The demands of an always-on work environment that spans geographies and time zones is ever-increasing the pressures on IT departments to provide rich, connected capabilities across the infrastructure, while protecting both the environment and its confidential data from intrusion and disruption. The infrastructure optimization process helps organizations transform their IT infrastructures into strategic assets, reducing system complexity and providing greater operational flexibility. As a result, IT managers are able to:

Control costs:
Reduce hardware, utility, and space expenses for data-center operations
Reduce application compatibility testing for major deployments
Reduce training expenses and free up costly IT personnel forhigher-value use
Increase system uniformity, to avoid conflicts and accelerateproblem resolution
Prevent security breaches and subsequent clean-up efforts
Reduce remote site visits in branch operations

Improve service levels:
Reduce service interruptions from security breaches
Maintain a robust disaster recovery process, to avoid service interruptions and speed recovery
Avoid desktop configuration conflicts and accelerate help-desk resolution
Quarantine out-of-compliance remote systems and legacy line-of-business (LOB) applications

Drive agility:
Increase flexibility and ability to adapt to changing business conditions
Rapidly provision new capabilities
Dynamically assign resources to demanding workloads in near real time
Employ zero-touch self-provisioning and automatic configuration
Streamline and accelerate software deployment

The vision of infrastructure optimization is to help customers realize the value of their investments in IT infrastructure, to make the IT infrastructure a strategic asset that supports agility within their organizations, and ultimately to help customers create an infrastructure for a people-ready business.

For more information about how your business can benefit from the infrastructure optimization process, contact Digital Reach!

Source: Citrix - Enterprise Management Associates

This EMA white paper provides a prescriptive and practical guide for IT decision-makers who are interested in learning more about desktop virtualization, how and whether it applies to their organization, and what they need to do next to take advantage of the extraordinary benefits this technology can provide. This paper provides a non-technical introduction, and explains the major benefits to business and IT, including: greater productivity; better, faster, cheaper management and support; improved security and compliance; balance of control and usability; high availability; improved performance; extreme workforce mobility; and maximized resource utilization.

Three Key Phases to Implementing Desktop Virtualization
by EMA

Cisco has announced the “end-of-life” for Cisco PIX Security related products and has encouraged the migration to Cisco ASA 5500.  Businesses face a growing number of network security challenges due to many different dynamics in the industry.

The number and sophistication of attacks is increasing, with threats such as botnets and the exploitation of multiple vulnerabilities in many of today’s Web services, applications, and back-end systems. Increasing collaboration with business partners and customers requires more security at what was the Internet edge and new forms of secure remote access to critical business data. Many advanced technologies, such as unified communications and wireless, are being adopted as mission-critical infrastructure and require new forms of security to protect them. Finally, regulations pertaining to business governance and privacy are affecting businesses more than ever and forcing them to change their business practices and increase their overall level of information security.

On January 28, 2008, Cisco announced the end-of-sale and end-of life dates for Cisco PIX Security Appliances, software, accessories, and licenses. The last day for purchasing Cisco PIX Security Appliance platforms/bundles will be July 28, 2008 and the last day to purchase accessories and licenses will be January 27, 2009. It is important to note that Cisco will continue to support Cisco PIX Security Appliance customers through July 27, 2013.

Cisco PIX Security Appliance customers are encouraged to migrate to Cisco ASA 5500 Series Adaptive Security Appliances. In addition to providing the same robust firewall and IPsec VPN capabilities as Cisco PIX Security Appliances, the Cisco ASA 5500 Series offers significantly better performance and scalability, SSL VPN support, advanced Unified Communications (voice/video) security, and a modular design that allows you to add features such as intrusion prevention (IPS), antivirus, antispam, antiphishing, and URL filtering. Migration to the Cisco ASA 5500 Series is straightforward, because consistent management and monitoring interfaces allow you to take advantage of your knowledge and investment in Cisco PIX Security Appliances.

The Cisco ASA 5500 delivers many benefits, including the following:

• Assists businesses meet compliance and regulatory requirements like HIPAA, PCI and many more.
• Delivers secure mobility services to improve access to SSL VPN technologies.
• Overall cost to maintain one or more security services is lowered.
• Gives customeres the ability to take advantage of training and operational experience from Cisco PIX Security Appliances.
• Secures unified communications with end-to-end encrypted voice and video communication with greater capacity and scalability.

Why Migrate to Cisco ASA 5500? 

Better Performance. Stronger Security. Increased Scalability. Protection from application-layer threats.

Digital Reach PIX to ASA Migration Services

When it comes to connectivity and collaboration of users and resources, businesses are quickly realizing if they have the network to support this or if a re-design is in need.  And, just when you figure out how to meet the current needs, you realize that your network must also meet the future needs.  And, within your current budget constraints.

The best way to design a network is to get it right the first time.  If that isn’t an option, the next best thing is to re-design it right the second time.  A network redesign should be implemented when you need to improve your network efficiency, reduce your network complexity, improve your network security, enhance your network availability, and achieve a higher network reliability.  An added bonus should include a strategy for scalability to keep up with the latest in technology, connectivity, and collaboration that your users will demand.

Network Design or Re-Design requires a highly trained staff with experience in designing complex and efficient enterprise networks.  An understanding of the business requirements that drive the network are curtail to a design’s success.  You should first analyze your current network environment to determine any changes that are necessary for you to minimize the operating costs associated with a network design/re-design.  Then, develop a network infrastructure design that balances the needs of your network users while maintaining the traffic and performance efficiencies.

Teaming up with Digital Reach for your Network Design or Network Re-Design means you get the support, experience, and peace-of-mind in knowing your network will serve as a means to improve productivity rather than hamper it.