Dell today introduced new infrastructure consulting services to help organizations of all sizes improve their storage management and data protection, enable effective disaster recovery procedures and implement backup recovery processes. These services will help companies better manage traditional data and the new and rapidly growing digital file content created by the increasing adoption of Web 2.0 technologies in business. Enterprise and medium-size organizations can expect to experience 55 percent compound annual growth rates in the volume of their file-based storage capacity over the next several years.

Connected Era Creating Unprecedented Storage Demand

The amount of information created this year will surpass available storage capacity as more and more consumers and businesses go online2. Companies must manage the complexities of growing storage infrastructures and protect, back up and retain data to comply with industry regulations, while protecting themselves from increasingly sophisticated external threats. Companies also want to fully utilize storage so that they don’t pay for storage that is not used.

“For many customers, managing their data access, protection and recovery environment has become unnecessarily difficult and the risk to the business through data loss in the event of human error or disaster is both real and material,” said Paul Kaeley, Storage Consulting Practice Director, Dell. “Dell's new consulting services provide a path to simplifying customers’ storage and backup environments.”

“Dell examined not only our immediate needs but also our goals for the future in terms of replication, disaster recovery and data back up,” said Barry Schwartz, IT/Network Manager of Metrologic Instruments.

Dell improved the efficiency of Metrologic’s data back up from 80 to 14 hours by consolidating servers, resulting in a goal of 200 percent return on investment, and helping ensure business continuity and protection of 40 years worth of the company’s intellectual property.

Services Designed Around Storage Management and Data Protection Pain Points

Dell will work with customers to:

• Implement a tiered-storage infrastructure where less critical data can be moved to the appropriate tier helping to drive down costs for the business;

• Rapidly identify improvements within backup and recovery infrastructure and help customers to stabilize and optimize operations; and,

• Plan, design and implement data disaster recovery to help protect and recover data in event of crisis.

Additionally, in partnership with GlassHouse Technologies Inc., Dell will plan, design and implement IT disaster recovery plans to ensure companies have the people, process and tools to restore IT operations in the event of a crisis. Dell can also simplify the management of heterogeneous backup environments by providing managed backup, remote backup monitoring and remote backup reporting.

“There’s an appetite for storage services, but companies are weary of long engagements that last for six months and the end result is a PowerPoint with a bunch of meaningless platitudes,” said Stephanie Balaouras, Forrester senior analyst. “What I like about [Dell’s services] is that there is an emphasis on consulting engagements that are short in duration and the recommendations are useful and actionable.”

Tiered Storage, Data Disaster Recovery and Backup Restore Optimization and Stabilization services are now available worldwide, except in Latin America. IT Disaster Recovery, Enterprise Backup and Restore Assessments and Managed Backup, Remote Backup Monitoring and Remote Backup Reporting services are available to customers in the U.S., U.K. and Canada and will be available to customers in the rest of Europe and Asia later this year.

Practical Solutions, Not Armies of Consultants

Dell has a modular approach to infrastructure consulting. The company uses tools, automation and repeatable methodologies and best practices to identify pragmatic solutions to IT infrastructure management challenges in days and weeks rather than months. Dell services also include on-going support and managed services.

Storage Consulting services are available directly from Dell and through Dell’s Partner Direct program. Channel partners should contact their account representative for further information.

About Dell

Dell Inc. listens to customers and delivers innovative technology and services they trust and value. Uniquely enabled by its direct business model, Dell is a leading global systems and services company and No. 34 on the Fortune 500. For more information, visit www.dell.com, or to communicate directly with Dell via a variety of online channels, go to www.dell.com/conversations. To get Dell news direct, visit www.dell.com/RSS. 

Recognizing partners that delivered exemplary solutions to customers, Microsoft Corp. has announced the winners and finalists of its 2008 Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards. The awards honor Microsoft Registered, Microsoft Certified and Microsoft Gold Certified partners that delivered exemplary solutions for their customers during the past year.

Award winners and finalists were chosen from among nominations from around the world. Winners and finalists will be recognized at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference 2008, the company's premier annual event for industry partners, being held July 7-10 in Houston. More than 2,000 entries were submitted by partners worldwide.

