Westcoast can show you how SharePoint can work for your customer

SharePoint introduces new ways to share your work and work with others, organise your projects and teams and discover people and information.

Share
Share your ideas, discover answers and keep track of what your colleagues are working with new social features throughout SharePoint. Publish content to SharePoint from any Office application and share with people inside and outside your organisation. Share documents, update your activity feed and keep in touch with your colleagues from your mobile phone or tablet.

Organise
Organize all your projects and tasks to get visibility into upcoming deliverables across SharePoint, Outlook and Microsoft Project. Set up a new team site in minutes track meeting notes and bring together all your team's email and documents in one place. Sync your content in SharePoint to your desktop with SkyDrive Pro.

Discover
Connect with people across your organisation and easily discover interests, past projects and documents they've worked on.Turn raw data into gorgeous interactive reports with Excel 2013 and publish to SharePoint to share insights with the people you work with.Customize and narrow your search to deliver more relevant results, and get recommendations on people and documents to follow.

Build
Build apps on common web technologies like JavaScript, HTML and oAuth with the new Cloud App Model for SharePoint.Make your apps available to everyone to try and buy through the public Store or only available to your employees through the corporate catalog. Use familiar design tools and flexible controls to create dynamic intranet and Internet sites to share your organisation's vision with everyone.

Manage
Reduce your infrastructure costs and extend the boundaries of sharing by running SharePoint in the cloud with Office 365.New archiving, eDiscovery and case management capabilities extend across SharePoint, Exchange and Lync.Spend more time delivering innovation and less time managing infrastructure with advances in SharePoint scale, performance and management capabilities. 

To see how to make SharePoint work for your customer please book a demo at the Westcoast Solutions Lab

If you need help with any additional details regarding a SharePoint solution then please call our Microsoft Team (See contact us) and they will be happy to help you.

Regards

Technical ISS Solutions Team 

Westcoast Solutions Lab - What we can offer you..

The Westcoast Solutions Lab is Perfect if you sell to SMB's (small and medium businesses) allowing you to demonstrate the latest technology innovations from HP and Microsoft within realistic IT budgets.



If you would like more information or want to book the solutions lab then please go to http://www.westcoast.co.uk/lab for more information.

Regards

Technical ISS Solutions Team

NEW HP Releases: New Gen8 Server models, C-Class Interconnects, Racks, Microsoft Server 2012, Software, Graphics & Memory

Well there has been a lot of new HP releases, covering new Gen8 Servers, Microsoft Server 2012, new HP networking for C-class blades, racks, management software, VMware, SSD's, Graphics and Memory.

Here are some of the details on the new products.

HP ProLiant DL320e Gen8 Server series 
New Ideal single-application and IT infrastructure server
What’s new?

• Double memory capacity (32GB max) and higher performing 1600MHz DDR3 memory 
• HP Common Slot Platinum Plus Power Supplies for up to 94% power efficiency 
• HP Smart Array drives with up to 50% increase in storage capacity (12TB) 
• Enhanced serviceability with fast access PCIe riser solutions and HP SmartMemory 

 
HP ProLiant ML310e Gen8 Server series 
New Essential availability and expansion in a 1P tower
What’s new?

• Up to four PCIe 3.0 and Gen2 slots for additional I/O performance 
• Double memory capacity (32GB max) and higher performing 1600MHz DDR3 memory 
• Choice of hard drive cage and hot plug drives for 50% increase in storage capacity (up to 12TB) 
• iLO Management Engine (iLO 4) for enhanced manageability and reduced operational costs

HP ProLiant ML350e Gen8 Server series 
Essential performance with room to grow
What’s new?

• HP Hot-Plug 4LFF Shield Metal FIO Kit Factory integrated option kit allows 4LFF hot plug drives to be used in the 6LFF chassis with embedded controller.

HP 6125G and HP 6125G/XG Ethernet Blade Switches 
New Product
Features?

