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To realize cost savings and increase productivity, midsize organizations are virtualizing their servers and desktops. Virtualization and Unified Communications (UC) in the Midsize Organization 2 Mitel and Virtualization 3 The Virtualized UC Story 6 From the Gartner Files: User Survey Analysis: Midsize Businesses Continue to Be Aggressive with Desktop and Server Virtualization 12 Mitel Virtualized UC – The Nuts and Bolts 13 What Mitel Virtualized UC Means for the CIO Issue 1 Featuring research from

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Page 1: Virtualization_And_Unified_Communications_In_The_Midsize_Organization_Mi

To realize cost savings and increase productivity, midsize organizations are virtualizing

their servers and desktops.

Virtualization and Unified Communications (UC) in the Midsize Organization

2Mitel and Virtualization

3The Virtualized UC Story

6From the Gartner Files: User Survey Analysis: Midsize Businesses Continue to Be Aggressive with Desktop and Server Virtualization

12Mitel Virtualized UC – The Nuts and Bolts

13What Mitel Virtualized UC Means for the CIO

I s s u e 1

Featuring research from

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2 Virtualization and Unified Communications (UC) in the Midsize Organization Issue 1

Mitel and Virtualization

Virtualization delivers attractive ROI in the form of lowered costs and increased productivity. So it’s not surprising that Gartner, in their survey analysis included in this paper, predicts a dramatic increase in desktop virtualization in the midsize market in coming years.

Unified Communications (UC) is another highly attractive business-critical technology. Integrating communications with other business applications in a single infrastructure makes organizations more productive, and more responsive to customers, suppliers, and partners.

But the maximum benefits of these technologies are only realized when UC is included as an integral part of a virtualized infrastructure. And longstanding challenges to virtualizing voice have traditionally prevented that.

At Mitel®, we recognized early on that virtualization would be a game changer. We saw that adding voice to a virtualized infrastructure would have profound benefits for business. And we made it our mission to overcome the separation of voice and data and become the industry leader in virtualized voice.

We did it using a three-pronged approach:

1. Crack the code of virtualized voice. We partnered with VMware®, the acknowledged world leader in virtualization, to solve the challenges associated with virtualizing voice.

2. Build the right architecture. We developed the Mitel Freedom Architecture, which frees organizations to deploy UC, including virtualized UC, on existing infrastructures.

3. Evolving with your IT strategy. Recognizing that businesses are in different places on the path to virtualization, and that they want to transition at their own speed based on their budgets and preferences, Mitel’s single software stream and flexible licensing structure enables businesses to move seamlessly from the non-virtual to the virtual model.

This paper, in addition to including Gartner’s User Survey Analysis, tells the story of how Mitel and VMware brought voice to the virtualized world, so that organizations worldwide are now benefiting from integrated virtualized data and voice infrastructures. It describes the Mitel Freedom Architecture and Mitel licensing that make going virtual so attractive. And it details the significant benefits that Mitel Virtualized UC offers CIOs and others in midsize organizations.

Source: Mitel

“In a nutshell, Mitel is a forward-thinking company from a telecommunications standpoint. They make administration easy. They have the most flexible solutions.

They offer the most appealing cost of ownership. And, as far as support goes, they are the most responsive I’ve seen in the industry.”

Daryl Connell, MIS Manager, Llewellyn Worldwide

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Issue 1 Virtualization and Unified Communications (UC) in the Midsize Organization 3

The Virtualized UC Story Organizations traditionally had to

maintain two separate infrastructures – one for the large amounts of data that even the smallest of them use to generate critical business intelligence, the other for mission critical voice communications.

The Data World

Over time, the data world evolved significantly, to the point that software-based virtualization technology now divides physical servers into a greater number of virtual servers, generating savings in hardware, space requirements, and power consumption, and greatly simplifying administration.

Desktop virtualization has taken it a step further, moving operating systems, configuration settings, and applications from PCs, on which they have traditionally resided, to virtual servers where IT can manage them centrally. Users now become instantly productive anywhere, anytime, accessing personalized desktops on a wide array of devices, from simple terminals to the latest smart devices.

