Arraya Insights

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Following the recent announcement of our partnership with Skytap, we’re excited to introduce this new and transformative tech to our customers to further enhance their experience in cloud computing.  

What is Skytap? 

Skytap functions like a software-defined data center (SDDC) and provides the ability to run IBM and x86 workloads in the public cloud, whether Microsoft Azure or IBM cloud.  

There’s no doubt that migrating to the cloud provides increased scalability, security, and reliability, but public cloud providers require that traditional applications, workloads, or complex environments undergo significant rewriting to migrate to the cloud.  

With Skytap, applications can migrate to the cloud all while operating in their native format and retaining all environmental configurations. 

This includes: 

  • Infrastructure 
  • Storage 
  • Networking 
  • OS 
  • Middleware 
  • Memory state 

As applications maintain their native format, teams can enjoy both the benefits of accessing cloud capabilities while interacting with apps as they always did. This offers organizations both compatibility and simplicity.  

Users can enjoy powerful development, testing, and business continuity capabilities with several features, including: 

  1. Software-defined data center 
  1. Support for Power and x86 workloads 
  1. Consumption based pricing 
  1. Dynamic environments 
  1. Self-service capabilities 
  1. Automation and tool integration 
  1. Management and control 
  1. Reliable, flexible global infrastructure 

With Skytap, users can take advantage of reliable production environments, business continuity that allows for accelerated application development, and replica environments for virtual training labs, sales, demos, and proofs of concept.  

How Will Skytap Benefit Your Organization? 

With Skytap, your organization can take full advantage of the benefits that cloud computing offers, such as on-demand, self-servicing provisioning and high availability, all with a quick and easy migration. 

This allows your organization to develop your:  

  1. Production and Disaster Recovery 

When apps migrate from data center to the cloud, this offers greater resilience and flexibility to adapt to both changing business and customer needs. In addition, organizations can innovate faster as they can scale easily. This allows users to improve the reliability and performance of apps at their own pace.  

Further, Skytap provides high availability and faster, more automated disaster recovery. This ensures business continuity with cold and warm off-site recovery for applications running on IBM i, AIX, Linux on Power, and x86 platforms. In the event of any issues, you’ll be back up and running, fast, without the unnecessary expenses of the data center.  

  1. Application Development and Testing 

Apps need to keep pace with changing business needs. While an app may have met customer and user needs when it was initially developed, this can change over time. With Skytap, organizations can remain agile by making their existing applications more powerful in their existing form with added functionality.  

Skytap provides replicas of production environments that your developers/testers can copy immediately and as often as they’d like, making testing easier than ever and increasing the pace of innovation.  

  1. Virtual Training 

The recent escalation of remote work has boosted the demand for virtual trainings.  

With Skytap’s Course Manager add on, virtual training can be made possible for industries of all types and groups of all sizes.  

With virtual classrooms and labs, you can offer both instructor-led and self-guided classes (24/7) without the need to involve IT. For students, this means increased flexibility, whether they attend self-paced, on demand, or instructor led sessions. Instructors and operations staff have full control and can distribute access details, share training assets, and add or remove attendees. 

In addition, with virtual training you no longer face the costs or limitations of physical classroom space and materials. 

  1. Demo and Proofs of Concept 

While sales teams have generally lacked the infrastructure to configure demos on their own, the Course Manager add-on provides them with the capability to build customized and personally branded demos for prospective customers from easy-to-use templates. Customers can experience products in action and at their own pace, all from a web browser.  

This allows you to minimize costs related to your demo program, all while making the most of your demo results by integrating with Salesforce to measure your ROI.  

What sets Skytap apart? 

Skytap is the only cloud that supports AIX, IBM i, and Linux on IBM Power Systems alongside x86 workloads. 

Skytap’s unique technical capabilities allow traditional Power workloads to migrate and run in the cloud in their native format, including network configurations, without rewriting. The production-quality environments allow users to increase the pace, quality, and scalability of their work, all with an easy-to-use portal.  

In addition, data center hardware is expensive to maintain. Skytap reduces the need to invest in hardware, data center facilities, and the staff that manages them.  

Next Steps: Are You Ready to Migrate to the Cloud? 

