1. Info-Tech Research Group1 Build a Case for Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V Hyper-V is a credible alternative and competitive threat to VMware for virtualization and hybrid cloud computing. Be prepared to make the case to properly evaluate this option. Info-Tech's products and services combine actionable insight and relevant advice with ready-to-use tools and templates that cover the full spectrum of IT concerns.© 1997 - 2014 Info-Tech Research Group

2. Info-Tech Research Group2 Competition is good. But without the serious investigation of a case building exercise it is all idle talk and wishful thinking. Get serious about Hyper-V. Introduction CIOs who have been impressed by the buzz about Windows 2012 Hyper-V and want to know more Infrastructure managers that need to know where to put their virtualization and private cloud investment in the future. VMware virtualization customers that need to be able to talk intelligently about the alternative and where it may or may not be appropriate. IT managers that have been mandated to migrate to Hyper-V for virtualization primarily for supposed cost savings. Clearly state the reasons for investing in Microsoft virtualization and how success will be measured. Define requirements and usage scenario for how virtualization is and will be deployed in your environment. Compare total costs of virtualization solutions based on features that meet your requirements. Analyze Opportunities for Hyper-V testing and deployment and build a roadmap. Build a Case for Hyper-V that makes sense for your enterprise. This Research Is Designed For:This Research Will Help You: “Skeptical clients will ask us to do a head to head comparison between Hyper-V and VMware. We then go through the features and, depending on the implementation, the solution can total 30K to 50K more simply because it’s VMware. They are both very capable solutions. Your accounting department will only notice the lower bill rather than the technology deployed. This is the difference.” -- Ryan Risley, CTO, Brittenford Systems

3. Info-Tech Research Group3 Executive Summary The Situation Server virtualization has become mainstream in the enterprise with most servers virtualized and many enterprises exploring virtualization enabled cloud services. The evangelist, innovator, and leader in virtualization has been VMware. Microsoft has consolidated its position as the main alternative to VMware for virtualization. Though late to the virtualization space, Hyper-V has improved enormously and in 2013 has largely caught up with VMware across most feature and function categories. The emerging battleground between these two software giants is virtualization enabled cloud computing and internal/external hybrid clouds based on their offerings. For example, Microsoft has its Hyper-V-based Azure cloud. The Challenge Cost of licensing is a key pain point for VMware users and it is legitimate to ask if there are viable alternatives to the market leader. Evaluating an alternative can lead to two positive outcomes: a move to a cheaper, “good enough” alternative for some or all roles, and the creation of leverage for getting a better deal from the incumbent provider (VMware). Microsoft is getting attention for its progress in virtualization and cloud, and increasingly, Info-Tech is encountering IT departments that are being mandated to move to Hyper-V, typically from senior executives and sometimes supported by external consultants. The Solution Take some time to plan a serious evaluation and assessment of Hyper-V and its potential value to your organization. Start by reviewing how and why virtualization is currently deployed in your enterprise. What are the longer term goals and what are the measurable benefits of achieving those goals? Identify how Hyper-V adoption might impact those measurable benefits. Info-Tech Recommends Build an evaluation and deployment plan for Hyper-V in roles that make sense for your needs. Steps include identifying drivers and set value measures, defining requirements and usage scenarios conducting a deeper analysis of total cost, and road-mapping opportunities for Hyper-V testing and deployment.

4. Info-Tech Research Group4 Enroll in a GI for your project. Email guidedimplementations@infotech.com Or call 1-888-670-8889 and ask for the GI Coordinator. How to use this blueprint We recommend that you supplement the Best Practices Toolkit with a Guided Implementation. For Gold and Silver level Info-Tech members, these Guided Implementations are included in your membership plan. Our expert analysts will provide telephone assistance to you and your team at key project milestones to review your materials, answer your questions, and explain our methodology. Info-Tech Research Group’s expert analysts will come onsite to help you work through our project methodology in a 2-5 day project accelerator workshop. We take you through every phase of the project and ensure that you have a road map in place to complete your project successfully. In some cases, we can even complete the project while we are onsite. Do-It-Yourself Best-Practice Toolkit OnsiteWorkshops Book your workshop now! Email workshopbooking@infotech.com to get started.workshopbooking@infotech.com Leverage Leverage each of the tools in this blueprint to complete the optimization of this project. Do-It-Yourself Implementation Use this Best-Practice Blueprint to help you complete your project. The slides in this Blueprint will walk you step-by-step through every phase of your project with supporting tools and templates ready for you to use. You can also use this Best-Practice Blueprint to facilitate your own project accelerator workshop within your organization using the workshop slides and facilitation instructions provided in the Appendix. Free Guided Implementation