The Voice World

The world of voice and related communications has advanced, too. Using software-based VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), communications have converged with computer networks and other business applications to become Unified Communications (UC). And exciting new ways of communicating, such as instant messaging and audio and video collaboration have joined the mix.

Two Worlds United

Despite these advances, the worlds of data and voice traditionally remained stubbornly separate, largely because of longstanding challenges associated with virtualizing voice and other real-time applications.

At Mitel, we made it our mission to solve the issues associated with virtualizing voice applications, so they could join other business applications on a single infrastructure. As a result, organizations of all sizes worldwide are now experiencing the profound benefits of a single infrastructure for both data and voice.

1. Mitel and VMware – Cracking the Code of Voice Virtualization

We joined the worlds of data and voice using a three-pronged approach. For starters, we partnered with VMware, the market leader in virtualization. Together, after almost two years of intensive research and development effort in both our laboratories, we overcame the significant and longstanding challenges that prevented voice from joining data on a virtualized server infrastructure.

Mitel Virtual Solutions – Voice in the Server Room

The result was Mitel Virtual Solutions, a revolutionary breakthrough in voice virtualization that organizations around the world have deployed on the same technology infrastructures as their other business applications. The benefits they are realizing include reduced capital and operating expenses, improved

application availability, and integrated business continuity.

The management benefits alone that come from uniting data and voice are profound:

•One business continuity plan. Traditionally businesses had separate business continuity plans for voice and data. With virtual solutions, you can have a single business continuity plan that leverages VMware business continuity tools across all of your voice and non-voice applications.

• Consistent data center practices. You can manage UC like any other application in your data center, with no need to maintain a separate set of skills for voice. A single infrastructure means a single set of best practices for the data center, so that all applications, including voice, can be deployed, maintained, and managed the same way.

•Operational efficiencies. For CIOs, this translates into a consistent management strategy for all mission-critical business applications, reduced hardware and power costs, and an IT team that can focus on adding strategic value to your business.

You can read the full story about how we virtualized voice, and learn more about its benefits, by reading the Mitel and VMware white paper Uniting the Worlds of Data and Voice.

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Voice on the Virtual Desktop

But the voice virtualization story doesn’t end there. Next, we tackled the equally thorny issues that prevented voice from being part of the virtualized desktop.

Desktop virtualization is hugely significant for IT departments and end users alike. It takes applications, much of the data, and personalized configuration settings that have traditionally been stored on PCs and moves them to virtualized servers, where they can be managed centrally.

As Gartner points out, midsize organizations are expected to take full advantage of the move to virtualized desktops in the coming years. But “full advantage” means including UC applications on the virtualized desktop. And, as was the case with voice and virtualized servers, real time applications like telephony and other components of UC didn’t traditionally work well or cost effectively on virtualized desktops.

Again, working together, Mitel and VMware changed that. After another year of intense effort, and leveraging our earlier work virtualizing voice in the data center, we overcame the challenges associated with virtualizing voice for the desktop, and made it a part of Mitel Virtual Solutions.

The benefits are significant. For IT it means:

• Centralized administration. With a single infrastructure, IT can deliver data, applications, configuration settings, and unified communications to users throughout the organization.

• Reduced hardware requirements. There is no longer a need to continually upgrade and maintain a range of high-end desktops and laptops. Processing power, desktop settings, and voice-related and other applications reside in the data center, and are accessed by users via the Internet — from “the cloud.”

• Easier software upgrades. No more individual software licenses to keep track of, and days and weeks spent upgrading individual computers. You manage and upgrade everyone centrally, with no disruption to service.

• Increased data and application security. Lost or stolen laptops are no longer an issue. And they don’t need to be high-end processors, don’t need to have expensive applications installed, and don’t need to store valuable data. It’s all centralized on servers, and you can turn access to everything on or off with a click in the data center.

Business users benefit as well, with:

•Greatly increased flexibility. They can work, communicate, and collaborate from anywhere, on any device.

• Easier communication. They use a single sign on to access personal phone numbers, messaging, and collaboration capabilities, along with all of their desktop settings and applications.

• BYOD (Bring Your Own Device). They can join the growing trend toward bringing their own computer or other smart device to work. A simple client software installation and they’re ready to sign in and start working. Because their device functions as a terminal, it doesn’t have to be a high-end machine with tons of processing power and storage space.