Take advantage of the clouds’ scalability, flexibility, and agility without having to undertake a major overhaul to your existing applications.  

Contact an Arraya expert today to learn more about Skytap or to answer any questions you may have.  

Visit https://www.arrayasolutions.com//contact-us/ to connect with our team now.  

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The latest updates and releases in technology are meant to help users enjoy a smoother experience, work more efficiently, and be more productive in general. Companies and enterprises have never relied on technology more as we interact, collaborate, and execute our daily tasks virtually through Cisco Webex.  

As Webex continues to evolve, becoming more advanced and user friendly, there may be new features that your business has missed. While it can be difficult to stay current due to the sheer volume of continuous updates, these are vital to keep your business at the forefront of innovation and secure. These updates may remove redundant tasks, eliminate a roadblock your organization has faced, enhance your employees’ collaboration potential, or close a vulnerable access point. 

We’ve put together a comprehensive list of the latest upgrades and changes in Webex so you can be sure you’re taking advantage of all available capabilities.  Here’s what you may have missed in Webex recently and how your business can optimize the technology you’re already investing in:

Calling 

  • Enable/Disable Video for Calling 

Partners and customers with full admin rights can now enable or disable video for calling and other Webex services directly from the Webex app.  

  • Optimize For My Voice  

Webex has been working to optimize the call experience with audio noise removal. To date, they’ve removed 30 billion minutes of noise from Webex conferences. Now, with Optimize For My Voice, Webex can tell the difference between foreground speakers and background speakers so participants aren’t distracted by anything happening behind the  scenes. 

  • Integrated Cloud Connected PSTN for Webex Calling 

This newly integrated PSTN experience provides comprehensive end-to-end provisioning and management of Cloud-Connected PSTN infrastructure. This automates what has traditionally been a manual process.  

Meetings 

Now participants can silently express themselves without the need to unmute and interrupt the speaker through animated reactions. You can clap, cheer, give a thumbs up (or down), and more to give the presenter a sense of the audience’s response. This allows meetings to run seamlessly with more participation from attendees.  

  • Integration with Google Workspace 

With the Cisco Webex integration for Google Workspace, users can now schedule Webex meetings and Webex Personal Room meetings directly from Google Calendar or Gmail, within any browser.  

  • Build Your Own Brand/Customization  

Hosts can now brand and customize their Welcome and Registration pages for Webex Events with color theme, logos, background, and speaker profile information. You can preview all your options and make changes before publishing. 

  • Immersive Share 

Immersive Share, now available in the Webex App, allows users to choose how video and content are shared and viewed by their audience. Now presenters can position the live feed of themselves in front of their content and/or presentation. With the content of their choice now set as their background, presenters have greater flexibility in their  presentations.  

  • Stage Can Now Contain Increased Number of Videos 

While the previous limit was four, the stage can now showcase eight additional videos so more people can be front and center in your view.  

Contact Center 

With IMImobile, users can stop creating application silos. This communications platform automates and orchestrates all customer interactions, centrally. This connects users across 10+ channels, including Facebook, Twitter, and more so companies can connect with customers on the channel of their preference.  

  • Seamless Customer Upgrade from Cisco Customer Journey Platform (R10) or CC-One (R9) 

Customers who enroll for this feature are provided with access to a migration workspace which has a number of key capabilities for tenant configurations, historical data, and call recordings.  

Devices  

In Webex Meetings and Events, you can now choose to translate your conversation from English to one of 100+ different languages in real time. As attendees speak, the translation automatically appears in captions at the bottom of the screen, just above meeting controls. This can be purchased as an add-on for Webex Meetings.  

  • Add Your Own Web Apps 

Users can now add and delete web apps directly from the settings menu of Webex Boards and Desk Pros. You can also be informed of externally managed web apps.  

Control Hub  

  • Headset Analytics 

Users now have a comprehensive view of your organization’s adoption and usage of Cisco headsets with metrics on connection type, call duration, headset model, and geographic region.  

  • Group-Based Control of External Communications 

For Active Directory users, you can now select domains from your allow list and apply them to groups that you’ve synced from Active Directory. This allows you to restrict some users to internal communications only and control the domains that others can use for external communications.  