5. Info-Tech Research Group5 Book a free guided implementation today! Info-Tech is just a phone call away and can assist you with your project. Our expert Analysts can guide you to successful project completion. For most members, this service is available at no additional cost.* Here’s how it works: 1. Enroll in a Guided Implementation for your project Send an email to GuidedImplementations@InfoTech.com Or call 1-888-670-8889 and ask for the Guided Implementation CoordinatorGuidedImplementations@InfoTech.com 2. Book your analyst meetings Once you are enrolled in a Guided Implementation, our analysts will reach out to book a series of milestone-related telephone meetings with you and your team. 3. Get advice from a subject matter expert At each Guided Implementation point, our Consulting Analyst will review your completed deliverables with you, answer any of your questions, and work with you to plan out your next phase. This symbol signifies when you’ve reached a Guided Implementation point in your project.

6. Info-Tech Research Group6 When we introduce new Blueprints, we offer workshops to our members at no charge for a short beta testing period. Please check the Workshop section of our website for a list of free beta workshops. Book a workshop today! An Info-Tech project accelerator workshop will help you to engage your stakeholders, gather important data, make key decisions, and generate a customized project road map. Here’s how it works: 1. Enroll in a 2-5 day workshop for your project Send an email to workshopbooking@infotech.com or call 1-888-670-8889 Ext. 3001. Your account manager will contact you and quote you the cost of a workshop.workshopbooking@infotech.com 2. Book your workshop A Workshop Coordinator will contact you to book a workshop planning call with one of our Facilitators and arrange dates for your workshop. We can hold the workshop in Info-Tech’s world-class facility in Toronto or at your location. 3. Plan your workshop A Workshop Facilitator will contact you to go over the workshop outline and choose the contents that are appropriate to your situation. 4. Participate in your workshop Our experienced Workshop Facilitators will take your project team through your tailored slides and exercises and will summarize all the workshop outputs into a final report. Free Beta Workshops

7. Info-Tech Research Group7 Guided Implementation Points in the Hyper-V case project Book a Guided Implementation Today: Info-Tech is just a phone call away and can assist you with your project. Our expert Analysts can guide you to successful project completion. Here are the suggested Guided Implementation points in the Hyper-V case project: Section 1: Identify Drivers and Set Value Measures We will review the drivers you have identified and relate what we have seen other in other organizations. Assess the risks and actions you’ve outlined and suggest issues that may have been overlooked as well as help you arrive at a decision on proceeding to the next steps in this project. Section 2: Define Requirements and Usage Scenarios Review and sanity check your proposed roles for Hyper-V virtualization. Have a deeper dive discussion of what Info-Tech is seeing in specific areas such as VDI deployment and Azure cloud. Help segregate the must have from nice to have capabilities for your organization. Section 3: Analyze and Compare Total Costs A deeper dive discussion of the Microsoft licensing cost drivers specifically focusing on the Windows Server Data Center licensing (a virtualization “tax” on all virtualization and System Center licensing. Relate your costing figure and TCO estimates back against the Hyper-V roles that you are considering for your organization. Is there a cost benefit here? Section 4: Roadmap opportunities for testing and deployment Review your summary report and results of your planning exercises. Compare your final actions to the goals and measures set down in the first part of this project. Discuss next steps, set times for follow- up reviews with Info-Tech Research at critical decision points in the months and years ahead. To enroll, send an email to GuidedImplementations@InfoTech.com or call 1-888-670-8889 and ask for the Guided Implementation Coordinator.GuidedImplementations@InfoTech.com This symbol signifies when you’ve reached a Guided Implementation point in your project.

8. Info-Tech Research Group8 Info-Tech Research Group Helps IT Professionals To: Sign up for free trial membership to get practical solutions for your IT challenges www.infotech.com Quickly get up to speed with new technologies Make the right technology purchasing decisions – fast Deliver critical IT projects, on time and within budget Manage business expectations Justify IT spending and prove the value of IT Train IT staff and effectively manage an IT department “Info-Tech helps me to be proactive instead of reactive – a cardinal rule in a stable and leading edge IT environment. - ARCS Commercial Mortgage Co., LP Toll Free: 1-888-670-8889