The award finalists and winners were selected from a group of nominations based on their dedicated use of Microsoft technologies to provide solutions for their customers' needs.

"The Partner of the Year Awards recognize the incredible innovation and value that Microsoft partners are delivering to our customers," said Allison L. Watson, corporate vice president of the Worldwide Partner Group at Microsoft. "The winners and finalists announced today have helped raise the standard for delivery of customer solutions and support. It is a privilege to recognize their work in designing and deploying exemplary customer solutions built on Microsoft technologies."

Categories, winners and finalists appear below. A complete list including category descriptions is available at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/events/wwpc/docs/POTY08FS.doc.

Advanced Infrastructure Solutions, Active Directory Partner of the Year 

• Winner: Oxford Computer Group, United Kingdom 
• Finalist: NetPro Computing, United States 
• Finalist: Quest Software, United States

Advanced Infrastructure Solutions, Exchange Migration and Deployment Partner of the Year 

• Winner: Compugen, Canada 
• Finalist: BrightPlanIT, United States 
• Finalist: Janalent, United States

Advanced Infrastructure Solutions, Hosting Solutions Partner of the Year 

• Winner: groupSPARK, United States 
• Finalist: WebCentral, Australia 
• Finalist: 7global, United Kingdom

Advanced Infrastructure Solutions, Storage Solutions Partner of the Year 

• Winner: Compellent Technologies, United States 
• Finalist: HP, United States 
• Finalist: NetApp, United States

Advanced Infrastructure Solutions, Systems Management Partner of the Year 

• Winner: Dimension Data, Australia 
• Finalist: CDW, United States 
• Finalist: Getronics, United States

Advanced Infrastructure Solutions, Windows Desktop Deployment Partner of the Year 

• Winner: Getronics, Netherlands 
• Finalist: Sogeti, France 
• Finalist: 1E, United Kingdom

Business Process and Integration Solutions Partner of the Year

• Winner: EMC, United States
• Finalist: Frends Technology, Finland 
• Finalist: Solidsoft, United Kingdom

Citizenship Partner of the Year 

• Winner: Citrix Systems, United States
• Finalist: Travi@ta, Belgium 
• Finalist: PointBridge, United States

Custom Development Solutions, Application Infrastructure Development Partner of the Year 

• Winner: imason, Canada
• Finalist: T-Systems Enterprise Services, Germany 
• Finalist: AVIcode, United States

Custom Development Solutions, Smart Client Development Partner of the Year 

• Winner: InterKnowlogy, United States 
• Finalist: Charteris, United Kingdom 
• Finalist: SourceCode -- K2.net Workflow, United States

Custom Development Solutions, Web Development Partner of the Year

• Winner: Vertigo Software, United States 
• Finalist: TI-M Monterrey, Mexico 
• Finalist: Infusion Development, United States

Data Management Solutions, Business Intelligence Partner of the Year 

• Winner: Information Management Group (IM Group) Ltd., United Kingdom 
• Finalist: evidanza, Germany
• Finalist: Satyam Computer Services, India

Data Management Solutions, Database Management Partner of the Year 

• Winner: Integrated Services, United States 
• Finalist: Orion Technology, Canada 
• Finalist: Idera (BBS Technologies), United States

Distribution Partner of the Year 

• Winner: Tech Data Brasil, Brazil 
• Finalist: Express Data, Australia 
• Finalist: Ingram Micro, United States

Enterprise Alliance Partner of the Year 

• Winner: Accenture and Avanade, United States 
• Finalist: EDS, United States 
• Finalist: HP, United States

Global ISV Consumer Partner of the Year Special Recognition Award 

• Winner: Sonic Solutions, United States 
• Finalist: Cewe Color, Germany 
• Finalist: Pinnacle Systems, United States

Global ISV Infrastructure Partner of the Year Special Recognition Award

• Winner: Citrix Systems, United States 
• Finalist: CA Inc., United States
• Finalist: Quest Software, United States

Global ISV Line of Business Partner of the Year Special Recognition Award 

• Winner: Fiserv Inc., United States 
• Finalist: Epicor Software Corp., United States 
• Finalist: Open Text, Canada