Next Steps: Harness the Power & Benefits of Webex 

Staying current in technology is a constant revolving door. However, taking advantage of the latest updates and releases can have a substantial impact on your business’s workflow, efficiency, and security. Are you missing out on significant updates? 

For more information on how to stay current on the latest from Webex and take advantage of all of Cisco’s offerings, contact an Arraya expert today.  

Visit https://www.arrayasolutions.com//contact-us/ to connect with our team now.     

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While cyber threats date back decades, 2021 saw an unprecedented increase. Ransomware attacks are leaving victims with financial consequences like we’ve never seen before. Even the U.S. government is stepping in to help improve the nation’s cyber security posture. Meanwhile, the relatively new cyber insurance industry is grappling with unprecedented demand, increased claims payouts, and limited coverage for insureds. Some are calling this a “crisis moment” for the industry.

Cyber coverage faces unique challenges in comparison to other lines of insurance. It’s difficult for cyber carriers to diversify their risk as cyber attacks aren’t limited by geographic areas. Further, while the internet and cyber threats now date back decades, this is a relatively short time frame in comparison to other forms of insurance.

While other lines of insurance rely on hundreds of years of historical data and events, cyber insurance carriers have little data to analyze when risk forecasting. In fact, several carriers are now banding together to share their data and analysis capabilities.

As more businesses and enterprises begin to recognize their potential cyber exposure, the demand for coverage has skyrocketed. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported that the percentage of insurance clients who opted for cyber coverage recently increased from only 25% in 2016 to 47% in 2020.

5 Changes in the Cyber Insurance Landscape That Business Owners Should Know

With so many customers grappling with the potential of becoming the next ransomware target, a waterfall effect has led to several recent changes in the cyber insurance industry.

Here’s what those seeking coverage should know:

  1. Premium Increases & Reduced Coverage Limits

To date, the cyber insurance industry has struggled with profitability. The ratio of losses to premiums earned has led to substantial premium increases for customers. This is because the annual growth rate in premiums has been 20% over the past four years, while the annual growth in claims payouts has been almost double that, at 39%.

This risk has led carriers to reduce the coverage limits they’ll offer, especially for healthcare and education clients. Previously, a cyber insurance policy may have been bundled with other coverages. Now, carriers are creating separate, specifically cyber insurance policies. This results in customers paying more, for less coverage.

2. New Requirements of MFA for Email Access

As cyber carriers seek to control risk and their insureds’ exposure, many are requiring that their customers implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all email access. MFA is a security feature that requires users to present two forms of credentials to gain access, rather than just a single password. For those looking to apply for coverage or renew their policy, they’ll need to ensure they’re actively utilizing this security technique to qualify.

3. More Comprehensive Due Diligence on Security Practices

In addition to requiring MFA, many cyber insurance carriers are thoroughly analyzing all applicants’ and renewals’ cyber security posture before writing new policies. This could result in refusals for companies with subpar cyber security practices. For smaller businesses who don’t have the budget for an IT team or security tech, this could be problematic.

Applicants can expect extensive questionnaires, a cyber security screening through a third-party vendor (like BitSight), and for their public presence to be reviewed for security posture.

4. Higher Claims Payouts Due to Supply Chain Attacks

While third-party services are now considered standard, third-party software supply chain providers have quickly become a favorite target for cyber hackers. When these attacks are successful, hackers can take advantage of a plethora of victims through the supply chains’ client and customer base.  

These attacks can cause substantial disruption as clients may be left without access to their website, data, network, or more. These outages can cause extensive damage to a business or enterprise while cyber insurance carriers may face significant business interruption payouts.  

5. Decreased Number of Cyber Insurance Carriers

Based on the ratio of claims payouts to premiums, the cyber industry hasn’t been the most profitable in the last few years. This is a significant challenge for insurance carriers for obvious reasons. Many insurance carriers who opted to begin providing cyber coverage in addition to their routine lines of business have now begun to back out of the industry. Customers looking for cyber coverage will find that they have limited carriers and options to choose from.

There’s a lot about the cyber insurance industry that is still unknown. Even the terms and definitions of cyber policies remain vague, resulting in coverage disputes. As this relatively new insurance product matures, demand will remain high.