• Intelligent Resilient Framework (IRF) combines multiple switches into a single virtual switch at the enclosure, rack or data center level 
• Full layer 3 routing with IPv6 support for excellent investment protection 
• Comware operating system provides for a common level of management, features, and security form edge to core 

HP Intelligent Series Racks 
Achieve more compute power with limited space, power and cooling resources
What’s new? 

• New SKUs offer new dimensions and configurations with latest features 
• HP Location Discovery Services sends the rack identification number and precise U location to the servers
• HP Power Discovery Services eliminates configuration errors and precisely tracks power usage by rack and by server Reduce error-prone manual processes

HP Location Discovery Kit 
New Automated location awareness of installed servers in HP Intelligent Series Racks
What’s new?

• Provides exact U location of servers in the rack and synchronises with HP Intelligent PDUs and Insight Control to graphically show location with power topology 
• Eliminates human errors from inefficient manual documentation processes 
• Accurate location information combined with graphical power, temperature, and performance data in Insight 
• Control enables optimised workload placement Reduces unplanned downtime due to mis-wired servers in the wrong place 

Microsoft® Windows Server® 2012 
New HP and Microsoft combine the intelligence of HP ProLiant Gen8 with the virtualization and scalability of the Microsoft Windows Server 2012 product family
What’s new?

• Scale and secure workloads, cost-effectively build a private cloud, and securely connect to cloud services 
• Efficiently manage infrastructure while maximising up time and minimising failures and downtime 
• Build on an open and scalable web platform that supports applications across premises 
• Support a mobile and flexible work style 

HP Insight Control for VMware vCenter Server 7.1 
Full Interoperability with VMware’s latest version - vSphere 5.1
What’s new?

• One installer delivers both the .NET and New Web Client Graphical User Interface (NGC) 
• Active management for 3PAR arrays 
•  In context launch of HP management ecosystem tools (iLO, On board Administrator, Virtual Connect, HP Storage Management)

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for HP ProLiant & BladeSystem Servers
HP and SUSE combine for highly available computing environments
What’s new?

• SUSE has changed its packaging / pricing and HP is replacing its entire SUSE Portfolio 
• Now available for 2, 4 and 8 sockets and Physical or Virtual environments with 24x7 HP bundled support 
• HP offers greater coverage (more years/more support for less money) 

VMware vSphere from HP 
New VMware products for HP CloudSystem solutions
What’s new?

• VMware vCloud Suites Bundle of multiple VMware products such as vSphere Enterprise Plus, vCloud Director, vCenter Operations Manager, vCloud Networking & Security Suite, vCenter 
• Site Recovery Manager Offers comprehensive value for Cloud Deployments, as opposed to purchasing individual products within the bundle VMware vCenter Operations Enterprise and Enterprise Plus 
• The vCenter Operations Management Suite enables IT organisations to proactively ensure service levels, optimum resource usage, and configuration compliance in dynamic virtual and cloud environments 

HP Smart Bundles for Microsoft Hyper-V 
Pre-designed, preconfigured solutions: Servers, Storage, Networking, Management, and Software
What's new?

• New versions that Include new Microsoft® Windows® Server 2012 Essential Tower, Essential Rack HA, and Scalable Rack 
• HA Improved performance and admin productivity with new HP ProLiant Gen8 servers 
• Deploy with confidence, no worries about trying to integrate multiple vendor tools 

HP Smart Bundles for VMware 
Pre-designed, preconfigured solutions: Servers, Storage, Networking, Management, and Software
What's new?

• New versions of HP Smart Bundles for VMware Essential Tower, Essential Rack HA, and Scalable Rack HA 
• Improved performance and admin productivity with new HP ProLiant Gen8 servers 
• Deploy with confidence, no worries about trying to integrate multiple vendor tools 

HP 6G SAS Enterprise Mainstream Endurance 2.5-in SSDs 
Next generation of solid state drives using SLC NAND flash technology
What’s new?

