Microsoft and Cisco are to join forces to combine Windows Server 2008 with Cisco WAN (wide area network) optimisation for branch office environments.
The two companies intend for Cisco to offer Windows Server 2008 pre-installed on its new virtualised Cisco WAAS (wide area application services) appliances which are scheduled to be available later this year.
The two companies plan to test and validate the resulting architectures for the remote IT infrastructure in the branch office. They will also offer customers joint support as well as jointly promoting the integrated product to channel re-sellers and customers.
“Extending our collaboration with Cisco to integrated solutions for branch offices presents an exciting opportunity for our customers and for Microsoft and Cisco,” said Bob Muglia, senior vice-president, Microsoft server and tools business division. “The technologies announced today will help boost performance and availability by making critical Windows Server 2008 services available to remote offices through integration with Cisco’s WAAS solution.”
“Building on our announcement last summer, Microsoft and Cisco are collaborating on a joint architecture and offering new technology that enhances the performance and efficiency of applications both locally hosted as well as delivered over wide area networks,” said Jayshree Ullal, senior vice-president of Cisco’s data centre, switching and services group. “This joint effort extends Cisco’s application delivery network strategy to meet customers’ needs for flexible IT resources.”
According to Microsoft and Cisco, using the integrated product customers can reduce the number of devices and the complexity of the infrastructure they have to deploy and manage in distributed branch offices. The Windows Server 2008 services that will be offered as part of Cisco WAAS platforms initially include domain name system (DNS), dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP), active directory, and print services.
By Niall Byrne
