HP has announced new integrations of the recently introduced HP Converged Infrastructure architecture for Microsoft applications, enabling customers to simplify the management of their computing environments while increasing efficiency.

HP and Microsoft collaborated to deliver HP solutions for Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 and Windows Server 2008 R2. These solutions simplify the data centre environment and reduce costs by increasing infrastructure utilisation, reducing power use and gaining efficiencies in application deployment and management.

With new HP BladeSystem Matrix templates, HP reference architectures and HP Services for Microsoft environments, customers can maximise the value of Microsoft applications by establishing a converged server, storage and network technology that is efficient, automated and virtualised.

"Customers running Microsoft Exchange 2010 and Windows Server 2008 R2 with HP BladeSystem Matrix can realise tangible benefits by reducing implementation time and easily accommodating the ever-increasing requirements placed on their IT infrastructure," said Eric Jewett, director, Microsoft. "The combination of Microsoft software and HP hardware offers customers an easy-to-deploy solution."

Maximise business potential with a converged infrastructure

HP BladeSystem Matrix templates for Microsoft environments enable customers to allocate server, storage and networking resources instantly, adjust to rapid changes in workloads, and monitor service levels within Microsoft environments.

As an extension of the HP BladeSystem Solution Builder program, HP collaborated with Microsoft to create solutions that run Microsoft software within a converged infrastructure so customers can reduce provisioning time from months to minutes.

New reference architectures for Microsoft

HP also is introducing new tools for Microsoft solutions that allow customers to reduce risk when configuring, designing and architecting Microsoft application infrastructures.

Supporting the latest Microsoft technologies, the new HP tools simplify and accelerate Exchange Server 2010 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V infrastructure configuration with expert-designed HP sizing tools, recommended configurations, tiered service-level delivery, and automation and provisioning of a converged infrastructure.

HP Services for Microsoft environments

New HP Services for Microsoft environments enable customers to reduce costs and complexities of the virtualised environment by effectively leveraging existing technology investments in the planning, design and deployment of an HP Converged Infrastructure and supporting the entire hardware and software stack from HP and Microsoft.

* HP Services for Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 improve business productivity by offering services for customers wishing to upgrade. The offering includes HP’s strategy workshop followed by services to plan, design, implement and support the transition to Exchange Server 2010, a foundation application for HP Microsoft Unified Communications and Collaboration solutions.

* HP Services for Windows Server 2008 R2 help customers implement virtualisation and private cloud deployments by providing strategic advice and solutions based on Microsoft Server 2008 R2, Hyper-V, Windows 7 and Microsoft System Center.