Avanade Migrates to Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 - Molson Coors Beverage (NYSE:TAP)

SEATTLE, WA--(Marketwire - November 09, 2009) - Avanade, a business technology services provider, has become one of the first companies to deploy a large-scale Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 infrastructure. Utilizing the new features in Exchange Server 2010, Avanade is able to reduce its total cost of ownership (TCO), improve reliability and stability, broaden system redundancy to include the data center and increase user satisfaction. Additionally, through its early adoption, Avanade has honed its expertise and services for customers interested in migrating to the new version.

Avanade's internal implementation of Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 enables the company to increase consultants' awareness of the server's improved features and pass that knowledge on to customers. By bridging a virtualized data center with an optimized workplace, Avanade has helped the company and ultimately, its customers, to simply and seamlessly achieve tangible business benefits today:

-- Transform the user computing infrastructure with a streamlined, lower-
cost messaging environment that increases IT manageability and improves
user satisfaction through improved mobility, reliability and ease of use.
Integrating with unified messaging products and technologies like Microsoft
Office Communications Server 2007 and Microsoft Office SharePoint Server
helps further transform the user computing environment.
-- Drive greater IT operating efficiency through managed virtualization,
to reduce costs, maximize system availability and increase operational
agility.
-- Enable staff to communicate more effectively, to make well-informed
decisions quickly and reduce time to market.

"An integral part of the Avanade business model is developing an extensive knowledge of solutions and products that we recommend to customers by first using them internally," said Scott Rodgers, Senior Vice President and Chief Architect for Infrastructure Services for Avanade Americas. "During the pilot stages and our pre-release Microsoft Technology Adoption Program (TAP) work with Exchange Server 2010, the biggest challenge we saw first is simply making the migration, which is typically complex because our customers have thousands of mailboxes in use. Customers are concerned about disruptions to their communications while a system upgrade is taking place."

To address the challenge, Avanade uses its Messaging Migration Engine, a set of technical and project delivery tools to help organizations analyze the impact of upgrading their messaging systems. With this information, Avanade Exchange Server experts can recommend upgrade steps that include task automation to help reduce or eliminate disruption to employee productivity.

Avanade customers also want flexibility in accessing rich communications tools whether employees are in corporate headquarters or are mobile. While the Avanade internal deployment of Exchange is not virtualized, Microsoft Corp.'s new Database Availability Group (DAG) wizard provides increased availability options. "We put a lot of value on this," says Jeff Cagle, service manager for IT communications at Avanade. "More than 80 percent of our staff is usually in the field, and they need both reliable systems and communications tools that will help them perform their work regardless of location. The same needs are increasingly a part of the top requests we get from our customers."

By working early on pre-release versions of Exchange Server 2010 and using the software internally before launch, Avanade is able to quickly assist its enterprise customers in planning efficient upgrades, integrating different applications to streamline internal communications and providing solutions for increased availability and flexibility.

"With the economic crisis, corporations are taking a close look at cutting costs. Yet organizations also need the ability to transform ideas into value to maintain their competitive advantage," Rodgers said. "Exchange Server 2010 is a mission-critical application for large enterprises to be able to harness ideas and collaborate internally to drive business value."

"Microsoft is delighted Avanade could be part of the Exchange 2010 Technology Adoption Program and we are confident their early experience with Exchange 2010 will help provide their customers with a smooth and efficient upgrade," said Betsy Frost, general manager, UC Marketing at Microsoft Corp. "We are delighted to have Avanade in our community of partners ready to help customers take advantage of the innovations in Exchange 2010."

For more details on Avanade's internal deployment of Microsoft Exchange Server 2010, please visit: http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/Case_Study_Detail.aspx?CaseStudyID=4000005763.

About Avanade

Avanade provides business technology services that connect insight, innovation and expertise in Microsoft technologies to help customers realize results. Avanade's services and solutions help improve performance, productivity and sales for organizations in all industries. The company applies Microsoft expertise from its global network of consultants, drawing on the right mix of onshore, offshore and nearshore skills, which together are designed to help deliver results faster, at lower cost and with less risk. Avanade, which is majority owned by Accenture, was founded in 2000 by Accenture and Microsoft Corporation and serves customers in more than 20 countries worldwide with 8,700 professionals. Additional information can be found at www.avanade.com.

Avanade and the Avanade logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Avanade Inc. Other product, service, or company names mentioned herein are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

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