Next Steps: Evaluate Your Cyber Posture & Your Need for Cyber Coverage

The threat of ransomware is creating a domino effect throughout the cyber insurance industry. While many questions remain, it’s clear that ransomware is going nowhere fast. As businesses and enterprises continue to face increased threats, the demand for cyber insurance will remain at record levels.

If you need help navigating the complicated cyber security landscape, Arraya can help. Our cyber security experts will help you address your vulnerabilities and match you with the best security solutions and insurance products to fit your company’s individual needs.

Reach out today to get started or should you have any questions.

Visit https://www.arrayasolutions.com//contact-us/ to connect with our team now.    

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For the past several years Intune, a part of Microsoft’s Enterprise Mobility + Security (EMS) suite, has become an integral part of how Microsoft manages devices.  

As a cloud-based service that focuses on mobile device management (MDM), Intune allows the user to control how their organization’s phones, tablets, and laptops are used, as well as the ability to configure specific policies to control applications.  

This MDM solution has several different use cases and features that have become a staple in most configurations and application management strategies over the years. You’re likely aware of the ability to create a unique application experience, however, the device management principles also carry over from the capabilities driven by Windows 365 and on-premises management practices.  

Here are a few more reasons to get to know Intune: 

  1. You May Already Own It: Consider Consolidating Third-Party Licenses 

As an MDM platform, Intune is a leader in the space. The ability to integrate Microsoft 365 licensing bundled with Intune licensing makes it a great opportunity to consolidate. 

  1. Windows 10: Enjoy the Direct Benefit of Intune’s Management Capabilities 

Today, it’s all about working smarter, not harder. These management capabilities will help your organization stay agile in a rapidly changing environment.  

Windows Autopilot is used to set up and pre-configure new devices in your organization by using the processes developed by the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit and Configuration Manager Operating System Deployment practices. These practices have evolved into a cloud enabled provisioning model that can help reduce your on-premises dependencies for tools and IT support staff.  

As a fast track to getting the cloud configurations ready to support AutoPilot and Windows 10, try this guided scenario, which can be used in production once configured for your individual needs.  

For those using a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, this can be managed by Intune to provide a secure and uniform desktop experience that would be similar to corporate issued laptops while working in a cloud-based desktop.  

Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) is a valuable tool to move the Windows 10 Management capabilities to the cloud. The hybrid functionality of AD DS that’s been introduced when using Configuration Manager provides a fast lane to get to the cloud using your existing systems.  

  1. Security at the Forefront: Windows 365’s Security Configurations 

Security remains a top priority in most management tools and capabilities for devices. With Windows 365, Microsoft’s latest service that puts the Windows operating system in the cloud, most security configurations may already exist in a device and user centric approach.  

The tools you’re familiar with and rely on will still be available but in a more robust capacity, including:   

a) Conditional Access  

This tool can be applied to a device without additional infrastructure, such as AD FS, when applying to Hybrid devices and is native to cloud-first Azure AD joined devices. Intune adds an additional layer of capabilities by managing the configurations across the device and user experience. Various triggers, also known as signals, can define the device usage and authorization across other secured resources.   

b) Group Policy-Like Configurations 

Traditionally used Group Policy settings have been making their way into the cloud for years. Now you can take advantage of most of the settings you traditionally managed with Group Policy while using Intune instead.  

There are supported GPO-like configurations that can be moved to Intune while still allowing the capability to choose which platform would take priority when using a Hybrid configuration.   

c) BitLocker Configurations 

Bitlocker Configurations can be applied in several ways; however, these methods do not support an accurate way to ensure the configuration is in place and re-apply this configuration if/when disabled (like Intune does). 

With Intune, users can: 

  • Apply configurations to a fully decrypted drive by using a configuration profile or compliance policy. 
  • Review real-time reporting and feedback in encryption reports. 
  • Apply this configuration using Endpoint Manager and MBAM-based capabilities in a Hybrid approach when co-managed. 

Access recovery keys, which can be written to Azure AD, from anywhere by an Intune Administrator and from the user’s 365 profile (which eliminates the need to provide a web-based unlock utility).  

d) Windows as a Service (WaaS) 

This feature can alleviate the update infrastructure dependency for Windows 10 by providing quality updates and feature updates through configurations that can be applied using Intune. These configurations ensure a consistently patched Windows 10 environment and reduce the need to upgrade and refresh systems on-premises.  