• For HP G6, G7, and Gen8 servers and HP storage products 
• 25% more performance and 3X more endurance 10%-20% lower pricing than previous generation 
• Small form-factor (SFF) 
• Supported with SMARTSSD Wear Gauge 

 
NVIDIA Tesla K10 Dual GPU PCIe Module 
New PCIe module with two GPUs optimised for single-precision performance
What’s new?

• Available as option for HP ProLiant SL250s and SL270s servers 
• Dramatically reduces computational time for single-precision parallel applications 
• High density decreases the physical footprint required High performance per watt reduces the carbon footprint per unit of computation 

 
HP SmartMemory 
Industry first and unique technology for HP ProLiant BL460c Gen8 Server
What’s new?

• First to introduce 3 Rank DDR3 technology 
• New 24GB 3 Rank DIMM works at 1.35v @1333 MT/s Gives select HP ProLiant Gen8 Blade servers 384GB capacity at high speed and lower price 

If you need help with any additional details about any of the new releases above or need a HP server solution then please contact us and we will be happy to help you.

Regards

Technical ISS Solutions Team

Westcoast Event : The Importance of Education Expo – 25th April 2012

Westcoast are holding their second multi-vendor education event on 25th April 2012 focused around ‘The Importance of Education’. The event will be held at the British Library, London Kings Cross, and is expected to attract over 200 resellers who will have the chance to engage with key vendors as well as a selection of end users.

After the success of the 2011 education event in Oxford, Westcoast is excited about holding an even bigger and better show, in order to help resellers grow their education business. Resellers will have the opportunity to engage with education vendors and Westcoast, allow attendees to view the latest product technologies, and discover the latest marketing offerings available from vendors. In addition, those who attend will also have the chance to book 1 to 1 sessions with key speakers, from Westcoast, Samsung, Toshiba, Apple, HP and Microsoft.


Key Highlights

• Understand which solutions are right for your education customers
• Oportunities to learn from various vendor and end user speakers
• See new and emerging technologies in the vendor village
• Think differently and keep your business ahead of the rest
• Book 1-2-1 vendor sessions
• Specific for sales people and key business decision makers

View the agenda and register at www.westcoast.co.uk/education

If you have any questions or need any help with HP servers or storage for your educational customers then please do not hesitate to contact us.

Regards

Technical ISS Solutions Team

HP & Microsoft Coffee Coaching - Microsoft OS on HP reseller option kit.

Coffee Coaching is an online community where SMB resellers can learn from and interact with experts from HP & Microsoft to become more knowledgeable about key products and technologies. The videos are brief; 5-10 minute topic specific training from an industry expert and each provides actionable information to the viewer.



To view the series of Coffee Coaching videos visit the Coffee Coaching YouTube channel - http://www.youtube.com/user/CoffeeCoaching.

If you can’t find what you are looking for then HP & Microsoft would like to hear from you about what technologies and products you want to understand better. You can post your suggestions on a dedicated Facebook page, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube or post your comment on HP’s new blog.

During March and April, Westcoast_UK will post a number of #CoffeeCoaching tweets and each month will be giving away a £20 Costa Coffee Gift Card to a randomly selected follower who retweets our #CoffeeCoaching tweet. So tweet away for your chance to win!

If you need help with HP ROK (reseller option kits) or have questions surrounding a software opportunity then please do not hesitate to contact us.

Regards

Technical ISS Solutions Team

Live like a Millionaire with Microsoft and Westcoast

Westcoast have launched their latest incentive for our Microsoft resellers.
Its a good one so read on!

The Main Prize!
Is a space for two on a luxury yacht on the Tabacco corner of the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix in 2012. You can win one of three spaces for two to watch the Monaco grand Prix in style from the yacht with full hospitality.

There are two other monthly prizes are available..

Month One
You can win a shopping trip for two to Harrods with £250 to spend per person followed by drinks in the Veuve Cliquot Champagne bar in Harrods. Lunch in a top London restaurant and spend the night in a top London Hotel

Month two
You could win a night out in London for two, dinner at an exclusive West End Restaurant, a complementary bottle of champagne and admission to any Top London West End show followed by a night in a 5* hotel

So how you can win?
You will have been set two monthly targets. The first runs from the 17th October – 16th November and the second the 17th November to the 16th December 2011. During this time all Microsoft sales will count towards your monthly targets.

