Volume 5 Issue 12

December 28, 2005

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Welcome to the December edition of QTS QuikNews, our monthly e-mail newsletter. In this monthly e-mail, you will receive an update of what's new at QTS - new products we support, new patches and upgrades, solution ideas and promotions to save you money, and information about our company and our clients.

In this issue:

• QTS and Partner News
• Events
• President's Corner
• QuikSecure Tip of the Month
• Patches and Upgrades
• Product Support Lifecycle Watch
• Solution Spotlight
• Special Offers
• Partner Spotlight

QTS AND PARTNER NEWS

QTS HOLIDAY CLOSING: MONDAY, JANUARY 2^nd
As a reminder, QTS will be closed for the New Year�s Day this year on Monday, January 2^nd.  QuikAssist customers will still receive emergency service if needed, by following our procedure for off-hours technical support.  We wish our customers, partners and friends a happy and healthy New Year!

REMINDER: CHANGE YOUR TAPES!
QTS again reminds you that your backup tapes, particularly DDS DAT and 8mm, have a typical lifespan of about a year of sustained use.  Our recommended practice is to change tape sets every year, and retire the old tapes so they are available for restores before they wear out.  Now is a good time to order a new set of 20 tapes and plan to create a new tape library on January 1^st.  Also, that�s a good time to do a test restore from tape, and mark an entry on your calendar to do a monthly restore test and drive cleaning each month of the new year.

QTS IS HIRING!
QTS is recruiting for senior level technical personnel, as well as an entry to mid-level sales/service support specialist.  If you know anyone who might be a good fit, please have them submit their resume to Liz Meechan, our Office Manager. Liz can be reached at lmeechan@QTSnet.com, or (973)984-7600 x223.

NEW EMPLOYEE WELCOME
Please join us in welcoming Marty Trionfo to the QTS team, as a Project Manager responsible for coordinating activities and logistics for QTS customer projects and managing those projects against scope, schedule and budget.  Marty has extensive experience in software and networking project management with a wide variety of types and sizes of businesses, and we are confident Marty will be an important addition to the QTS team.

PRODUCT NOTICES AND ADVISORIES

TERMINAL SERVICES CAL TRADE-UP ENDING SOON
Due to a change in the way Microsoft licenses Terminal Services as of April 2003, customers may be eligible for free Terminal Services Client Access Licenses (CALs).  With the release of Windows Server 2003, the �built-in� CALs under Windows 2000 were eliminated.  However, customers owning Windows XP Pro receive a free Terminal Services CAL for each XP license.  These licenses must be processed by 12/31/05, however, when the transition program ends.  For more information, visit http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/ howtobuy/licensing/tscaltransfaq.mspx.

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PRESS RELEASES

QTS ANNOUNCES QUIKRECOVER SERVICE OFFERING; COMPREHENSIVE METHODOLOGY FOR DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING DISASTER RECOVERY PLANS
12/28/2005: QTS today announced its new QuikRecover� service offerings, presenting small and medium business with a full methodology for building and implementing Disaster Recovery Plans.  Read more at http://www.QTSnet.com/stayinformed/l3_stay_pr63.htm

QTS JOINS THE GIGATRUST PARTNER PROGRAM
12/28/05: QTS today announced that it has joined the GigaTrust Partner Program as a GigaTrust Agent. GigaTrust hosts a rights management solution to provide businesses with a cost effective means of deploying a Microsoft Rights Management solution to secure documents and content.  Read more at http://www.QTSnet.com/stayinformed/l3_stay_pr64.htm

EVENTS

MICROSOFT SOLUTIONS BRIEFING

QTS and Microsoft are hosting an Executive Solutions Briefing for small and medium business customers (25-500 user environments).  Join us for this informative, 3 hour event to learn how your organization can benefit from new Microsoft technologies and solutions, and what tools and resources are available to you from Microsoft.  Microsoft and QTS will also review the benefits of Software Assurance, discuss available promotions that can save you money, and review the roadmap for upcoming product releases and features.  We will also present on key Microsoft initiatives such as Trustworthy Computing (Microsoft�s security efforts), the Dynamic Systems Initiative and the integration of Microsoft�s Business Solutions offerings.  This event will provide valuable information to any Microsoft customer! Join us on Thursday morning, February 16^th at Microsoft�s Iselin NJ office or on Thursday morning, March 16^th at Microsoft�s New York City office.  Contact your QTS Account Manager to register for these events, or follow the web links above.  Note that a signed Microsoft Non-Disclosure Agreement is required for attendance at these events.

