Microsoft Online Services and BPOS
<P>With the raised market awareness of cloud computing, there has been a significant shift in the way we think about IT services.</P>
For years we have been used to using software installed on our PCs or within our organisation’s walls, and now there is an increasing movement towards having these solutions delivered through online services.
One model of delivering cloud-based solutions is called Software as a Service (SaaS). This model has been available to the market for many years and relies completely on internet access for its delivery. Customers and organisations do not pay for ownership of any software; instead they only pay for the consumption of the services provided by the software that is hosted in the cloud. The consumption of such services by the customers is only possible over the internet through a web-based interface.
About two years ago, Microsoft unveiled a new model of cloud-based offerings called Software + Services. This model differentiates itself from SaaS in a number of ways. Software + Services solutions combine the scalability and accessibility provided by cloud-hosted services with the power, flexibility and rich experiences provided by software running locally.
Software + Services also gives organisations a “middle ground option” by supporting the deployment of hybrid solutions. These particular solutions deliver a portion of the services using traditional on-premise systems, while delivering the remaining services through cloud-hosted systems. This strategic and architectural flexibility produces a framework through which security of information storage can be achieved by housing sensitive data on local systems, while non-sensitive data can be stored in hosted infrastructures.
Microsoft’s Business Productivity Online Standard Suite (BPOS) is a Software + Services offering made available to the market through Microsoft Online Services. These services are hosted by Microsoft and supplied to organisations throughout the world over the internet.
BPOS currently comprises several products: Microsoft Exchange Online Standard, Microsoft SharePoint Online Standard, Microsoft Offi ce Communicator Online Standard and Microsoft Live Meeting Online Standard.
Microsoft is betting big on online services such as BPOS and Azure, and it’s a safe assumption that within a few years, the applications that information workers use will increasingly have a cloud component to them – if they’re not hosted online in their entirety.
In the meantime, however, there are a number of reasons why organisations should at least be trialling BPOS now to see if the business case makes sense.
There are a number of opportunities to utilise some or all of the BPOS applications, for organisations of all sizes. These include:
Email is not a core competency.
For many organisations, and IT shops in general, running an Exchange Server – or any mail server – can be a complex endeavour, requiring signifi cant infrastructure and skill. Migrating to a hosted service such as Exchange Online often makes sense, and could save significant operational capital.
Trialling Unified Communications.
If you are interested in understanding how unified communications could benefit your organisation, trialling Office Communications Online is the way to go: by testing out the online presence, instant messaging and voice capabilities, you and your organisation can quickly determine the benefi ts that will be accrued. While there are some limitations (e.g. integration with PABX telephony solutions is not currently possible), this is an ideal way for organisations to quickly improve productivity with minimal effort and outlay.
Online conferencing
Most organisations are facing travel restrictions, so being able to meet virtually online, sharing desktops and viewing presentations and documents can all minimise the need to travel – across town or across the country. To find out more about how Microsoft’s Online Services – and BPOS in particular – can help your organisation, feel free to contact us. Alternatively you can also visit: http://www.microsoft.com/online/ennz/default.mspx.
david.porta@intergen.co.nz