Johannesburg, 07 Sep 2004
Dimension Data today announced the launch of its Directory Service offering, which will make Microsoft Active Directory available as a standalone, managed service. The offering is a first in SA and will see Dimension Data assuming responsibility for the ongoing administration and management of customers` Microsoft Active Directory.
Microsoft Active Directory is a structured repository of information that is used to identify and centrally manage all network users, services and devices within an organisation. As an organisation expands, the need for a secure and centralised directory service becomes critical. Without a reliable Microsoft Active Directory, accessibility to e-mail and other mission-critical business applications can be jeopardised.
"Seamless information sharing has become vital in an increasingly globalised world. A solid, reliable Active Directory architecture is therefore essential to facilitate greater collaboration and ensure that enterprise networks run efficiently and perform to their maximum potential," says Greg Vercellotti, general manager, Dimension Data TeamSource.
In line with the global trend of selective sourcing and out-tasking, Dimension Data`s Directory Services offering will maintain and monitor all aspects of Microsoft Active Directory. "Using Dimension Data to plan, implement and support Active Directory architectures will enable organisations to reduce risk and maintain a level of control not possible in previous long-term, single source contracts," adds Vercellotti.
Vercellotti believes the main reasons for outsourcing the management of Active Directory are skills accessibility, cost reductions, utilisation of best practice methods and services as well as the ability to focus on core competencies.
"To derive the greatest value from Active Directory, it must be well-managed and maintained. Cost becomes increasingly important as organisations expand to establish a multinational presence," says Manoj Bhoola, server and platform business group manager, Microsoft South Africa. "It is estimated that an organisation`s IT department spends 34% of its time performing manual tasks. Active Directory can reduce this time by more than half."
The Directory Service offering is based on service-level-driven, best practice methodology that alleviates the pressure of managing Active Directory in-house. A centralised technical resource team, skilled in Active Directory and other Microsoft offerings, resides in the Dimension Data Microsoft Centre of Excellence. Dimension Data will also provide continuous management of the directory service`s uptime, system performance measurement and the reporting of capacity, thereby providing a consolidated view of the overall service availability and performance of the directory environment, based on the internationally recognised ITIL service framework.
Share