SECURE & WELL-MANAGED INFRASTRUCTURE

QTS, New Horizons and Microsoft are hosting a half day seminar on Tuesday, February 7^th at New Horizons in Iselin, NJ on how to implement a Secure and Well-Managed Infrastructure.  In this event, QTS will present on how Windows Server 2003 and Exchange Server 2003, combined with Microsoft�s management and security technologies, can help to provide a reliable and secure platform for employee productivity.  Microsoft and New Horizons will discuss how employee training can enhance productivity and effectiveness, and how to leverage Software Assurance benefits, including training vouchers.  For more information or to register, contact your QTS Account Manager, click here, or visit www.clicktoattend.com and enter event code 104166. 

CXO SEMINAR: DISASTER RECOVERY SOLUTIONS

On Tuesday, January 24^th, join Microsoft, Citrix, NSI Software and QTS at the Microsoft NYC office for an informative seminar on how to develop a Disaster Recovery Plan and build a Hot Site Failover Solution for your business leveraging technologies from Microsoft, Citrix and NSI Software.  Businesses are challenged more and more each year with the need to maximize systems up-time and availability, amidst an ever-increasing range of threats.  IT management is often tasked with responsibility for developing and implementing Disaster Recovery Plans to protect the business and ensure continuous access to key business systems.  In this seminar, we�ll discuss how to build the plan and what the key elements are, and discuss the various options for Cold, Warm and Hot Site solutions.  We�ll then drill down into how to cost-effectively build a Hot Site leveraging technologies from Microsoft, NSI and Citrix to enable access to your applications and data, and conclude with tips and best practices.  For more information or to register, contact your QTS Account Manager, click here, or visit www.clicktoattend.com and enter event code 104271.  The event will also be hosted at the Microsoft NJ office on Wednesday March 1^st, and you may register for that session by clicking here.

MICROSOFT SOLUTIONS FOR MANUFACTURING AND DISTRIBUTION � ENHANCING CUSTOMER PROFITABILITY

This event series will focus on the key topic of Customer Profitability,  including how to measure Customer Profitability for today�s global marketplace, and how to improve sales volumes and margins using Microsoft technologies.  Each quarterly session of this ongoing series will focus on a particular overall problem/solution theme, with specific presentations on technology components of that theme, to show how the pieces of the solution fit together.  We will also have a networking lunch where customers can share ideas and discuss challenges and possible solutions.  The next session is Tuesday, February 21^st at the Microsoft NJ office.  For more information or to register, contact your QTS Account Manager, click here, or visit www.clicktoattend.com and enter event code 104274.

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PRESIDENT'S CORNER

It has become somewhat of a tradition in my December column to look back at the year recently passed, and forward into the future.  After all, this month marks 5 straight years (60 issues) of continuous monthly release of this newsletter, so we do have a history here.  2005 has certainly been an interesting year, and 2006 holds the potential for even more interesting things for QTS and for our customers.  So, here goes� 

First, for QTS 2005 was a big transitional year as we ramp up for a major wave of growth.  We�ve expanded the depth and skill set of our technical team, which to our customers is in fact our �product,� while also refining our processes for institutionalizing knowledge and ensuring a consistent and high quality of service delivery.  The recent addition of Marty Trionfo as a Project Manager helps us further improve the structure and process controls on this part of our business, while the addition of Lisa Gilbert to our sales team positions the business for solid growth.  Our Microsoft partnership remains very strong, and deepened this year with stronger ties in the Enterprise Partner Group, while we also deepened our partnerships with Symantec, Citrix and NSI, and refined our Solutions Alliance partnerships.  2005 provided the platform for a very strong growth year in 2006. 

From an industry perspective, I saw a number of patterns in 2005, as the mid-market client base we focus on by and large enhanced key areas of their technology portfolio � particularly around security.  Probably most important, this was a year many organizations got truly serious about security.  We did more Security and Vulnerability Assessments in 2005 than in prior years combined, and I was pleased to see customer more consistently to take action based on our findings.  Customers, with our help, truly worked to secure their networks.  This was also a big year for anti-spyware (Symantec�s inclusion of anti-spyware in Symantec Antivirus 10.0 was a big part of this) and anti-spam, and we did a lot of work here to help customers bring these areas solidly under control.  2005 was also a breakthrough year for �clientless� or SSL VPNs � much of QTS� work around this was based on Citrix technologies, though I�ve seen clients and prospects adopt a wide range of solutions here that show this is gaining strong momentum over �traditional� IPSec VPNs.  We did a lot more Citrix work in 2005, partially for remote access and partially for security reasons, and this will grow even further in 2006.  2005 was also a big year for client PC patch management solutions, either using Microsoft SUS/WSUS or other tools (I guess people are finally listening to me�). 