Global ISV Technology Innovation Partner of the Year Special Recognition Award 

• Winner: Dassault Systemes, France 
• Finalist: Epicor Software Corp., United States 
• Finalist: Pitney Bowes Inc., United States

Information Worker Solutions, Data Visualization Partner of the Year 

• Winner: Idea Integration, United States 
• Finalist: Sogeti USA, United States 
• Finalist: Visimation, United States

Information Worker Solutions, Enterprise Content Management and Forms Partner of the Year

• Winner: LegendCorp, Canada 
• Finalist: Dataract, Australia 
• Finalist: Concept Interactive, Canada

Information Worker Solutions, Enterprise Project Management Partner of the Year 

• Winner: EPM Live, United States 
• Finalist: AccTech Systems, South Africa 
• Finalist: LMR Solutions, United States

Information Worker Solutions, Office Deployment Partner of the Year 

• Winner: Dimension Data, Australia 
• Finalist: Atos Origin, Netherlands 
• Finalist: Citrix Systems, United States

Information Worker Solutions, Office Solutions Development Partner of the Year 

• Winner: Goodsen Technology, South Korea 
• Finalist: Fujitsu Consulting, Canada & Navantis, Canada 
• Finalist: Triomis, Germany

Information Worker Solutions, Performance Management Partner of the Year

• Winner: Mariner, United States 
• Finalist: TGO Consulting, Canada 
• Finalist: Information Systems Partners, South Africa

Information Worker Solutions, Portals and Collaboration Partner of the Year

• Winner: Ascentium, United States 
• Finalist: Datatel, United States 
• Finalist: IMPACT Management, United States

Information Worker Solutions, Search Partner of the Year 

• Winner: Tam Tam, Netherlands 
• Finalist: Beyond IT, Argentina
• Finalist: Getronics (Australia), Australia

Information Worker Solutions, Unified Communications Partner of the Year 

• Winner: MTS Allstream, Canada 
• Finalist: Ensyst, Australia 
• Finalist: Siemens IT Solutions and Services International, United States

ISV/Software Solutions Partner of the Year 

• Winner: ICONICS, United States 
• Finalist: Integrated Solutions, Hong Kong 
• Finalist: Mimosa Systems, United States

ISV/Software Solutions, Innovation Partner of the Year 

• Winner: Verdiem Corp., United States
• Finalist: ImageTag, United States 
• Finalist: NewsGator Technologies, United States

Learning Solutions Partner of the Year 

• Winner: iSolve Business Solutions, South Africa 
• Finalist: Koenig Solutions, India
• Finalist: QuickStart Intelligence (Irvine), United States

Licensing Solutions, License Delivery Partner of the Year

• Winner: Bytes Technology Group, United Kingdom 
• Finalist: DAQUAS, Czech Republic 
• Finalist: Softcat, United Kingdom

Licensing Solutions, Software Asset Management Partner of the Year 

• Winner: DATALOG Software, Germany 
• Finalist: Specialist Computer Centres, United Kingdom 
• Finalist: Dell, United States

Microsoft Dynamics AX Partner of the Year 

• Winner: Fullscope, United States 
• Finalist: XAPT Hungary, Hungary 
• Finalist: Hitachi Consulting, United States

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partner of the Year 

• Winner: i5, South Africa 
• Finalist: Ascentium, United States 
• Finalist: Sonoma Partners, United States

Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner of the Year 

• Winner: InterDyn -- Socius, United States 
• Finalist: BDO Dunwoody, Canada 
• Finalist: Touchstone Group, United Kingdom

Microsoft Dynamics NAV Partner of the Year

• Winner: Eclipse Computing Australia, Australia 
• Finalist: Tectura, Germany 
• Finalist: Tegos, Germany

Microsoft Dynamics Point of Sale Solutions Partner of the Year

• Winner: Elypsis, United States
• Finalist: Davidson-Richards, United Kingdom 
• Finalist: POSitive Technology, United States

Microsoft Dynamics SL Partner of the Year 

• Winner: Synergy Business Solutions, United States 
• Finalist: Strategic Information Solutions, United States 
• Finalist: Tribridge, United States

