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The Real ROI of Exchange

The Real ROI of Exchange. Paul Robichaux Partner 3sharp LLC paulr@3sharp.com. Overview. The Dimensions of ROI. Key Exchange 2003 Features. What’s the Real Deal?. The Dimensions of ROI. ROI is multi-dimensional There’s the investment itself…

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The Real ROI of Exchange

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  1. The Real ROI of Exchange Paul Robichaux Partner 3sharp LLC paulr@3sharp.com

  2. Overview • The Dimensions of ROI. • Key Exchange 2003 Features. • What’s the Real Deal?

  3. The Dimensions of ROI • ROI is multi-dimensional • There’s the investment itself… • Initial investment (licenses, hardware, training…) • Ongoing investment (including maintenance, support) • Platform/infrastructure investment • What comes in the box? (Training, add-ons, support…) • And then there’s the return • % / size of return (we’d like this to be > 100%) • Speed of return • Time to deploy • Time to realize productivity increases • Time to integrate as platform • Additional functionality • Process improvement / leverage

  4. Maximizing ROI • Maximization is a complex problem • What should you optimize for? • Do you have to spend money to make money? • Can you trust {vendors, ISVs, analysts, the press} for good advice? • We’re not exploring those questions here!

  5. Who’s Using What? • We’re currently using Exchange 5.5 • We’re currently using Exchange 2000 • We’re currently using Exchange 2003 • We’re using another messaging system Cross-Tab Label 0/0

  6. Key Exchange 2003 Benefits • Improved tools for Exchange 5.5 upgrades • More improvements coming in Service Pack 1 • Lowers cost, risk of upgrades • Better support for HA / DR • Eight-node clustering (including majority node set) • Geoclustering support • Support for FC and iSCSI SANs, some NAS devices • Point-in-time copies with Volume Shadowcopy Service (VSS) • Recovery Storage Group allows quick restore to dissimilar machines

  7. Key Exchange 2003 Benefits • Better performance • Faster cluster failovers • RPC packing / shaping (with Outlook 2003) • Core transport performance improvements • Better mobility support • Seamless sync / wireless access for Pocket PC devices • Outlook Mobile Access (OMA) for WAP/xHTML devices • Very rich Outlook Web Access client • RPC over HTTP for easier Outlook access • Better security • Greatly improved spam filtering • Support for cross-forest Kerberos • Support for IPsec in clusters • Improved hooks for AV scanners • Includes CALs for Outlook 2003 • And Entourage 2004!

  8. Key Exchange 2003 Benefits • Better manageability • Highly scriptable • Better queue viewing and management (plus a queuing API) • More control over replication and public folder behavior • Support for using Exchange from managed .NET code • “Better together” • Site consolidation powered by Outlook 2003/Exchange 2003 • Rich overlap between SharePoint, Live Communications Server, Exchange • Presence everywhere • Embed Exchange data in portal pages via Exchange web parts • Expose RSS, XML data from Exchange store to SharePoint • Rich ecosystem / community • Wide range of partners and ISVs • More choices for antivirus, anti spam, security, backup/restore, content management, compliance, archiving…

  9. Do These Features Matter? • All vendors love laundry lists • Key features are ones that improve ROI • By making it happen faster • By providing a better total return • Separate technical coolness from actual quantifiable benefit

  10. What Microsoft Says About Exchange 2003 • Highest uptake rate of any Exchange version • 330K seats deployed by official launch • X seats currently deployed • What’s so great about Exchange 2003? • Lower total hardware cost • Higher productivity for employees • Higher productivity for mobile users • Reduced administrative costs • Reduced downtime • Let’s see whether these claims hold water

  11. Lower Total Hardware Cost • VERDICT: Yes, for most customers • WHY? • Extremely powerful site consolidation can lead to drastic reduction in server counts • Individual servers may be larger and cost more to acquire • Requires careful analysis of impact on DR, bandwidth usage, client access • ROI Impact: medium-term

