Go Beyond Virtualization with the "Switch to Hyper-V" Program

I wanted to take a moment to share some thoughts from my co-worker, Brett, regarding the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference held last week and in particular about a new program we launched called the "Switch to Hyper-V" program. Check out what Brett has to say below and see the links to some of the articles about WPC that he's included as well.  Below is the post from Brett, thanks for reading and your time --- Edwin.

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I should be tired after last week on the ground in Toronto for Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC), but I am not. Our partners’ excitement for what we have delivered and what is coming – From the availability of System Center 2012 to the upcoming release of Windows Server 2012 – and the opportunity it represents is truly inspiring. There was also the news at the conference of Windows Azure Services coming to Windows Server, which provide our hosting partners with powerful new web site and virtual machine capabilities.   The focus of my time in Toronto was on our newly announced Switch to Hyper-V program, which allows partners to grow their virtualization, private and hybrid cloud computing practices while also helping customers improve IT agility at a lower cost with Microsoft’s cloud infrastructure.

The Switch to Hyper-V program helps partners and customer go beyond virtualization to true cloud computing. It provides guidance, resources, and tools, like Microsoft’s Virtual Machine Migration Toolkit, that take the risk out of virtual migrations,
dramatically reduce the time and effort required, and define best practices of successful customer migrations. At the event, I had the opportunity to moderate a Partner Panel session on the program to an at-capacity room of 140+ partners.  While I love the demand, I hate that we had to turn partners away due to lack of space. In the session, we showcased not only the resources but also how Microsoft Gold Partner FyrSoft recently helped Pella Corporation migrate nearly 100 percent of its VMware virtualized infrastructure – nearly 700 VMware virtual machines – to the Microsoft Private Cloud.

The session format allowed for a great deal of interaction with partners in attendance, and it became clear quickly that these resources were much needed and expected only to increase in value with the release Windows Server 2012. Enthusiasm focused on three resources in particular: 

  1. Microsoft’s Virtual Machine Migration Toolkit – This toolkit is a set of existing products and custom-built components that help users discover and assess their VMware environment and safely mass-migrate virtual machines. It is made available by Microsoft through a partnership with Veeam Software.
  2. “Datacenter Consolidation & Migration” Guides – Published in the Partner Solution Plan (PSP) Activation Kit for Private Cloud, this content is built based on successful migrations completed by Microsoft Consulting Services and spans from pre-engagement to post-delivery. It is designed to accelerate the deployment of workloads to new infrastructure environments or the consolidation and optimization of existing datacenter assets, this solution series is built around a core set of service patterns and datacenter best practices to help transition assets quickly and safely.
  3. Practice Accelerator for “Datacenter Consolidation & Migration” –  Virtual, instructor-led training that provides Microsoft Partners with deep expertise and ready-to-use repeatable solutions for migration engagements, as well as the training necessary to become qualified to use Microsoft Virtual Machine Migration Toolkit.

You can see some of the independent news coverage about the Switch to Hyper-V program in these articles in eWeek, CRN, and also a piece by The VAR Guy.

If you are a Microsoft Partner with the Management and Virtualization competency, I strongly encourage you to access the guidance and register (See Upcoming Sessions calendar) for an upcoming “Datacenter Consolidation & Migration” Practice Accelerator session. And, contact your Microsoft Partner Account Manager to learn more. If you are a customer that has been considering a move off of VMware to the Microsoft Private Cloud, now is the time. Contact your Microsoft representative to get started!

See you in Houston, Texas next year for WPC 2013,

Brett