs and will help you create a comprehensive deployment plan. This plan, designed to provide a secure and well-managed desktop environment, will help you extend the business value of your Microsoft Office or Windows software upgrade rights.

Microsoft Desktop Deployment Planning Service offers 1 to 15 days of consulting, depending on the amount of Microsoft Software Assurance that you have purchased for Microsoft Office software.

What is Microsoft Software Assurance?

Microsoft Software Assurance is a comprehensive maintenance offering that helps you get the most out of your software investment. It combines the latest software with telephone support available 24 hour a day, partner services, training, and I.T. tools that help customers deploy, manage, and migrate software. With Software Assurance, a customer can increase worker productivity, accelerate organisational performance, and quickly realise a return on software investment.

You can choose Software Assurance at the time of purchase (i.e. of Microsoft licenses) and begin using your benefits immediately for the term of your license agreement.

An example of how Software Assurance spend equates to potential DDPS consulting days can be seen below:

Software Assurance Spend (US$)	Potential DDPS Days
$60,000	1
$150,000	3
$600,000	5
$1,250,000	10

*Dimension Data will assist determining if you are eligible for the DDPS programme with Microsoft. In the absence of applicable Microsoft Software Assurance benefits, Dimension Data offer very competitive rates to secure the same services.

A typical agenda would cover:

A discovery session. This session provides a full assessment of your desktop environment to help the consultants understand your needs, and how you can take advantage of best practices and tools from Microsoft.

Customer presentations. During these sessions, your consultant will introduce the concept of zero touch and other Microsoft technologies and processes that lead to successful desktop deployment and migration.

Architecture design sessions. Your consultant will outline critical technical aspects of desktop deployment, such as security, software, and network design implications. In addition, you'll consider how new technology will integrate with your existing environment.

Strategy briefing and technical drilldown sessions. These sessions help define the vision for achieving your technical and business goals. Your consultant will demonstrate the value of migrating applications and lowering costs through automated deployment and desktop management. At the end of these sessions, your team will have a clear understanding of the issues you will encounter, supported by fundamental planning decisions.

Proof-of-concept lab. By using automation, this lab demonstrates the possible outcomes of deployment. At the end of the lab sessions, you can receive a Customised Deployment Plan that summarises the entire process and outcomes.

Focus Technology:

Dimension Data is proud to be able to talk to, and demonstrate, the full System Center product range and migration to mainstream supported Microsoft operating systems.

Dimension Data works closely with the following ‘best of breed’ partners to add additional value to the Desktop Deployment Planning Service proposition. All partners are active participants in the program, with full technical demonstration a common practice.

Is your environment compatible with Microsoft Office 2007?

ConverterTechnology

ConverterTechnology's tools and associated processes compliment any project where migrating from a legacy Office platform to Office 2007 is deemed a significant piece of work. More specifically, identifying, analysing, and then migrating large volumes of legacy Microsoft file formats to the new Microsoft Office 2007 file format can be simplified using ConverterTechnology's intellectual property.

Will your applications run on Microsoft Windows Vista? Can they be virtualised?

ChangeBASE – and AOK technology

AOK technology offers a largely automated way of preparing your applications for migration to a new platform, whatever their format. Should your applications be in non-MSI format, AOK automatically converts them into MSI. It also ensures that when you have all your applications working together on your new platform that they are protected from security updates causing them to break by informing you of all known application conflicts. Microsoft provides the platform. AOK is the enabling tool to prepare you to move to that platform in the shortest possible time with the least possible risk.

Are you making the best business case for your technology investment proposal?

Salire Partners

Making the best business case to key decision-makers can be anything but straightforward. It takes more than accurate numbers to present a compelling business case—decision-makers need to understand why your IT project should make it into their list of funded priorities. Salire’s toolsets combine a sophisticated financial analysis model that quantifies the financial benefits of an IT investment with a professionally written business case that describes the business value of your proposed IT solution. Together, these deliverables help you explain the value of any IT solution using the unique languages of the CEO, CFO, CIO, and LOB Executive.