  12. Higher Productivity for Employees • VERDICT: Yes • WHY? • Outlook 2003 cached mode • Support for RPC over HTTPS • Multi-tier spam filtering • OWA provides rich experience when Outlook not available • ROI Impact: immediate • Requires client deployment • No additional licensing required for Outlook 2003

  13. Higher Productivity for Mobile Users • VERDICT: Maybe • WHY? • OWA, RPC-over-HTTPS on the desktop: two thumbs up • Exchange ActiveSync, Always-Up-To-Date: great but… • They require PocketPC / Windows Mobile devices • Other devices require their own separate solutions • Outlook Mobile Access provides basic functionality • Useful for small-form-factor phone devices • Not a very rich experience • ROI Impact: depends • “Road warriors” will immediately benefit from OWA and Outlook 2003 (RPC and caching) changes • Orgs with many deployed mobile devices will see more immediate return for wireless technology • Jury is still out on ROI of combined Exchange 2003 + wireless deployments

  14. Reduced Administrative Costs • VERDICT: Yes • WHY? • Better built-in management tools (new queue viewer, Mailbox Recovery Center) • Better interfaces to external management tools (MOM, NetIQ, OpenView, etc) • Better scripting and control interfaces (CDOEXM, WMI, MXO) • Site and server consolidation  fewer servers  lower costs • Better DR capability (VSS copies, recovery storage groups) • ROI Impact: immediate • For maximum impact, make sure your administrators get training

  15. Reduced Downtime • VERDICT: Yes and no • WHY? • Pro: more robust than the already-stable earlier versions • Pro: Faster recovery through VSS and RSGs • Pro: Better clustering (including asymmetric clustering) • Pro: supports geoclustering, iSCSI, NAS devices • Neutral: largest cause of downtime is still administrator error! • Con: Consolidation  bigger servers  possibly longer recovery times • ROI Impact: Medium- to long-term • Best DR story requires deployment of VSS with appropriate HW • Maintenance costs add up over time • For maximum impact, train your admins

  16. What Else is Microsoft Saying? • Exchange part of a comprehensiveplatform • LiveComm Server for IM / presence, with SIMPLE/SIP support • SharePoint Portal Services • .NET Framework as app dev environment • Superior client performance, functionality, usability • Platform delivers better integration • IM-enable your LOB applications • Use Exchange and LCS transports instead of rolling your own • Centralize directory management • Maintain legal compliance where necessary across lots of apps, not just e-mail • Better platform value proposition • ISVs developing some compelling stories • For religious arguments, see another session

  17. What’s Microsoft Not Saying? • Acquisition cost of server / client licenses • Software Assurance (SA) allows spreading cost over 3 year period • Bundled support, maintenance, add-on products • Difficult to estimate platform licensing cost • Outlook 2003 CAL included with Exchange CAL • Interplay between Exchange Edge Services and Exchange • Edge to offer robust set of perimeter security/filtering tools • No word yet on how it will be licensed

  18. What About “Good Enough” Mail? • To improve ROI, you can spend less • Emergence of “just good enough” mail systems • Promise lower messaging TCO, often on Linux • But you get less, too! • Security, scalability, robustness, continuance • Ecosystem, support (vendor and ISV), platform functionality • Most efforts targeted at 5.5 customers • Exchange 2000+ customers don’t want to move backwards • Lots of FUD surrounding Active Directory

  19. What About “Good Enough” Mail? • Don’t believe the hype • Carefully consider whether “good enough” is good enough for you • Dispassionately evaluate vendor claims for • License costs (including OS, maintenance, support) • Hardware costs (and server counts) • Cost of maintaining your service-level agreements • Cost of migration • Microsoft’s claim is that these systems generally don’t end up saving any money • No comprehensive public data exists to back this up • Anecdotal experience suggests that this is probably true in many cases • Experience suggests that these trade functionality for cost

  20. The Bottom Line • Exchange 2003 is a valuable upgrade • Terrific opportunity for service, server, site consolidation • Vastly improved DR story (particularly with VSS) • Users love Outlook 2003 combination • Specific ROI in your organization depends on • What you’re running now • What architectural/infrastructure changes you need to make • How, when you deploy client changes

  21. Questions?

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