Windows 2003: More benefits

Tech Forum - Dr. Nitin Paranjpe

Developers typically consider the operating system to be just an infrastructure product that is used by administrators. In an earlier article I had highlighted important benefits of Windows 2003 from a developer perspective. Now, what is the next step? We still have two target audiences left—administrators and decision makers/architects. In this article I will highlight ways in which both these segments can be covered.

Administrator benefits

This is simple enough. Most current networks are based upon Windows 2000 or Windows NT. Administrators already are familiar with features of these products. All that they need to know is ‘What’s new’. Once they are aware of the new/improved feature sets, they need to evaluate how each new feature can be useful in their own environment and organisation. If relevant use it, else just be aware of it for the future.

Typically ‘What’s new’ is mentioned in a bulleted list called ‘Datasheet’ on the Microsoft site. However, this list just mentions the feature, but does not explain it well.

The real document all administrators should read is the detailed 'What's New' section on the Windows 2003 site. The problem is that this content is very exhaustive and long! Also, many administrators are unaware that such detailed content exists.

Now, what administrators will need to do is to go through this entire section to understand and shortlist the most relevant features. I am not going to reproduce the content here. It is available at the URL http://www. microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/evaluation/overview/technologies/default.mspx

From an administrator's point of view, there are many more features and covering those here will be like reproducing almost entire content of the guide itself. It would be simpler for the administrators to read it themselves.

Decision-maker benefits

This is the third segment that needs to be addressed. These decision makers could be technical or non-technical decision makers. Usually, a technical column like 'TechForum' is not even expected to address this segment. But I am doing so for a specific reason. Why?

If you remember, I have always harped on the divide between the developer and administrator community. Similarly there is a divide between technical guys and decision makers.

Decision makers do not understand syntax or wizards or programmability. They only understand business benefit. Most technical literature that techies read simply ignores this need. It is left to the senior techies to figure out the business benefit and present it to the decision makers. Unfortunately this translation from technical features to business benefit is often riddled with jargon and technical features.

Therefore, decision makers find it difficult to assess the real business benefits. Due to this gap, many really useful technologies/features never see the light of the day.

Now, there is no Business Decision Maker’s guide. Technical evaluators and developers need to develop the skill to convert complex jargon into English language.

Since we have discussed the benefits of Windows 2003 for the technical community already, I would now like to present the English version of the same benefits.

How will Windows 2003 enhance the way individual employees work?

Safe and controlled use of software
Windows 2003 allows centralised control over what software employees are allowed to use. Unauthorised software would simply not run, even if users load it. This protects your organisation by ensuring that unauthorised, unsafe or infected software never runs on your network.

One password to remember
This is called ‘single logon’. One password will give you access to all authorised resources and facilities within the organisation—even across multiple sites. Whether it is documents, mail, reports, applications or workflow, only one password is enough.

Same desktop and services across locations when you travel
Whether you are in your base office or at a remote location, your logon and configuration will also travel with you. This is called a roaming profile. This feature is useful for organisations that have a large number of roaming users and laptop users.

Teamwork across locations
Forget sending documents by CC: to team members. Windows 2003 offers an easy way to share documents, calendars, tasks and information within a team. The team can even be across locations. All teamwork is done using the Sharepoint service of Windows 2003.

Storing and searching documents (Knowledge Management)
Lots of documents are stored for individual as well as team use on the server. Windows 2003 has a built in search engine that can search and find documents and information across servers—quickly and efficiently. Effective usage of this feature alone can help you build highly effective knowledge management solutions for your organisation.

Web-enabling your business

Windows 2003 contains a new version of the Web server called IIS 6. Here are some benefits of IIS:

90% faster!
Web server applications will run upto 90% faster. This means faster response time and quicker automation. If you use .NET programming the performance improvement is much higher.

Crash-proof operation
If one application fails, other applications are not affected. This ensures that critical line-of-business processes have a minimal downtime and business impact.

Uninterrupted and fast business systems
If a live server stops working, another server takes over automatically. In fact, users who are working with applications will not even know that one server failed and another took over. This is called clustering. You can keep servers in different locations for additional safety.

Extend applications to customers and business associates
Now the new paradigm is cyber café based sales/service force management. It is no longer necessary to come to your own office/branch/dealer/distributor to submit sales details/collection summaries/order processing. All this can be done from any computer that has an Internet connection. A combination of Web server, Virtual Private Network and digital security will help you create an extended organisation.

How secure is Windows 2003?

Security for your confidential information
Windows 2003 can jumble up (encrypt) all your data on the server in such a way that only you can decipher it. Others will only see a jumbled mass of text. For example, if you wrote the word ‘confidential’ it would look something like ‘ðüûóöñòûöîù’ to everyone except you.

Security for information sent on unsafe networks
Whether you like it or not, anyone with the right tools can intercept corporate information flowing over the Internet, say between two offices. Using Windows 2003 Virtual Private Network, you can scramble the information flowing over the Internet so that only the sender and receiver can read the information. A VPN is used to allow mobile users, customers and business associates access to your internal resources securely.

Many customers do not know about this feature and therefore end up paying substantial sums to third party VPN providers. You can make your own VPN at zero cost using Windows 2003.

Issue your own digital signatures
You needed to pay third party providers for each digital signature. Now, you have the capability of issuing digital signatures for your business associates and customers. Secure email, digital signature protected documents and applications are now available to you—at no additional cost! Ensure that the IT team evaluates this option before opting for a third party digital signature issuing authority.

Business automation

Save long distance call expenses by using IM
MSN Messenger is unsecured and prone to misuse by employees. Windows 2003 Instant Messaging provides a secure method of communicating instantly within the organisation, using the existing network. Communication costs can come down as much as 60% because of this. Another benefit of this feature is that it automatically stores chat contents. These become your minutes of meetings for future reference. (Note: this is an optional feature that is priced.)

E-learning and corporate communication
Windows 2003 offers very high-tech set of tools which help you set up a very powerful and easy to use corporate communication Intranet. You can also use this for customer and channel education.

Needless to say, this feature—‘Windows Media Services’—is also completely free!

Central list of users
All users and their list of authorised services are maintained by Windows 2003 in a central database called Active Directory (AD). Using AD it becomes extremely easy to identify users, specify rights, and audit their usage. AD should also be used for identifying authorised users for business applications.

How does my IT team benefit?

Windows 2003 provides for easy administration as well as full programming level control.

Server consolidation
It is potentially possible (and beneficial) to combine multiple applications on a single server without reducing the response time. This is known as ‘server consolidation’. Consolidation of servers reduces the maintenance cost and increases uptime. Windows 2003 provides many useful technical facilities to help your IT Team consolidate multiple servers into fewer numbers.

Managing user environment centrally
If you are using Windows XP desktop, you are in for great news. Your IT team never has to go to individual desktop to configure specific features. Everything is manageable from the Windows 2003 server itself using a feature like Group Policies. Using this feature, it is actually possible to restrict what the user can run on individual PCs. Thus you can impose centralised control and management of standardised IT infrastructure.

Solving problems without physical visits
Windows 2003 provides an extremely useful ‘remote management’ functionality. This means you can actually take control of a computer at another location and work on it to fix the problems. This saves travel time and provides instant help. Further, the IT team can be centralised for maximising their effectiveness.

Key learning

These articles havebeen written to highlight the process of evaluation of new technology from a developer, administrator as well as business perspective. It is important to understand technology and then map it to business needs. Great features often are completely unused because the IT community is simply not aware of these, or they are not in a position to apply it to user needs.

If you have both these skills, you have a great career ahead as a complete IT professional.

About the Author:Dr Nitin Paranjape is the Chairman and MD of Maestros (Mediline). He is a consultant with many organisations, covering appropriate technology utilisation, business application of relevant technology, application architecture and audit as well as knowledge transfer. He has authored more than 650 articles on various technology-related subjects. He can be contacted at nitin@mediline.co.in