Thursday, March 15, 2012

HP engineers support to better target multi-vendor, cloud environments

In a move to help enterprises address problems before they arise, HP this week rolled out IT support services architected for modern IT infrastructures.

Dubbed HP Always On Support, the new services integrate tech built into the HP Converged Infrastructure with services to help enterprises realize 95 percent first-time resolution rates and hasten the restoration of system interruptions. [Disclosure: HP is a sponsor of BriefingsDirect podcasts.]

HP is taking a different approach from the break/fix model that legacy support services offer for individual pieces of equipment in technology silos. With Always On Support Services, HP is acknowledging the new data center paradigm: virtualized, multivendor and clouds with interdependencies across the IT infrastructure.

With HP Always On Support Services, the tech giant said it is taking a proactive stance, which includes providing a single point of contact for problem resolution -- problems that could otherwise lead to downtime the firm estimates costs average enterprises $10 million an hour.

Move to innovation

“Organizations can’t survive in today’s business climate without shifting time and resources from problem resolution to innovation,” says Antonio Neri, senior vice president and general manager of HP’s Technology Services group. “The traditional reactive IT support model is no longer effective -- the industry needs to change the way it delivers support to offer proactive solutions and customized service offerings -- and HP is leading that charge.”

Here’s an example of HP Always On Support Services in action: The service continuously monitors the 1,600 diagnostic data points HP ProActive Insight architecture collects. (This architecture is embedded in HP ProLiant Gen8 servers and is soon to be integrated across the HP Converged Infrastructure.)

Through its HP Foundation Care feature, HP Always On offers direct communication with an expert who already knows the client, the details of the client’s environment, and what the client’s system is experiencing. By leveraging relationships with leading independent software vendors (ISVs), HP promises to expedite problem resolution and eliminate the finger pointing typical of legacy support models.

Organizations can’t survive in today’s business climate without shifting time and resources from problem resolution to innovation.



Meanwhile, HP Proactive Care works to minimize downtime and optimize performance by addressing problems before they occur. HP Datacenter Care offers customized support for a client’s multivendor environment with a single point of contact at HP. Finally, HP Lifecycle Event Services work to augment the HP Care portfolio with HP expertise throughout the technology life cycle for client’s IT projects, including strategy, design, implementation and education services, allowing clients to select services a la carte.

BriefingsDirect contributor Jennifer LeClaire provided editorial assistance and research on this post. She can be reached at http://www.linkedin.com/in/jleclaire and http://www.jenniferleclaire.com.

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Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Join HP security expert Tari Schreider for a deep-dive live chat on cloud protection

Business leaders want to exploit cloud computing values fast, but they also fear the security risks in moving to cloud models too quickly.

Just at the time that companies want to leverage cloud, they know that security threats are growing. Indeed, according to recent HP-sponsored research, the volume and complexity of security threats has continued to escalate. Analyst firms such as Forrester place security and privacy as the top reasons for not adopting cloud.

Yet by better understanding cloud security risks, gaining detailed understanding of your own infrastructure and following proven reference architectures and methods, security can move from an inhibitor of cloud adoption to an enabler.

Indeed, CIOs must find the ways to make extended services use secure for their operations, data, processes, intellectual property, employees and customers – even as security threats ramp up.

And so these cloud services from both inside and outside the enterprise are rapidly compelling companies to rethink how they use and exploit technology securely. Cloud computing trends are now driving the need for a better approach to security.

Live discussion

On March 22, in a free, online, live multimedia "Expert Chat," I'll be interviewing Tari Schreider, Chief Security Architect, HP Technology Consulting. We'll also be taking live questions from the online audience. [Disclosure: HP is a sponsor of BriefingsDirect podcasts.]

The stakes have never been higher for keeping applications and businesses up and running.

Register now as seats are limited for this free HP Expert Chat.

In this free discussion (registration required), hear recommendations from Schreider on how to prevent security concerns from holding up cloud adoption. We'll further explore what it takes to mitigate risks and prepare your organization for secure hybrid cloud computing.

Moreover, the entire presentation, as well as questions and answers, will be automatically translated into 13 major languages. Viewers can easily choose the language of their choice. They will also be able to download the presentation and listen and watch Schreider's chat on-demand after the live event.

Register now as seats are limited for this free HP Expert Chat.

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