For the full story of how we delivered these benefits, read the Mitel and VMware white paper Giving Voice to the Virtual Desktop.

2. The Mitel Freedom Architecture

Cracking the virtualized voice code was just one part of the solution. The virtualized voice revolution in the data center and on the desktop was also enabled by the Mitel Freedom Architecture. We designed it to ensure that organizations can deploy UC – including virtualized UC – on existing infrastructures.

“Mitel has a very stable voice platform and I’m confident in its ability. A unified management view

of our network helps us plan and optimize our investments for maximum utility.”

Jim Paolicelli, IT Manager, Gallagher, Flynn & Company, LLP

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Issue 1 Virtualization and Unified Communications (UC) in the Midsize Organization 5

Mitel’s Freedom Architecture does this by providing:

• A single, cloud-ready software stream. A software-based unified communications solution plugs into existing IT frameworks without needing manufacturer-dependent hardware or relying on one vendor for an end-to-end, single source UC solution.

• Freedom from walled-garden architecture. It fits with your existing network, processes, and other business applications.

• An in-office experience anywhere. Mobility solutions ensure employees can be productive regardless of their location or device.

By deploying the Freedom Architecture-based Virtual Mitel Communications Director (vMCD), the industry’s first fully virtualized voice processing software application,

organizations add all of the benefits of virtualization to their voice communications, including reduced capital expenditures and operational and maintenance costs.

To learn more about the Mitel Freedom Architecture and its support for virtualized voice, read the Mitel Freedom Architecture White Paper.

3. Evolving with Your IT Strategy

At Mitel, we realize that, as the IT delivery model changes, organizations find themselves at different stages on the delivery spectrum. Some have moved to virtualization in a big way, others are just getting started, and still others are unsure when they will virtualize.

Mitel’s single software stream can be deployed across all of these scenarios, enabling you to seamlessly move from one deployment model to another without sacrificing any of the

rich UC functionality Mitel delivers. And Mitel`s approach to licensing is structured so that, wherever you are on the spectrum, we work with you to help your communications infrastructure evolve. You can move licensing from one model to another, so you can go virtual in your own way, on your own schedule.

This kind of licensing flexibility, combined with the technology breakthroughs brought about by the Mitel and VMware partnership and the Mitel Freedom Architecture, make the move to virtualization that Gartner predicts in the midsize market exceptionally attractive. And, by adding voice to the virtualization picture, they provide a whole new set of productivity-enhancing benefits.

Source: Mitel

“We have less ‘tin’ now, we have substantially reduced costs because we’re not maintaining that tin, we’ve got much increased flexibility and we have very much faster server provisioning. It is also very, very resilient. But the most important

thing is that there is substantially less CO2.”

Ian Exton, WWF UK

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From the Gartner Files:

User Survey Analysis: Midsize Businesses Continue to Be Aggressive With Desktop and Server Virtualization

While server virtualization is still a top priority in the midmarket, the penetration of virtual machines will rapidly hit the saturation point in all but a few emerging markets over the next three years.

Virtualization places a greater emphasis on efficiency, standardization and resiliency. Server virtualization has empowered midsize businesses to examine the entirety of their infrastructure and look for ways to lower their cost base, while improving utilization and availability.

Thanks to phenomenal interest, Gartner expects desktop virtualization deployments to increase dramatically over the next three years. A survey conducted on-site at the Midsize Enterprise Summit held in Orlando, Florida, from 4 May through 7 May supports the aggressive forecast for desktop virtualization by midsize businesses in North America.

Key Findings

• Slightlymorethan50%ofmidsizebusinesseshavevirtualized75%to100%oftheirservers.

• Midsizebusinessesarerunning10to 12 virtual machines per physical server.

• Approximately40%ofmidsizebusinesses have intentions to virtualize100%oftheirserversoverthe next two years.

• From20%to30%ofmidsizebusinesses are postponing or canceling plans to move to the cloud because virtualization has simplified their IT environments to a state they are satisfied with.

• Approximately10%ofmidsizebusinesses have deployed desktop virtualization in production. Approximately30%arecurrentlytesting and piloting desktop virtualization.

