News
Microsoft and Cisco Enhance Branch Offices through Integration of Windows Server 2008 and Cisco WAAS
February 2008 by Marc Jacob
Microsoft Corp. and Cisco® 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.
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.
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.