Mobility Solutions Partner of the Year 

• Winner: CDC, Russia 
• Finalist: Tibco Mobile, France 
• Finalist: Trust Digital, United States

Networking Infrastructure Solutions Partner of the Year 

• Winner: Quadrasystems.net, India 
• Finalist: IT Matters, Canada 
• Finalist: LPI Level Platforms, Canada

OEM Hardware Solutions, Device Manufacturing Partner of the Year

• Winner: Fujitsu Siemens Computers, Germany 
• Finalist: GN Netcom, United States
• Finalist: Quintum Technologies, United States

OEM Hardware Solutions, System Building Partner of the Year

• Winner: Fujitsu Siemens Computers, Germany
• Finalist: THIRD WAVE, Japan
• Finalist: UNIT.COM, Japan

Security Solutions, Identity and Secure Access Partner of the Year

• Winner: Omada, Denmark
• Finalist: Oxford Computer Group, United Kingdom
• Finalist: Certified Security Solutions, United States

Security Solutions, Infrastructure Security Partner of the Year

• Winner: Eurodata Systems, United Kingdom
• Finalist: Sentry Metrics, Canada
• Finalist: Quadrasystems.net, India

Small Business Specialist Partner of the Year

• Winner: Quadrasystems.net, India
• Finalist: ITnorth.ca Network & Consulting Service, Canada
• Finalist: Kinetics Group Ltd., New Zealand

International Association of Microsoft Certified Partners Partner of the Year

• Winner: Tech Data Brasil, Brazil

About the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference

The Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference provides Microsoft's partner community with access to key marketing and business strategies, leadership and information regarding specific customer solutions designed to help partners succeed in the marketplace.

Along with informative learning opportunities covering sales, marketing, services and technology, the Worldwide Partner Conference is an ideal setting for partners to garner valuable knowledge from their peers and from Microsoft. More information can be found on the Partner Program home page at https://partner.microsoft.com.

CSC has announced its plans to work with Dell Inc. to design and deploy strategic solutions that enable clients to drive excess cost and complexity out of their information technology (IT) environment and deliver more computing capacity.

The solutions will be designed to help clients simplify processes associated with IT and enhance innovation while leveraging technology to more effectively meet business needs. Dell and CSC have worked together for more than six years, providing desktop and data center solutions to many of the world's leading public and private institutions.

The companies have jointly developed and delivered integrated data center solutions for financial and healthcare institutions; high-performance computing environments for government agencies and Fortune 50 companies; and managed infrastructure services for several Fortune 500 companies.

CSC and Dell bring complementary capabilities to the solution offering. Dell delivers customized technology and services that speed deployment and simplify infrastructure management, such as factory integration of company applications and images, and asset tracking, management, and asset recovery. Dell also provides a full range of support services for end-users. CSC brings global IT services consulting and support, as well as expertise with a range of large vertical markets such as manufacturing; healthcare; chemical, energy and natural resources; and the public sector.

Based on these complementary capabilities, Dell has been named to CSC's recently formed Premier Partnership Program.

"By combining Dell's 'Simplify IT' initiative with CSC's expertise, we will deliver superior value for our enterprise clients," said Paul Rector, vice president of Dell Global Alliances. "Our proven methodologies will help organizations reclaim time, money and personnel needed to drive true innovation into their daily business processes."

"This effort expands a great relationship and will provide our joint and future customers with enterprise innovation essential for differentiation, market recognition and new revenue growth," said David Booth, CSC president of Global Sales and Marketing. "Further leveraging our strengths and enhancing vertical-industry service delivery aligns with CSC's Project Accelerate strategic growth initiative and is a natural progression toward higher levels of client satisfaction."

About CSC

CSC is a leading IT services company. CSC's mission is to be a global leader in providing technology-enabled business solutions and services. With approximately 90,000 employees, CSC provides innovative solutions for customers around the world by applying leading technologies and CSC's own advanced capabilities. These include systems design and integration; IT and business process outsourcing; applications software development; Web and application hosting; and management consulting.

Headquartered in Falls Church, Va., CSC reported revenue of $16.5 billion for the 12 months ended March 28, 2008. For more information, visit the company's Web site at http://www.csc.com.

