Cisco South Africa has been appointed as the exclusive global networking Platinum partner for the launch of Windows 2000. Based on a shared vision of the Internet, the alliance between Microsoft and Cisco will produce Internet and electronic commerce solutions that provide better security and performance for business.
There has traditionally been a split between the network and the applications running on it. With the advent of Windows 2000, Cisco will extend intelligent network services from the server to the desktop, allowing resources to be managed according to business needs. When implementing joint solutions such as knowledge management, electronic commerce, supply chain management and customer relationship management, Microsoft and Cisco customers will benefit from scaleable network applications. These include networked multimedia, distance education, online collaboration and business operations optimisation.
"As the demand for Internet business solutions increases, so has the requirement for greater integration between network infrastructure and the applications running on it," says Bill Weber, general manager at Cisco Systems South Africa. "As an Internet ecosystem partner for Cisco, Microsoft`s Digital Nervous System technology framework supports our vision of the Internet economy. Our networking solutions based on Microsoft Windows 2000 Server take advantage of joint technology development on security, quality of service (QoS) and directory services. These technologies allow the fast and cost-effective deployment of successful solutions, while achieving mission-critical system availability and reliability."
The collaborative development of new QoS standards-based technologies by Microsoft and Cisco facilitates improved management of network resources and better prioritisation of network traffic. The network infrastructure defines and enforces policies necessary for optimal performance, ensuring priority for business critical applications. The Active Directory technology built into Microsoft Windows 2000, enables the deployment of application-aware networked computing, effectively providing a link between the intelligence within the network and the intelligence within the applications.
"As network usage increases with more demanding applications, the need for network administrators to set business priorities for application traffic becomes critical," says Weber. "This includes the intelligent priority switching of packets on the network. For example, when the accounts department runs bank reconciliations at month-end, that job is given bandwidth priority over others being conducted simultaneously."
The network intelligence also allows for a fully secure network infrastructure, leading to the effective protection of data. "A secure and stable networking infrastructure with application-aware intelligence is critical for electronic business success," says Weber. "Microsoft has proven strength in application services, security and QoS, which facilitates the joint development of application-aware networked technology, since Cisco builds its business on networked applications."
QoS will become increasingly important as companies take advantage of using networks for more than just voice and data, but also other applications such as multimedia during distance training, or Web-based call centres. The intelligent routing of data becomes critical, to ensure that quality of content is not sacrificed, therefore these packets will be prioritised on the network. "Customers will achieve improved levels of service, greater levels of scalability and reliability, effectively meeting the demands of new Internet business environments," comments Weber. "Improving the collaboration between hardware and software, allows customers to tailor their Internet resources and usage, making it a better technology investment."
"By optimising the intelligence of the hardware running the software, Microsoft and Cisco are developing solutions that will empower businesses of all sizes to quickly become Internet-enabled," says Ian Hatton, Windows 2000 product manager at Microsoft South Africa. "This will lower costs by taking advantage of the enhanced manageability and increased reliability of the Windows 2000 operating system. The launch of Windows 2000 is much more than a Microsoft event - it reflects global companies investing together to make the next generation of computing available to business customers."
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