• Onaverage,midsizebusinessesexpecttovirtualize42%oftheirPCs.

• Thirtypercentofmidsizebusinessescite that they will never use desktop virtualization.

Recommendations

• Tobesuccessfulandmaximizetheopportunities in the midmarket relative to their endeavors with virtualization, IT providers need to stop pushing marketing messages on audiences without listening to what they actually need and want. A number of unique buying behaviors relative to server virtualization in the midmarket have been ignored during the past two years.

• ITprovidersmustpositiondesktopvirtualization as an extension of the transformation and modernization of the data center that started with server virtualization. Otherwise, the highly visible initial capital

cost requirements will drive many buyers to postpone or cancel plans to virtualize their PCs. Marketing that balances the capital costs with the benefits of improved security and manageability is important.

• ITprovidersshouldhelpmidsizebusinesses understand the strain and cost that virtual desktops can have on other data center systems (i.e., servers, storage and networks) and advise on the upgrades that need to be made before deploying virtual desktops.

• ITprovidersshouldhelpmidsizebusinesses integrate the benefits that desktop virtualization deployments can bring to existing security and disaster recovery initiatives.

• PCvendorsmustrecognizethemidmarket’s trend toward desktop virtualization or risk losing their credibility and strategic position in client computing to non-PC vendors such as Citrix Systems and VMware.

• Windows7representsagreatopportunity for IT providers to help midsize businesses rearchitect their desktop environments to show how the virtual desktop is a key part of the new architecture. IT providers should help midmarket organizations test and roll out desktop virtualization and Windows 7 together in order to eliminate extra costs associated with deploying these solutions separately.

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Issue 1 Virtualization and Unified Communications (UC) in the Midsize Organization 7

SURVEY OBJECTIVE

The objective of the survey was to determine the IT spending plans and buying behaviors of midsize businesses during the next 12 months. The survey also analyzed the adoption rates and intentions of some key technologies in the midmarket. This report focuses on the penetration and future plans for server and desktop virtualization in the midmarket.

DATA INSIGHTS

Server Virtualization Has Changed Midmarket Data Centers Forever

The combination of cost cutting (driven by server consolidation during the recession) and a desire to improve the efficiency and availability (disaster recovery) of the server environment has made server virtualization one

of the hottest IT projects in the midmarket for the past two years. According to the survey, those midsize businesses using server virtualization havevirtualized55%oftheiroriginalserver capacity.

On average, midsize businesses arerunningfrom10to12virtualmachines per physical server for traditional server workloads, and from seven to nine virtual machines per core for desktop workloads. This average workload has not changed in the past two years. As servers become more powerful, Gartner expects that the number of virtual machines will gradually increase within each server host for at least another two or three years in large enterprise. However, even with four- and eight-core servers becoming common for virtualization

deployments, it is likely that midsize businesses will not significantly increase the number of virtual machines they run on each physical server during the next two years.

Not so long ago businesses were reluctant to virtualize mission-critical applications such as ERP, SQL Server and Microsoft Exchange; however, that has changed. Many midsize businesses have now virtualized, or started virtualizing, their business-critical applications. Slightly more than50%ofthesurveyrespondentsstated that they have virtualized between75%and100%oftheirservers (see Figure 1). Approximately 40%ofmidsizebusinesseshaveintentions to virtualize as close to 100%oftheirserversaspossibleoverthe next two years.

N=108 Source:Gartner(July2011)

Figure 1 Percentage of Servers Virtualized — Midmarket

Virtualized servers (1%-24%)

16%

Virtualized servers (25%-49%)

16%

Virtualized servers (50%-74%)

15%

Virtualized servers (75%-100%)

53%

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While the perception is that all midsize businesses need external help to deploy server virtualization, the surveyshowedthat55%ofthemhandled it without any help from the outside. This has been one of the more interesting findings regarding midmarket virtualization efforts, in that most reported few or no challenges or problems. The other 45%indicatedtheyusedconsultantsand local value-added resellers to differing degrees. Some used outside help for the entire project, while others used professional services

for only the initial design and configuration. IT vendors are placing much emphasis on how their solutions adapt to evolving hybrid computing strategies, linking their future to a mixed on-premises virtualization environment and cloud service model. This follows a failed effort to attract midsize businesses by marketing solutions to manage a complex, mixed physical and virtual internal infrastructure. This did not appeal to midsize businesses for a couple of reasons: (1) they did not experience the expected complexity; and (2) many

of them wanted to quickly virtualize as much of their physical server infrastructure as possible.

