REDMOND, Wash., July 31, 1996 — Microsoft Corp. today announced five new Technology Consulting Blueprints and a new Premier support service designed to help large organizations deploy strategic enterprise-communication and information-sharing solutions using Microsoft ® Internet, intranet and messaging technologies. The new services, offered as part of Microsoft Service Advantage technical services, will help meet the growing demand among enterprise customers to deploy corporate intranets based on the Microsoft Windows NT® Server network foundation, Microsoft Internet Information Server and Microsoft Exchange Server.
Demand for Intranet and Windows NT Server in Fortune 1,000 Companies
Increasing demand among corporations for enterprise intranets will propel Internet and intranet product and services sales from $5.3 billion in 1995 to approximately $41.9 billion in 1999, according to Zona Research Inc. of Redwood City, Calif. Organizations are deploying corporate intranets to make it easier for employees to publish, share, analyze and use information, resulting in more efficient decision making and greater employee productivity.
According to a market survey of 700 computing sites conducted by Sentry Market Research based in Westboro, Mass., Microsoft Windows NT Server is the operating environment of choice among Fortune 1,000 organizations deploying strategic intranet and Internet applications. Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0, announced today, features built-in Internet and intranet functionality with the fully integrated Microsoft Internet Information Server 2.0, the fastest Web server for the Windows NT Server network foundation. Windows NT Server also integrates with Microsoft Exchange Server, an enterprise e-mail and groupware solution that allows customers to send and receive e-mail, as well as access groupware applications, over the Internet or any other network.
New Technology Consulting Blueprints
Part of the Microsoft Service Advantage portfolio of technical services for enterprise customers, Technology Consulting Blueprints from Microsoft Consulting Services (MCS) are a set of predefined consulting projects designed to help customers achieve specific enterprise technology objectives. Technology Consulting Blueprints are based on MCS best practices and define the general requirements, results to be delivered, approach and expectations of a project, with implementation specifics tailored to each organization.
The new Technology Consulting Blueprints from MCS announced today are the following:
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Intranet/Internet Infrastructure Planning. These services provide planning and recommendations to help customers design and build an intranet or Internet infrastructure to streamline business processes and achieve business value. The blueprint shows customers how to make best use of the Internet and intranet functionality of the desktop and server products they have today, including Microsoft Office, Microsoft Windows NT Server and applications in the Microsoft BackOffice
™
family such as Microsoft Exchange Server and Microsoft SQL Server
™
. -
Intranet/Internet Applications Development Planning. This planning service helps organizations develop collaborative intranet applications such as budgeting or health-benefit systems, line-of-business applications such as order entry, and interactive Internet business applications such as customer service.
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Migration Services From Netscape to Microsoft Technology. These services are designed for organizations that want to migrate enterprises from Netscape
™
Enterprise Server to the integrated platform of Microsoft Internet Information Server and Microsoft BackOffice. MCS provides customers a review of their current Internet and intranet environments and a detailed migration plan to Microsoft technologies. -
Integrating Web Applications With Mainframe Transactions. This service offers enterprise customers a plan for achieving easy, reliable connectivity between TCP/IP-based intranet and Internet applications and MVS-based host systems, as well as integration of the applications and data residing on both systems.
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Microsoft Exchange Server Planning. This service provides planning and recommendations to help organizations deploy Microsoft Exchange Server as an enterprise e-mail and groupware system and integrate it with the corporate intranet. The planning process includes a review of the customer’s current messaging and computing environment, an analysis of future requirements and business needs, and implementation design recommendations.
The Microsoft Exchange Server Planning service is available now from Microsoft Consulting Services. The other services are scheduled to be available in August 1996.
Alexander & Alexander (A & A), a global risk-management consultant and insurance brokerage based in New York, is working with Microsoft Consulting Services to deliver breakthrough intranet and Internet solutions for its corporate customers.
“By working closely with Microsoft to plan and build innovative online services based on Microsoft Internet Explorer and Microsoft Internet Information Server, A & A is setting a new standard for risk management,”
said Mia Shernoff, director of online services for A & A.
“Our new intranet and Internet service, called Access A & A, provides corporate risk managers with very easy and powerful desktop access to the critical information and services they require, assisting them as they manage the cost of risk for their organizations worldwide. Our work with Microsoft Consulting Services is integral to this initiative.”
New Premier Support Service
Complementing the new Technology Consulting Blueprints, Microsoft Service Advantage has been extended to include a new Premier support service designed to maximize the manageability of an organization’s intranet and messaging infrastructures and to minimize the total cost of ownership. The new Premier Supportability Review for intranet and Internet helps customers take advantage of the usability, reliability and supportability of Microsoft Internet Information Server and Microsoft Exchange Server, providing early identification of potential problems and recommendations on how to avoid them. Supportability Reviews are performed by a team of product specialists and senior engineers, led by a Premier Technical Account Manager from Microsoft.
“Large organizations are looking to intranet solutions to redefine their models for communicating within and beyond the company, but they need to preserve and make best use of the technology they have in place today,”
said Deborah Willingham, vice president of enterprise customers at Microsoft.
“Our new Service Advantage services will help enterprise customers take advantage of their technology investments to build strategic intranets for powerful communication and information sharing. By delivering knowledge, we are helping customers plan and deploy integrated, manageable intranets, thus helping to reduce their risk and cost of ownership.”
About Microsoft Service Advantage
Microsoft Service Advantage delivers the full range of services and support that large organizations need to successfully implement mission-critical systems built with Microsoft products. Microsoft Service Advantage combines direct services from Microsoft with those from established enterprise-service partners, providing a total solution that delivers real business advantage.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.
Microsoft, Windows NT and BackOffice are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
Netscape is a trademark of Netscape Communications Corp.
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