  1. Apple & Android Users: Enjoy Direct Integration Capabilities 

Apple and Android device configurations have direct integration capabilities with Apple Business Manager, Samsung Knox, Google Administrator, TeamViewer, and more.  

With these capabilities, users can: 

  1. Create an immutable configuration that keeps your device managed by associating the hardware to your Intune tenant.  
  1. Apply configurations and application settings that allow varying stages of application visibility and unique configurations to authorize the application to work with your organization.  
  1. Subscribe to applications through third-party vendor stores, reduce the ability to subscribe to malicious applications, and provide core applications through an Intune Portal app.  
  1. Apply conditions and compliance levels to ensure the types of devices and security mechanisms are in place before a device is added to the management platform, in addition to monitoring and remediating devices that fall out of compliance.  
  1. BYOD: Intune Makes Bring-Your-Own-Device Safer for Use 

The BYOD method can be made much safer by isolating data and applying security configurations to the devices. When applying security configurations with Intune, users would be required to secure the device. In addition, the device configurations can be remotely removed on demand by IT administration without affecting the device owner’s personal data and settings. 

Next Steps: Take Advantage of Microsoft’s Latest Offerings  

Want to learn more about taking advantage of Intune at your organization? Our team can help. Trials for Intune can be activated through an existing Azure or Windows 365 subscription and we’ll work with you to see what best fits the needs of your organization. Reach out to us today to start a dialogue or with any questions.  

Visit https://www.arrayasolutions.com//contact-us/ to connect with our team now.   

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The 2020’s have been off to a tumultuous start. As the COVID-19 pandemic battles on, another pandemic has been riding its wave. Industries of all types have been feeling the effects of increased cyber-attacks, specifically related to ransomware, and there are no signs that these attacks will slow anytime soon.  

Ransomware is commonly spread through phishing scams, in which a malicious actor tricks the victim into giving away personal or identifying information. The hackers then use this information to gain unauthorized access to accounts, networks, computers, and more. Once in, they can encrypt important and necessary data and hold it ransom until their demand is paid.  

Revolt Against Ransomware: 6 Recommendations from the Government  

Ransomware has become a momentous hazard and as more industries undergo a digital transformation, this cyber threat reaches further into every corner of our society. Due to the increased threats and damages associated with ransomware, the U.S. government is taking a more active role in increasing the awareness of this cyber threat. On May 12, 2021, President Biden issued an executive order on improving the nation’s cyber security.  

In June 2021, just following that executive order, Anne Neuberger (Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy to the National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology) released a letter urging corporate executives and business leaders to take immediate action against ransomware.  

Here’s what they deemed were “essential actions” that every organization should take: 

  1. Implement the following security practices immediately:  
  • Utilize Multi-Factor Authentication 

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), also referred to as two-factor authentication (2FA),  allows users to provide two pieces of identification information before gaining access to an account, as opposed to a single password. 

  • Adopt Endpoint Detection & Response 

Once you’re a victim of a ransomware attack, malware can be very difficult to detect within your system. The longer it goes undetected, the more damage it does. Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) detects threats that have entered your environment through continuous file and system analysis. If a threat is detected, EDR quarantines the file or kills the malicious program to prevent it from causing further damage and eliminates it. 

  • Use Encryption 

When information and data at rest are encrypted, it’s translated into a scrambled, unintelligible language that is useless to unauthorized viewers. Only the user with the encryption key can decrypt the data. Should initial ransomware defenses fail, and a malicious actor gain unauthorized access to encrypted data, they’ll be unable to decipher and use it.

  • Create a Skilled & Empowered Security Team 

As cyber threats and ransomware attacks are ever evolving and continue to get more advanced (with higher ransom demands), your security team has a never-ending job of staying on top of the latest threats. As they follow the development of ransomware and work to implement the most innovative security products, your team must remain  highly motivated. For those who don’t have the capacity for an in-house security team, this can be outsourced to a provider, like Arraya, to ensure you’re getting the insight and expertise needed to combat ransomware. 