Intentions for Desktop Virtualization Are Aggressive

The survey found that slightly morethan10%ofrespondentssaid their organizations have deployed desktop virtualization in production (see Figure 2). Most of the production environments have limited deployments.Approximately30%arecurrently testing and piloting desktop virtualization.

Source:Gartner(July2011)

Figure 2 Midmarket Desktop Virtualization Adoption

In production (wide use)

3% In production (limited use) 8%

Testing/piloting 31%

Currently no business need

47%

Will never use 11%

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Issue 1 Virtualization and Unified Communications (UC) in the Midsize Organization 9

Source:Gartner(July2011)

Figure 3. What Percentage of Your PCs Do You Expect to Virtualize in Total When Complete?

Most businesses reporting desktop virtualization deployments have virtualizedbetween1%and24%oftheir desktops, with the average being approximately5%ofPCs.Increasedsecurity of PC data and reduced “break/fix” instances are two benefits cited by these early adopters.

Gartner continues to see strong momentum in the desktop virtualization market as organizations accelerate the speed of their pilot projects. This is in turn accelerating the time frame for production rollouts. Gartner sources in addition to this survey also indicate that midsize businesses are increasing the overall scope of their deployments, resulting in intentions to virtualize a greater percentage of their user population than originally anticipated.

When asked, “What percentage of your PCs do you expect to virtualize in total when complete?” the average

ofalltheresponseswas42%oftheirPCs,while36%intendtovirtualizebetween75%to100%oftheirPCs(see Figure 3).

Although interest in desktop virtualization is high, we believe several factors will contribute to a delay in adoption:

• Costofdeployment

• Offlineandmobileworkers

• Networklimitations(bandwidthand latency)

• ITskillsets

• Organizationalstructuresandhierarchy

The virtualization expectations of midsize businesses are higher than those expressed by large enterprises, where we suspect that only15%ofenterprisedesktopsare good candidates for desktop virtualization. We believe the interest

and intent of midsize businesses in desktop virtualization is more established because the scope and complexity of midsize-business client computing environments is not nearly as sophisticated as in large enterprises. However, we believe some midsize businesses have unrealistic expectations in relation to their desktop virtualization rollouts. Some midsize businesses will scale back their efforts when they learn about the costs associated with desktop virtualization.

We also know that midsize businesses have fewer internal technical resources at their disposal, and, therefore, are more dependent on third-party providers that have more desktop virtualization experience than large-enterprise IT departments. This is significant for midsize businesses because third-party providers are typically more willing to adopt and resell newer technologies, compared with large-enterprise IT organizations.

No plans to virtualize any PCs

29%

Virtualized PCs (1%-24%)

11%

Virtualized PCs (25%-49%)

9%

Virtualized PCs (50%-74%)

17%

Virtualized PCs (75%-100%)

34%

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10 Virtualization and Unified Communications (UC) in the Midsize Organization Issue 1

Our findings regarding midmarket virtualization expectations are surprising, seeing that PCs are still less expensive than hosted virtual desktops (HVDs) on a per-user basis. The midmarket is often acutely sensitive to the capital expenditure requirements normally associated with PCs. However, our findings do align with a buying behavior that has become more critical following the recession: Midsize businesses are focused on doing whatever they can to reduce the cost and time involved in maintaining their IT environments. One of the most significant benefits of desktop virtualization is that it gives IT administrators an easy and centralized way to manage employees’ computers, which can in turn reduce the resource requirements for PC support. For many customers, favorable return on investment (ROI) will be realized only with deployments of more than 350users.Thisequatestoabout50%ofusersatthecompaniesthatresponded to our survey (the average companysizeinthissurveywas690users). The number of deployments required to achieve favorable ROI is expectedtodeclineto250usersby2014,basedonexpectedtechnologyimprovements.

