Looking to move to Azure? Why not bring Azure to You?

Microsoft’s recent release of its Azure Stack HCI hybrid cloud solution, brings Azure on-premise, offering data centre modernisation, optimum application localisation and a route to Azure migration.

Cloud services can help to support an organisation in building a flexible, reliable IT infrastructure that delivers secure services to its users.

So whether a fully outsourced, public infrastructure is your organisation’s goal or a hybrid of cloud and on-premise solutions is the choice, both of these options need to contribute to the ability of your organisation to be flexible and agile and to respond to the needs of your organisation and its users.

As hybrid cloud evolves, we not only see data centres being extended into the cloud (in what is now almost the ‘traditional’ manner), but now the cloud extending back into the data centre.

Ben Murden
Ben Murden

Ben has over two decades in the IT industry, delivering both online and offline campaigns across all platforms to meet business goals and objectives. Joining Phoenix in 1999 as a graphic designer, Ben has evolved over the years into a fully-rounded marketing professional, before being promoted to Phoenix Marketing Manager early in 2018, reporting directly to the MD. With his background in creative design, Ben takes projects from inception to execution and can identify the correct strategy based on the subject, audience, and goals – while increasing the brand profile and revenue. His passion for digital marketing is evident in everything he does, and both vendors and strategic partners often comment on his incredibly positive attitude to ‘make things happen’.

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Desired IT infrastructure outcomes

Data centre modernisation

Simplify operations, increase efficiency and transform IT productivity

Hybrid Acceleration

Deliver consistent infrastructure and reduce risk by automating management and operations

Achieve both with a hybrid operating model

Azure Stack HCI provides a new hyperconverged infrastructure host operating system delivered as an Azure service, providing up-to-date security, performance, and the latest feature updates. Hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) pools all of your compute, storage and network resources in one place, so they can be leveraged by whatever part of your system needs them most. It also streamlines not only the management, but shortens the learning curve for new administrators by reducing the number of tools they need to master.

SQL Server and Windows Server 2008/R2 Workloads

With Azure Stack HCI, customers can continue to gain support on SQL Server and Windows Server 2008 /R2 workloads running on-premise by benefiting from Extended Security Updates (ESU) at no extra cost.

Modernising Hyper-V

Modernising your older Hyper-V based systems to Azure Stack HCI will provide an invaluable competitive advantage. Hyper-V remains crucial, but it becomes much more powerful with HCI infrastructure on top of it.

Azure Stack HCI was designed to be a scalable solution, from a simple two-node system all the way up to enterprise-level deployments with 16 nodes running hundreds or thousands of VMs (for a single site) and is capable of running in stretched clusters. Scalability is accomplished through consolidating your hardware with increased server density and reduced overhead. Microsoft leverages its global partner relationships, such as with Dell EMC, to offer pre-configured, pre-tested hardware. The integration of Dell’s OpenManage with Windows Admin Centre simplifies management and allows you to manage all of your workloads, maintaining them both on-premise and in the cloud.

How could you use Azure Stack HCI?

  • Refreshing Windows Server/Hyper-V systems
  • Trusted Enterprise virtualisation, using secure software-defined infrastructure
  • Virtual Desktop Infrastructure with edge-local access
  • Remote Office/Branch Office and Edge Infrastructure
  • High performance, latency sensitive applications
  • Roadmap – tight integration with Kubernetes

Talk to Phoenix today

Phoenix provides the public sector with comprehensive technology support for digital transformation and the transition to the hybrid workplace. If you want to accelerate your journey to create a hybrid environment contact a member of the Phoenix Team today on 01904 562200 or email [email protected] or fill in the form and a member of the Team will be in touch: