Today’s workplace changes every business day. The cubicle is out, telecommuting is in. Hallway collabora- tion no longer suffices, international teleconferencing is mandatory. Cloud and online applications are surging. And the 12.8 million young workers entering the marketplace in the next decade need a new way to work 1 — one that draws heavily on consumer products, social networking, and other rapid chang- es in technology. It’s no surprise to learn that IT infrastructure complexity is mounting. Yet many enterprises still spend as much of their IT budgets maintaining inflexible, siloed systems. 2 To move forward, busi- nesses such as yours are looking at the promise of cloud-based IT services to give them a competi- tive edge. A recent Gartner poll found that by 2012, 80 percent of Fortune 1000 enterprises will be using some form of cloud or off-premise computing services. Twenty percent of businesses plan to own zero IT assets. 3 Microsoft recognizes the technology challenges faced by your business. We know that successful businesses must find new ways to harness the expertise of their employees, maximize team relation- ships, and use information to drive both profit growth and reduced costs. And we know that busi- nesses are wrestling with such issues as: • Consumerization of IT: The line between enterprise and consumer technology is blurring. How can IT keep up with changing user preferences while maintaining governance? • The Rise of the Cloud: The benefits of the cloud are compelling, but is public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud/on-premise the right answer for your business? • Infrastructure Cost and Complexity: Keeping expenses down while reducing the environmental impact of a datacenter is a tough challenge. How can an IT department reduce its environmental footprint, while still keeping costs down and implementing advanced technology? • Multi-Generational Workplace: Boomers, GenXers and Millennials have distinct workstyles when it comes to technology. How can IT support their diverse modes of interaction? 1 US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2009. http://wherethejobsare.org/WTJA/analysis/usworkforce.shtml 2 “Focus Your I&O Budget On Three Key Initiatives,” Forrester Research, July 16, 2010 by Robert Whiteley 3 Gartner, Dec. 2009: http://my.gartner.com/resources/173400/173482/gartners_top_predictions_for_173482.pdf Meet Today’s Enterprise Business Challenges with the Cloud