However, the cost of software licensing adversely affects ROI. Organizations are encouraged to fully understand the licensing implications of virtualizing commercially available software; each independent software vendor (ISV) has different licensing requirements. For example, Microsoft requires that PCs being used to access HVDs require either software assurance(at$40to$60perPC,per year) or a virtual desktop access

(VDA)license($100perdevice,per year). Further, other software is often required to assist with the configuration and management of virtualized desktops.

It should also be noted that other Gartner research from the past 12 months indicates that 30%to60%ofmidsizebusinessescurrently have no plans to deploy desktop virtualization. According to this survey, the percentage of the market that will never use desktop virtualizationisaround30%.Thisbuying group does not see the benefits of desktop virtualization — it only sees the demand for more hardware, which drives up costs. One of the largest barriers to implementing desktop virtualization is the setup cost, which, in most cases, requires additional server, storage, networking and software licensing. In cases where security or compliance becomes increasingly important, some of these companies will likely change their mind-set. Recoverability is also a benefit that is often overlooked, as the data is backed up on the server versus not being backed up at all on many client devices.

We also recognize that HVDs do not address a large portion of the market, namely, notebook users. If notebook users have requirements to be productive in a disconnected state (i.e., on a plane), then HVDs will not address their need. We are aware that “offline HVDs” are promised as a feature by many vendors today. However, conversations with customers have led us to believe that these solutions are incomplete and are not ready for mainstream deployment.

It is our belief that the earliest mainstream adoption for offline HVDswillnothappenuntil2013.

Opportunities Remaining for IT Providers

Server virtualization has unleashed the full potential of other initiatives, such as networked storage, desktop virtualization, network upgrades and disaster recovery, with the associated data center refresh and design.

For example, virtualizing physical servers and placing several applications on each server does improve utilization of that physical server, but it also creates more network traffic in and out of the server. As enterprises deploy more virtual machines, more network bandwidth is needed per server. IT providers can assist with the appropriate network redesign and bandwidth requirements before performance issues occur. There will be similar opportunities to provide capacity planning and workload optimization in other areas, such as storage, as virtualization footprints expand.

Virtualization also delivers an enabling platform for private cloud computing. However, it should be noted that there will be a significant number of midsize businesses for which a highly virtualized environment is the endgame. We have foundthatfrom20%to30%ofmidsize businesses are postponing or canceling plans to move to the cloud because virtualization has simplified their IT environments to a state that they are satisfied with.

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Issue 1 Virtualization and Unified Communications (UC) in the Midsize Organization 11

Specific to the desktop, IT providers looking to offer cloud-based desktop services should focus on creating offerings that are affordable, consumable and easy to understand. While some customers will oppose outsourcing the desktop, IT providers should focus on appeasing the fears and concerns by demonstrating the core infrastructure values of high availability, redundancy, operational efficiency and cost-efficiency.

Service organizations also need to move away from the “cost of service” conversation, as we anticipate that the sticker shock in response to perceived high costs will short-circuit many deals in the early phases. Instead, service organizations need to articulate that hosted desktop services provide value (i.e., improved security and manageability) above and beyond existing PC offerings, and are worth the added costs that are required for the infrastructure build-out.

IT providers can effectively message their value as it relates to long-term value because of the cost-efficiencies that they can provide. Organizations subscribing to cloud-based desktop services from IT providers are likely to require less upfront costs than those investing in on-premises desktop virtualization initiatives.

Lessons Learned; Listen to What Midsize Businesses Want or Ignore at Your Peril

In our research over the past two years, midsize businesses reported a number of unique buying behaviors relative to server virtualization, yet most vendors ignored them and

missed out on opportunities as a result. As an example, many midsize businesses indicated their preference tovirtualizeascloseto100%oftheir servers as possible, but most vendors dismissed this and marketed solutions that would optimize mixed physical and virtual servers. Another example is that many midsize businesses that implemented server virtualization before deploying blade servers, decided that they didn’t need blades after all. They saw commodity multisocketx86serversusingvirtualization as a way to decrease server count without investing in blade architecture.