If you achieve your monthly target you will be entered into the draw for one of the monthly prizes, with each 20% you achieve over target giving you one additional ticket.

In order to be entered into the main prize draw you will need to achieve your target for both months and log in at least once every month.

You can gain additional tickets into the main draw for doing one or more of the following:

• 5 points for attending a Westcoast and Microsoft Event
• 3 points for sitting your MLSS exam*
• 3 points for requested marketing material from the Westcoast and Microsoft Gym
• 3 points each month you place an Open license order
• 1 point for adding yourself to Microsoft PinPoint*

To Login to the incentive and for full details, click here!

As always, if you need help with a Solution with Microsoft or Servers then please do not hesitate to contact us, we wish you all the best in this incentive.

Regards

Technical ISS Solutions Team

Westcoast to sponsor Microsoft WPC 2011 in Los Angeles

Westcoast will be sponsoring the UK Party at the 2011 Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC). WPC 2011 is a five day conference held in Los Angeles from 10th – 14th July.

Westcoast is one of only four fully authorised commercial Microsoft Distributors in the UK.
WPC gives partners the opportunity to gain insights into the Microsoft business and technology roadmap for the coming 12 months and beyond. Guest speakers this year include Sir Richard Branson.

If you wish to know more information on this event then please do not hesitate to contact the Microsoft Team 

Regards

Technical ISS Solutions Team

Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2011 now on HP ROK (Reseller option kit)

Hp have launched the BIOS locked version of SBS 2011 Standard and with Premium add on.

Designed and priced for small businesses with up to 75 users, Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard delivers enterprise-class technology in an affordable, simple-to-manage, all-in-one solution. Windows Small Business Server 2011 helps protect your vital business information from loss by backing up your network data, recovering accidentally deleted files, and helping your company be more productive by providing features like e-mail, internal Web sites, remote web access, and file and printer sharing. Their intuitive and streamlined management tools simplify administration, reduce guesswork and helps you optimize your time.

SBS 2011 Standard incorporates best-of-breed 64-bit product technologies to deliver a complete server solution environment well suited for small businesses. The product technologies include Exchange Server 2010, SharePoint Foundation 2010 and Windows Server Update Services.

Increase Data and Network Protection. Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard helps you focus on your core business objectives and not worry about the status of your IT, by providing automatic local backup and restoration of all their business critical data on the server.

Take Advantage of a Scalable Platform that Grows with the Business. As your business needs change, Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard grows with you and meets your changing demands with a highly scalable platform. Easily add users, servers and applications, or expand into other Microsoft technologies as business needs evolve.

Stay Connected. Enable your users to easily access e-mail, contacts, and calendar to connect with their clients, vendors and suppliers seamlessly from virtually anywhere.

SBS 2011 Standard components are:
Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard technologies
Exchange Server 2010 Standard SP1 based email and sharing
Windows SharePoint Foundation 2010
Windows Server Update Services 3.0 SP2
The optional Premium Add-on also provides SQL 2008 R2 Standard for Small Business

And features like:
Remote Web Access (formally Remote Web Workplace)
Broadest support for business critical applications including simple file-sharing and the optional Premium Add-on provides SQL Server 2008 R2 Edition for Small Business and second instance of Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard technologies to be used within the SBS 2011 Standard domains with certain exceptions.)
Windows Mobile configuration

System Requirements:
Processor: Minimum Quad core 2 GHz 64-bit (x64) or faster for 1 socket (due to Exchange Requirement)
Memory: Minimum: 8 GB / Recommended: 10 GB* / Maximum: 32 GB
Hard Drive: 80GB or larger

If you have any questions then please do not hesitate to contact us.

Regards

Technical ISS Solutions Team

New Microsoft Event - Demystifying and Opening the Public Sector Opportunity

If you are currently selling into the private sector through OPEN licensing then we will take you through how easy it is to approach the public sector, how best to engage and how you can utilize the existing knowledge within your business to become “business as usual”.

