News

Unisys to Deliver Windows 2000 Services and Support

• By Scott Bekker
• 01/31/2000

The services are based on Unisys (www.unisys.com) Best Practices for Windows 2000, and comprises four key components: Infrastructure Services and Support, Enterprise Class Technology, Global Industry Solutions, and Enterprise Class Solutions.

Infrastructure Services and Support is a set of readiness planning, design, deployment and support services that assess and optimize the client's information technology and networking infrastructure to maximize the scalability, manageability, reliability and interoperability required for enterprise-class e-business. Key infrastructure services include Windows 2000 Readiness and Preparation, Windows 2000 and Active Directory Design and Deployment Planning, and Windows 2000 Enterprise Deployment.

Enterprise-Class Technology is the family of Unisys enterprise servers, designed to enhance the performance of Intel Corp. (www.intel.com) and Microsoft (www.microsoft.com) technologies. The Unisys e-@ction Enterprise Server ES 7000 is a key part of Unisys portfolio for Windows 2000. Based on Unisys Cellular MultiProcessing (CMP) architecture, the ES7000 supports up to 32 processors divisible into as many as eight partitions, as well as large memory and I/O resources. Unisys e-@ction Solutions for Windows 2000 include a range of ES7000 and other Unisys Windows 2000-based servers factory-optimized with specialized software and services to address e-business; CRM and Enterprise Application Software (EAS) using Siebel, SAP and PeopleSoft software; Microsoft Exchange server consolidation; and thin-client computing and application delivery.

Global Industry Solutions are applications for specific vertical industries with Microsoft solutions to deliver ways for customers to compete effectively in the global marketplace. These applications are combined with integration and consulting services to deliver value in financial services; public sector; communications; transportation; publishing and commercial.

Finally, Enterprise-Class Services include an enterprise architecture planning process, solution integration services, reliance on key enterprise-class technologies and an understanding of the customer's business environment. These cross-industry services extend the boundaries for scaleable electronic business solutions based on Windows 2000.

Irv Epstein, who heads Windows 2000 program management for Unisys says the services will help clients realize Windows 2000’s possibilities and deploy end-to-end e-business solutions.

"Enterprise class services are designed to break down the perceived limitations of Windows products by providing higher transaction rates, more scalability and higher performance SQL Server databases," he says.

In addition, Unisys offers support services for clients' Microsoft environments and enterprise networks. These include Microsoft Alliance Support for High Availability for mission-critical environments, as well as complementary managed services such as the Unisys e-@ction OneCall Solution - a single-point-of-contact help desk - and Unisys e-@ction Network Transformation and Network and Systems Management for enterprise networks.

"Unisys is playing a central role in extending the benefits of Windows 2000 into the enterprise," said Deborah Willingham, vice president of Windows Marketing, Microsoft, in a statement. " Unisys enterprise-class technologies, applications and services will help customers derive maximum value from strategic business solutions running on the Windows 2000 platform."

Although the services and support are new to the Windows 2000 platform, Epstein says the concept itself is not new.

"These are very comparable to the solutions and services we’ve been offering for NT all along but, obviously, now they’re focused on Windows 2000," he says. "Our services are heavily oriented toward helping customers deploy Windows 2000 to its fullest extent." – Thomas Sullivan