The problem is that most server vendors were aggressively pushing blade servers as part of a virtualization project, which did not resonate with these midsize businesses. Another example of vendors dismissing the buying preference in the midmarket was in relation to Internet Small Computer System Interface (iSCSI) storage area networks (SANs). Most of the large storage vendors ignored the demand for iSCSI SANs in the midmarket, which ultimately led to the popularity and growth of smaller emerging storage vendors such as Compellent and EqualLogic (now both Dell businesses), as well as HP’s recently acquired Lefthand Networks.

IT providers need to convince midsize businesses that saving capital costs is not the primary motive for investing in desktop virtualization. In nearly all cases, the cost of infrastructure (i.e., servers, storage and licensing) will be better than comparable than for physical PCs.

Deploying desktop virtualization also requires new skills for the design, build, deploy and support operations, as compared with traditional notebooks and desktops. The virtual nature of applications and desktops dictates that the processes associated with help desk, support and engineering are likely to change as well. This is an opportunity for IT providers.

To be successful and maximize the opportunities in the midmarket relative to their endeavors with virtualization, IT providers need to change their methods. It’s time to stop pushing products and marketing messages on audiences without listening to what they actually need and want.

METHODOLOGY

A survey was conducted on-site at the Midsize Enterprise Summit held in Orlando, Florida, from 4 May to 7 May. A follow-up email reminder with the link to the survey was sent to those attendees who did not take the survey on-site. The survey was Web-based and included a number of open-ended questions to collect top-of-mind details about various IT topics rather than be forced to select from a list.

Source: Gartner Research G00214837, James A. Browning, Mark A. Margevicius, 8 August 2011

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Mitel Virtualized UC – The Nuts and Bolts

The Mitel Virtualized UC solution includes:

• Virtual Mitel Communications Director (vMCD). The foundation of the Mitel Virtual UC Solutions, vMCD is a virtual telephony services platform. It provides call control features for small to large enterprises with powerful call handling, a profusion of unified communications features, including mobility and conferencing, and simple management - enabling faster, more effective communication.

• Virtual Mitel Applications Suite (vMAS). An easy-to-use and manage unified communications applications suite. It delivers capabilities such as unified messaging; speech-enabled auto-attendant; mobility; teleworking; sophisticated audio, video, and web conferencing; and business reporting.

• Virtual Mitel Unified Communicator Advanced (vUCA). A client for desktops and mobile devices that provides a single access point for all business communication and collaboration needs. vUCA provides real-time access to everyone in the organization, on or off the premises, and enhances the effectiveness of “in the moment” communications. Its rich feature set includes presence and availability, deskphone and softphone integration, corporate directory access, visual voice mail, secure instant messaging, and point-to-point video. Deployed as part of

the virtual desktop, it gives users single sign on to their UC and data applications. The UCA softphone enables media streaming in a VMware View™ environment.

• Virtual Contact Center Solutions. Mitel’s Virtual Contact Center Solutions ensure delivery of the excellent customer service that

nurtures relationships. Agent and supervisor tools drive productivity in your contact center, and real-time and historical reporting ensure operational efficiency. Agents can use the contact center softphone as part of their VMware View virtual desktop.

UCA PC Client

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Issue 1 Virtualization and Unified Communications (UC) in the Midsize Organization 13

Uniting the worlds of data and voice in the data center and on the desktop means a single infrastructure to deploy and manage. For Chief Information Officers, that means:

• Lower capital expenses. A single, centralized infrastructure replaces separate voice and data systems. There is no longer a need to buy and upgrade high-end desktops and laptops, or to build a separate communications infrastructure.

• Lower operating expenses. Less space and energy is needed to house and operate servers. Data, applications, and communications are managed together, in a single system.

• Easier business continuity and disaster recovery. Virtualized desktops, applications, and communications can be stored in different locations, backed up, and restored, all without any impact on end users.

• Increased security and data integrity. Sensitive data is stored centrally, instead of on widespread user devices, so it’s more secure, helping meet Sarbanes-Oxley and other regulatory requirements. A lost or stolen laptop is no longer an issue, because everything of importance is in the data center. Access to the laptop can be shut down with a click in the data center.

What Mitel Virtualized UC Means for the CIO

•Greater productivity. More streamlined operations, and more easily accessible business applications and communications capabilities, drive productivity throughout the enterprise, freeing IT and business users alike to focus on improved performance and innovation.