Around network infrastructure, 2005 was a big year for Active Directory and Exchange migrations or upgrades (highlighted for me by QTS� QuikDesign Active Directory Design service winning an award from Microsoft at the Worldwide Partner Conference this summer)  - however, there is no shortage of businesses left that are still looking to upgrade in 2006.  Mobility was a huge focus area for companies in 2005, particularly mobile email which was largely user-driven.  Microsoft is gaining huge momentum around Windows Mobile technologies, and its inclusion of secure �push� email in Exchange 2003 Service Pack 2/Windows Mobile Feature Pack will only make this market explode in 2006.  We also saw a strong growth in mid-market adoption of SANs to manage storage and clustering technologies to maximize uptime and availability, and iSCSI seems poised to drive further growth by bringing down pricing and making this a more affordable mid-market solution.  We also saw steady and continued adoption of IP Telephony solutions (mostly Cisco) in the mid-market space in 2005, and envision steady continued growth in 2006. 

At an application level, the hot area in 2005 was Portals.  There was a lot of client interest around and adoption of Microsoft SharePoint Portal server, and working with our app dev partners we designed and deployed SharePoint in Intranet, Extranet and Knowledge Management capacities in 2005.  Microsoft�s introduction of CRM 3.0 this month is a big step forward for this product, and based on QTS� recent experience with the upgrade this version removes a lot of the barriers and concerns that businesses had with the 1.x platform.  I see Microsoft CRM having solid growth in 2006, though the key to any CRM implementation is a thorough understanding of the business processes and how the system will be used to ensure that it is properly customized and meets the needs of its users.  This applies to SharePoint as well, and this skill set ultimately makes or breaks the success of these projects. 

So, on to 2006 � what does the new year hold in store for our customers?  What trends will be important in the industry, and where will businesses focus their efforts to maximize the value IT can provide to them? 

Clearly one of the hottest topics I see for 2006 is Disaster Recovery.  Recent events around Katrina and Rita have emphasized for us that terrorism is not the only point of concern for us, and some of our clients had branch offices impacted by these natural events.  Even the recent Transit Strike in NYC emphasized the importance of Business Continuity Planning (or at least having a good remote access solution!).  The recent seminar we held with Microsoft, Citrix and NSI on Disaster Recovery had great attendance (see www.QTSnet.com/events for our event schedule for upcoming re-runs of this and other events) and a motivated audience � the people I talked with were there because of plans to do something, not idle curiosity.  The timing of our new QuikRecover services to help business build and implement DR plans simply couldn�t be better. 

Later in the year, Windows Vista and Office 12 (to be renamed Office 2006 by then, I expect) will be the hot topics.  In 2004 Windows XP SP2 was the main focus of Microsoft, and this year it was SQL Server 2005 � for 2006 it will be Vista and the next release of Office.  Vista will build upon the foundation of Windows XP but provide much deeper and granular security (say goodbye to the days of needing to give users Administrator control of their machines), a more flexible imaging model (you will have the ability to deploy PCs from a single image regardless of the underlying hardware platform, saving considerable IT staff time and effort), better mobility, and overall improvements in security, reliability and performance.  We�ll be doing a seminar series with Microsoft on migrating businesses to Vista starting this spring (again, see www.QTSnet.com/events for registration links), and QTS will be actively involved with several customers beta testing Vista and deploying it into production prior to �official� release under Microsoft�s Technology Adoption Program.  However, I�m even more excited about Office 12, which has major interface changes to make Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook more intuitive and easier to use, while cutting back on the number of steps and keystrokes needed to perform both basic and advanced tasks.  This will be a MAJOR new release of Office, with compelling business benefits to those who adopt it, particularly if leveraging the SharePoint platform and current Exchange servers behind it. 

Another major area of focus, and challenge, is storage management.  Businesses are faced with an explosion of data on their networks, and although disk storage is increasingly cheaper to hold that data, this is putting strain on businesses that need to back the data up and get it offsite for disaster recovery purposes, or simply to be able to restore it when needed.  The emergence of new (or improved) solutions for Disk to Disk backup (such as the features in Backup Exec 10, or Microsoft Data Protection Manager) provide much greater backup speed (eliminating the �backup window� facing most of us as backups run longer and longer) as well as more reliable and faster data restoration, and then offsite backup becomes a matter of backing up the backup server, which can occur at any time without impacting production.  This will be a big year for Disk to Disk to Tape (D2D2T) solutions. 