The Aberdeen Group, the leading research and market intelligence company in the technology sector, has released its Annual State of the Market Report.

This year, the report includes the list of the top 100 organizations – hardware, software and service providers – whose contribution to the business community has excelled in recent years.

The report also pinpoints the top criteria businesses use when choosing technology solutions: total cost of ownership (43%), product functionality (42%), vendor stability (24%), market specific knowledge and experience (24%), domain or industry expertise (22%) and reputation (21%).

Microsoft, Oracle and SAP took the leading spots on the list of the top technology vendors. They were followed by other prominent global technology providers like IBM, Dell, HP, Cisco and others.

The IT services sector is well represented in the Top 100 with technology companies like Accenture (#25), EDS (#36), Tata Consulting (#43), Infosys (#56) and Capgemini (#79).

The report is based on five years of research and a survey of 4,645 respondents. In 2008 alone, the Aberdeen Group will conduct more than 240 benchmark studies. 90 percent of the Fortune 500 and 75 percent of the Global 500 companies rely on the Group's research.

 

Here are the top 25 technology vendors for 2008:

 

1. Microsoft

2. Oracle

3. SAP

4. IBM

5. Cisco

6. Hewlett Packard

7. Dell

8. Salesforce.com

9. EMC

10. Sun Microsystems

11. Google

12. RIM (Blackberry)

13. Siemens

14. Adobe

15. AT&T

16. Apple

17. Sage

18. Infor

19. Nortel

20. Avaya

21. Red Hat

22. Motorola

23. Verizon Wireless

24. Dassault

25. Accenture

 

For the full list, go here.  

Consulting firm Potentialpark Communications conducted a survey of 1,800 students and graduates in the U.S. and asked them to identify the best corporate careers websites in the country. The criteria used in the assessment were: Usability, Employer Branding, Talent Relationship Building, Application Management, Recruitment Process and Assessment & Individual Feedback. 

The companies that made it to the top 30 list are mostly in the banking, technology and consulting sectors. Here they are:   

1. Deutsche Bank 

2. Microsoft

3. The Boston Consulting Group (BCG)

4. Merrill Lynch

5. Accenture

6. Charles Schwab

7. UBS  

8. Booz Allen Hamilton  

9. Intel

10. Bertelsmann

11. McKinsey & Company

12. Credit Suisse

13. Goldman Sachs

14. Philips

15. Eli Lilly

16. Citigroup

17. Bank of America 

18. Procter & Gamble

19. Bain & Company 

20. Raytheon  

21. Merck

22. Novartis

23. Deloitte

24. DaimlerChrysler  

25. Dell 

26. JPMorganChase 

27. 3M

28. Capgemini  

29. American Express  

30. Ernst & Young   

 

 

 

Fortune Magazine will release the annual list of the 500 top ranking and most profitable companies in the world on May 5.

The top 10 technology companies that made this year's Fortune 500 list based on total revenue in 2007 are:

1. Hewlett-Packard ($104.3 billion)

2. IBM ($98.8 billion)

3. Dell ($61.1 billion)

4. Microsoft ($51.1 billion)

5. Intel ($38.3 billion)

6. Motorola ($36.6 billion)

7. Cisco Systems ($34.9 billion)

8. Apple ($24.0 billion)

9. Electronic Data Systems ($22.1 billion)

10. Oracle ($17.9 billion)

 

The top 10 most profitable companies in the technology sector are:

1. Microsoft ($14.1 billion)

2. IBM ($10.4 billion)

3. Cisco Systems ($7.3 billion)

4. Hewlett-Packard ($7.3 billion)

5. Intel ($7.0 billion)

6. Oracle ($4.3 billion)

7. Google ($4.2 billion)

8. Apple ($3.5 billion)

9. Qualcomm ($3.3 billion)

10. Dell ($2.9 billion)

 

The top 10 companies on the 2008 Fortune 500 list are:

1. Wal-Mart Stores

2. Exxon Mobil

3. Chevron

4. General Motors

5. ConocoPhillips

6. General Electric

7. Ford Motor

8. Citigroup

9. Bank of America

10. AT&T