Source: Mitel

• Virtual Mitel Border Gateway (vMBG). vMBG enables you to securely extend the corporate voice and data network through your firewall to virtually any location via a broadband connection. Establish secure workspaces with comprehensive threat protection, strict access control, and privacy, and enable teleworkers to work and collaborate productively from any location.

Source: Mitel

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14 Virtualization and Unified Communications (UC) in the Midsize Organization Issue 1

Additional Resources

Mitel TV Videos -- www.mitel.tv

•Measurement Inc. – Case Study

MeasurementInc.,a600personcompany spread across a five buildings campus and satellite offices spanning several states, has deployed Mitel Virtual Solutions

• Intrasphere Technologies – Case Study

Intrasphere Technologies is a consulting firm focused on the Life Sciences industry, that has deployed Mitel Virtual Solutions

• Chicago Bears – Case Study

The Chicago Bears NFL Football team has been a Mitel customer since2011–140employeesworkout of two primary locations, all connected by Mitel Solutions

• VMware Co-President on Mitel Strategic Partnership

Industry leader insights from Carl Eschenbach, Co-President of VMware at the Mitel Business Partner Conference

“Virtualization allowed us to minimize the cost and be up and running within 15 minutes.”

Ben Weber, Network Operations Production Manager, Measurement Inc.

“We standardized on VMware for our virtualization platform, and it was a big deal for us that Mitel and VMware are partners who can deliver a solution we know is stable, has been tested, and actually

works.”

Amid Mantri, Director of Network Operations, Intrasphere Technologies

Case Studies

• Ideal Integrations

Systems Integrator stays ahead of the competition with Mitel Virtual Solutions

•Gallagher , Flynn & Company, LLP

Accountants strengthen client relationships with Mitel Virtual Solutions

• ALM Holding Company

Road works firm achieves true disaster recovery with Mitel Virtual Solutions

Source: Mitel

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Issue 1 Virtualization and Unified Communications (UC) in the Midsize Organization 15

About Mitel

VirtualizationandUnifiedCommunications(UC)intheMidsizeOrganizationispublishedbyMitel.EditorialsuppliedbyMitelisindependentofGartneranalysis.AllGartnerresearchis©2012byGartner,Inc. All rights reserved. All Gartner materials are used with Gartner’s permission. The use or publication of Gartner research does not indicate Gartner’s endorsement of Mitel’s products and/or strategies. Reproduction or distribution of this publication in any form without prior written permission is forbidden. The information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. Gartner disclaims all warranties as to the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of such information. Gartner shall have no liability for errors, omissions or inadequacies in the information contained herein or for interpretations thereof. The opinions expressed herein are subject to change without notice. Although Gartner research may include a discussion of related legal issues, Gartner does not provide legal advice or services and its research should not be construed or used as such. Gartner is a public company, and its shareholders may include firms and funds that have financial interests in entities covered in Gartner research. Gartner’s Board of Directors may include senior managers of these firms or funds. Gartner research is produced independently by its research organization without input or influence from these firms, funds or their managers. For further information on the independence and integrity of Gartner research, see “Guiding Principles on Independence and Objectivity” on its website, http://www.gartner.com/technology/about/ombudsman/omb_guide2.jsp.

Our globally connected world has forced businesses to rethink how they communicate. Mobile lifestyles, a flood of technology, economic pressures and an “always on” mentality have created both opportunity and challenges for organizations of all sizes.

Mitel® (Nasdaq: MITL) simplifies complex communications and keeps businesses in step with the pace of change. Our innovations make it easier to connect and collaborate, while reducing costs and

implementation headaches. We partner with market leaders like VMware® and Research in Motion® (RIM®) to make our solutions integrate seamlessly with theirs - increasing value to customers.

Mitel’s Freedom Architecture is transforming the industry, providing the flexibility and simplicity required for today’s dynamic work environment. Through a single cloud-ready software stream, Mitel

delivers a powerful suite of advanced communications and collaboration capabilities that:

• providesfreedomfromwalledgarden architectures;

• enablesorganizationstoimplementbest-of-breed solutions;

• extendsthe“in-office”experienceanywhere, on any device; and

• offersachoiceofcommercialoptions to fit business needs.