These events will bust the myths of the Public Sector and prove to you that you can make money and show you how to remove the barriers to entry often associated with the Public Sector. These latest readiness & sales training sessions aimed at targeting the Public Sector that can help you to:

• Reach and Engage local public sector organisations as a local business
• How Microsoft can support you by removing the barrier to entry for AERs and improvements to licensing programmes
• Compete & make money from the Public Sector
• Leverage resources and tools from Microsoft to help engage this market
• Transition from selling OPEN licensing from the private into the public sector.

Agenda
9:00 – 09:30 - Registration and Coffee
9.30 – 10.15 - Welcome

• The Public Sector opportunity

1. How can you make the most of the opportunity?
2. How can reach and engage Public Sector organisations?
3. How can partners engage with Public Sector organisations?
4. What is the low-hanging fruit you can easily pick?

10:15 – 10:40 - Understanding Open Licensing for Government and the eligible organisations?
10:40 – 11:00 - Coffee & Opportunity to visit pods
11:00 – 12:00 - Utilising the advantages of EES-OVS licensing: Changes from CASA – what does it mean to you
12:00 – 12:15 - How can you maximize the opportunity
12:15 – 12:30 - Question and Answers

To register for these events, then please click on the following venues
(You will be redirected to Microsoft's website)

• 1st February 2011 – Microsoft HQ, Thames Valley Park, Reading
• 3rd February 2011 – Regus Building, Manchester
• 1st March 2011 – Microsoft Offices, Edinburgh
• 18th March 2011 – Microsoft Offices, Cardinal Place, London

Regards

Technical ISS Solutions Team

Update on Windows Small Business Server 2011

As you have heard Microsoft officially announced the launch of the next version of Windows Small Business Server. I wanted to take this opportunity to update you with the launch of Windows Small Business Server 2011 and Windows Small Business Server Essentials.

Milestones and Dates
Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard edition and Windows Small Business Server 2011 Premium Add-On were released to manufacture on 12 December 2010. Corp are making the final steps to bring the product to the market so that our customers can acquire throughout our large network of partners. We are currently finalising international versions, delivering the product to distribution channels and supplying it to our OEM partners so that they can begin pre-installing the software on new servers.

Starting in early January, customers will find SBS 2011 Standard and Premium Add-On in Volume Licensing, and from mid-January customers will be able to download a trial copy from our website. Finally, the products will be available in TechNet and MSDN before the end of the December.

General availability and our launch activities for SBS 2011 Standard are scheduled for mid-March when we also expect to be closer to RTM of Windows SBS 2011 Essentials (Aurora).

Product & SKU overview
Designed and priced for small businesses, Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials and Standard provides an affordable and easy-to-use solution to help secure and protect customers’ business data, manage and share their documents, and support the applications they need to run and grow their business. With SBS 2011, customers can organize and access their business documents from virtually anywhere, with centralized storage and remote access, while easily connecting to the cloud-based applications they need to make your business more productive.

Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials
Windows Small Business Server, 2011 Essentials is the ideal first server for small businesses with up to 25 users who want an easy-to-use solution to protect, organize, and access and share business data from virtually anywhere and easily connect to the cloud.

Key Benefits
• Daily automatic backups of clients and servers
• Organize and access files from virtually anywhere
• Easily connects to online services for e-mail, collaboration and line-of-business applications

Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard
Windows Small Business Server, 2011 Standard is the ideal on-premise solution for small businesses with up to 75 users. SBS 2011 Standard delivers enterprise-class technology in an affordable, high performance all-in-one solution designed to meet the needs of small business customers at various stages of growth..

Key Benefits
• Enterprise quality functionality and productivity capabilities (Windows Server 2008 R2, Exchange Server 2010, SharePoint 2010)
• Affordable and easy to deploy, use, and maintain
• Complete, network-wide security and backup with integrated state of the art data protection and recovery technologies.

Regards

Technical ISS Solutions Team