Contact Information: Press Contact(s) Tina Couch Microsoft +1 425 703 7185 tcouch@microsoft.com Pamela Ferrill Cisco +1 408 527 9076 parupert@cisco.com Shannon Cray Waggener-Edstrom shannonc@waggeneredstrom.com Analyst Contact(s) Laura Dodd Microsoft +1 425 703 2958 ldodd@microsoft.com Amal Nichols Cisco +1 408 526 6493 amnichol@cisco.com Investor Contact(s) Marilyn Mora Cisco +1 408 527 7452 marilmor@cisco.com
Microsoft and Cisco Enhance Branch Offices Through Integration of Windows Server 2008 and Cisco WAAS
Customers to Gain More Efficient IT Architectures and Higher Performance Through Integration of Windows Services and WAN Optimization on Common Platform
| Source: Cisco Systems, Inc.
REDMOND, WA and SAN JOSE, CA--(Marketwire - February 26, 2008) - Microsoft Corp. and Cisco®
(NASDAQ : CSCO ) today announced that they intend to work together to offer
Windows Server 2008 with Cisco WAN optimization in a solution for branch
office environments. Cisco will embed a virtualization component within
its Wide Area Application Services (WAAS) appliance family that will help
customers to host Windows Server 2008 services within their existing
network infrastructure for branch offices.
The two companies intend for Cisco to offer Windows Server 2008
preinstalled on its new virtualized Cisco WAAS appliances that are
scheduled to be available later this year. To optimize the value of this
solution for customers, the two companies plan to test and validate the
resulting architectures for the remote information technology (IT)
infrastructure in the branch office and to offer customers joint support.
In addition, Cisco and Microsoft plan to work together to promote awareness
of the integrated solution among channel resellers and customers by
offering business frameworks and marketing programs.
"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."
The integrated solution will provide an optimized architecture for Cisco
and Microsoft customers, such as Monsanto, one of the world's leading
agricultural companies, to help consolidate their remote IT infrastructure
and accelerate application delivery from centralized data centers while
simultaneously delivering Windows Server 2008 services in the branch, for
maximum performance and availability. By integrating Cisco WAN
optimization with Windows Server 2008, customers can help ensure branch
end-user performance for accessing centralized data centers and
applications, while efficiently deploying locally critical Windows Server
2008 services, all through a common remote IT platform.
"Cisco and Microsoft solutions serve our employees in our headquarters as
well as in branch offices," said Dwight Wheeler, enterprise architect,
Monsanto. "I am excited to see these two companies working together to
simplify the management of branch office resources so we can quickly deploy
Windows Services to remote offices and, more importantly, better service
our remote users."
With the combination of Windows Server 2008 services and Cisco WAAS
appliances, mutual 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.
Cisco WAAS is an application acceleration and WAN optimization solution
that optimizes the performance of any TCP-based application operating in a
WAN environment. The upcoming Windows Server 2008 services available with
the WAAS family of products mark the ongoing evolution of Cisco's
Application Delivery Networks solutions. These advanced technology
solutions are designed to make the network a highly efficient platform for
application delivery -- accelerating and enhancing security of
business-critical applications while dramatically improving both end-user
experience and IT productivity.
"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 Center, Switching and Services Group. "This
joint effort extends Cisco's Application Delivery Network strategy to meet
customers' needs for flexible IT resources."
About Microsoft
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their full potential.
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