Cisco introduces Unified Computing System to South African customers

Next Generation Data Centre Architecture Integrates Compute, Networking and Virtualisation in a Single Platform

FRollowing the global announcement of its Unified Computing System (UCS), Cisco hosted events in Cape Town and Johannesburg to introduce customers to a new approach to data centre architecture and services.

Paul Curzan, director of Cisco Unified Computing System product management, addressed local customers and partners at Summer Place, Johannesburg (17 November 2009) and One and Only, Cape Town (18 November 2009) about the Cisco Unified Computing System which unites compute, network, storage access, and virtualisation resources in a single energy efficient system that can reduce infrastructure costs and complexity, help extend capital assets and improve business agility.

The announcement extends Cisco’s data centre portfolio and is a critical step in the company’s Data Centre 3.0 strategy. To help customers accelerate the transition to the Unified Computing architecture, Cisco is paving the way with a comprehensive suite of new Unified Computing services.

•    The Cisco Unified Computing System: Based on industry standards, the Unified Computing System is a computing model that uses integrated management and combines a “wire once” unified fabric with an industry standard computing platform to optimise virtualisation, reduce data centre total overall cost, and provide dynamic resource provisioning for increased business agility

•    Innovative Design for Next Generation Data Centres: Cisco has united compute, network, storage access, and virtualisation into a scalable, modular architecture that is managed as a single system. The Unified Computing System is the first offering in a new family of products which complements the Cisco data centre portfolio.

•    Energy Efficiency: IT managers can achieve more energy efficient data centres with the Cisco Unified Computing System – it uses one-half the components, and requires less cabling and power/cooling than legacy server installations.

•    Cisco Unified Computing Services: Building on more than a decade of experience in the data centre, Cisco has launched a suite of new Unified Computing Services to help customers capture the full technical and business benefits of the Cisco Unified Computing architecture.

By strengthening the data centre portfolio already offered by Cisco and its partners, the new services range from architecture design, planning, and migration, to operations, and remote management. These services touch all aspects of data centre resources people, processes, and technologies.

•    Open Partner Ecosystem – Cisco is collaborating with an open ecosystem of industry leaders to help stimulate technology innovation, augment service delivery, and accelerate market adoption of Unified Computing.