Standardized Windows Environment

 

 
 

Analysis

Rising Tide Consulting (RTC) will work with your internal IT department to define the project scope. We will look at your company's goals and objectives for the project, and adjust them as necessary to make sure they align with the long-term goals of your organization. During the Analysis, we will:

  • Analyze your organization's current architecture including computer equipment, facility locations, departments, etc. 
  • Determine the benefits your organization can achieve by implementing a standard desktop environment with improved administration and security policies.
  • Work with your team to generate quantifiable measures of the improvements that your organization will receive by migrating to a new environment. This is critical to measuring the return on the investment necessary to move forward with the project.
  • Review your current infrastructure and determine where system requirements and compatibility issues will force modifications.
  • Analyze your network protocols and the amount of bandwidth required, as well as the domain architecture currently in place, and how that affects the rollout of you new operating system.

Deliverables from the Analysis include:

  • Infrastructure analysis
  • Configuration specification plan 
  • Project plan that includes full cost/benefit analysis. 

Desktop Deployment

RTC will use the deliverables from the analysis to identify and implement the appropriate Microsoft Windows operating system to the desktop. During this deployment, we will:

  • Customize the desktop configuration for your environment to provide    the most efficient procedure for installation.
  • Conduct a pilot deployment and execute specific tests needed to ensure success of the standard desktop rollout in your production environment.

RTC understands the costs associated with downtime and uses project methodology that will minimize downtime. Our team uses a lab environment and off-hour scheduling to ensure that users will be up and running as quickly as possible.

Deliverables will include a standardized build for the chosen Windows operating system. Additional builds will be required for additional hardware platforms that run in your specific environment. An infrastructure document will be delivered as a part of the migration. This document will detail the workstation build process, including all installed applications and details of how the systems interact with the server backend.

Server Deployment

RTC will evaluate your existing infrastructure to determine which server solution is right for you. We will then create a directory plan that will allow your organization to best take advantage of Active Directory allowing you to quickly realize a positive return on investment. We will determine if your current infrastructure should be upgraded, or if creating a new directory structure is the right answer, and then move your accounts and data over at a pace that minimizes disruption. The most critical step in a Windows 2000 server deployment is the very careful directory planning before any work begins. This ensures a design that meets your organization's needs-while keeping in mind your future growth and the expanded need of your network infrastructure.

Deliverables will include the Windows 2000 Server migration, a full backup and recovery plan, and a disaster recovery document. We will also document the logic behind the configuration to simplify future reviews as your environment changes. The documentation will map out how systems interact and how general flow processing works.

Support

RTC offers support options that can help you with all of your infrastructure needs-starting with training. We can train your support staff on how to administer your network infrastructure, and we can train your end-users on how to work most efficiently with the new powerful tools on their desktop.

Our support offerings can be customized to fit your specific needs. To help justify the ongoing time and money that must be invested to keep your IT staff on the leading edge, RTC offers service options that allow your support staff to call our experts when a problem arises that is beyond their skills. If you don't have an internal staff, you can purchase a support agreement and have RTC take care of all IT support needs. Support contracts are determined by the number of users and servers in your network and can be customized to meet your needs.