Several other areas bear note.  From a server perspective, Virtualization will continue to gain ground as companies try to reduce their physical server count and better manage their server platforms.  Multicore servers, which will grow in market share in 2006, will help with server consolidation.  Businesses are moving forward with deploying more tools for desktop management and server management to get a better handle on managing their systems, and I see significant growth in QTS� management practice around SMS and MOM as well as Symantec security management tools.  From a security perspective, most mid-market businesses still don�t have their DMZs and perimeter security optimized, and I see a lot of work being done here both architecturally (putting servers in the right places, tightening firewall ports and rules, and deploying Intrusion Prevention Systems) in 2006.   

At an application level, Business Intelligence and Analytics will be a big focus area, based in part on Microsoft�s release of SQL Server 2005 and also its new Business Scorecard Manager technology.  Customers have tons of data in their databases, providing the key to making better business decisions and providing business agility � now they need a way to get at this data, and SQL Server 2005 and Business Scorecard Manager (combined with SharePoint) provide improved tools for doing so.  Lastly, in 2006 I see Portal and CRM deployments being joined by Compliance solutions (email and document archiving and management systems) and secure Instant Messaging systems (such as Microsoft Live Communications Server) in gaining market momentum. 

I�ve long been a proponent of the expression that �the only constant is change,� and I suppose that�s what makes the IT world such an interesting industry to work in.  As we look forward to the new year of 2006, I look forward to the opportunity to speak and work with many of you in planning for how to best align your businesses with the available tools to help you take advantage of technology to enhance and enable your business and drive success.  I see that as partnership, and that for us is one thing that has remained constant amidst the change of technologies. 

Best wishes to you, your families and your co-workers for a happy and healthy holiday season, and a successful and rewarding 2006!

As always, feel free to email me your comments or thoughts at nrosenberg@QTSnet.com. Thank you.

Neil Rosenberg
President & CEO
Quality Technology Solutions

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PARTNER SPOTLIGHT

This month QTS is spotlighting its network penetration testing partner, Razorpoint Security Technologies, Inc.  Based in New York City, Razorpoint Security specializes in researching and analyzing security vulnerabilities and conducting comprehensive security testing.  Razorpoint Security�s testing goes well beyond the average �port scan� or �vulnerability scan� exercises.  They look at your network through the eyes of those looking to do you harm.  As Razorpoint Security�s president Gary Morse says, �We know what they know, we know what they see, and we know what they do.�

Razorpoint Security�s assessments provide business leaders and corporate clients the necessary security services and solutions that help keep corporate networks secure.  They have exceptional expertise in network security, attack/penetration testing and identifying security vulnerabilities especially as they relate to Internet solutions and web applications.  They provide security services that focus the view of your operating environment.  Razorpoint Security offers all sectors of business the services to maintain a firm grasp on the evolving state of network security.

Razorpoint Security�s attack/penetration tests identify potentially disastrous security vulnerabilities and help ensure the protection of network infrastructures and e-business ventures.  While many security firms provide singular penetration tests with limited documentation, Razorpoint Security offers a year-round assessment schedule, customized documentation deliverables, and monthly security advisories that help keep clients up to date.

As Razorpoint Security Technologies approaches the start of its fourth year in business, they have clearly become a leading force in the network security industry.  In addition to providing comprehensive security services to its clients, Razorpoint Security has become a prime media source on information security.  News outlets such as The New York Times Magazine, ABC/CourtTV, CBS News, Crain�s NY Business, Entrepreneur Magazine, CSO (Chief Security Officer) Magazine, CRN Magazine and Wired News are among those that have tapped Razorpoint Security for their expertise.

As local leaders in the security field, QTS and Razorpoint Security have worked together to develop a Penetration & Attack Testing offering that fits into QTS� QuikSecure methodology and is a logical progression for customers who have completed QTS� QuikSecure Security and Vulnerability Assessment offerings.  This QuikSecure PAT offering is offered through QTS and has been scaled and priced appropriately for the Medium Business market space.

For more information on Razorpoint Security Technologies, please view their web site at www.razorpointsecurity.com, email them at sales@razorpointsecurity.com, or call (212)744-6900.  Or, contact your QTS Account Manager.

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