  • Share & Incorporate Threat Information in Your Defenses 

Sharing information related to cyber threats, incidents, and vulnerabilities helps everyone better understand these threats and how to appropriately respond to them. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Department of Justice (DOJ) have joined forces to launch a new website to provide organizations with ransomware-related resources, which includes information on reporting ransomware incidents to both the FBI and CISA.  

  1. Backup Your Data 

When a ransomware attack strikes, victims face financial harm in multiple ways. They’re unable to access important data that’s necessary to run their business, which can result in significant business interruption costs, and they face the potential ransom demand, itself (although the FBI recommends you do not pay these demands). Ensuring your data is regularly backed up will allow you to continue operating, as normal, should data be encrypted. It’s important that backups are not connected to the business network as most hackers will aim to delete any accessible backups.  

  1. Update & Patch Operating Systems, Applications & Firmware 

While the constant reminders and pop ups for software updates and patches may get annoying, they’re important. These should always be completed in a timely manner (ASAP) to ensure the system remains as secure as possible. You may want to consider a centralized patch management system, which updates numerous devices through one platform.  

  1. Test Your Incident Response Plan 

No matter how secure a system is, there’s always a way for a malicious actor to get through. If you have an incident response plan in place, this is a good step in preparing for an attack. However, you should be testing your plan to expose any potential gaps in your security. Start out by running through some core questions to build/enhance your plan. Should certain systems fall victim to an attack, can you sustain business operations? For how long? Who needs to be involved when responding to a potential breach? What’s everyone’s individual role? Run drills regularly to make sure all parties are clear on the plan.  

  1. Test Your Security Team 

Using a third-party to test the security of your systems is a great way to expose vulnerabilities that your organization may have overlooked. Whether your team is unaware of a new threat, a solution isn’t working correctly, or someone made a mistake, it’s better that a professional expose these errors before a hacker does.  

  1. Segment Networks 

Maintaining separate networks for corporate business functions and manufacturing/production operations can help isolate a cyber-attack, should you fall victim. Limiting internet access to operational networks is generally a safer practice and it’s important to maintain manual controls in the event they’re needed. Contingency plans should be tested regularly to ensure all run as intended.  

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) have joined forces to launch a new website to provide organizations with resources to learn more about ransomware and how to both prevent and respond to these attacks. 

Next Steps: Act Now Against Ransomware 

Cyber security is a much better investment than paying a ransom demand in the long term. In 2020, victims paid $350 million in ransom demands, which was a 311% increase from the prior year.  

It’s important to view your cyber security posture realistically, knowing that it’s not a matter of if you’ll fall victim to a ransomware attack, but when.  

To learn more about how you can take immediate steps to improve your security posture against ransomware, speak with one of Arraya’s experts today.  

Visit https://www.arrayasolutions.com//contact-us/ to connect with our team now.  

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The wait is almost over. It’s been announced that the free Windows 11 upgrade will officially launch on October 5, 2021. This update has been six years in the making as Windows 10 debuted back in the summer of 2015. As many PC users rely on virtual connection more than ever before, Microsoft expressed that Windows 11 will “empower productivity and inspire creativity” for users.   

With the launch date only a month away, here’s what you need to know about the upgrade, what new features you can expect, and what you can do to prepare.  

When, Where & How? What We Know About the Logistics of the Upgrade 

While we know that the official launch date of the Windows 11 upgrade will be October 5, 2021, this will be made available to eligible users on a rolling basis. For those buying new PCs, Windows 11 will come pre-loaded.  

The roll out will be done in a phased approach to ensure quality for all users. New eligible devices will receive priority and access the upgrade first. Next, in-market devices will be considered based on several factors, including: 

  • Hardware eligibility 
  • Reliability metrics 
  • Age of device 

Microsoft has advised that there could be additional factors that may impact the upgrade experience.  

Windows Update will notify users with eligible devices once the upgrade is available to be completed.   

For those using Intune, the Windows 11 upgrade will be introduced as a servicing update. The traditional OS media download from the Microsoft Licensing portal may be available soon. However, the process that manages Windows as an update will be more effective for those using Microsoft Endpoint manager. The Windows 11 Update Version will be available in the Intune console when Windows reaches General availability. 

Microsoft anticipates that all eligible devices will have the free upgrade by mid-2022.  

Out with the Old & In with the New: What to Expect with Windows 11 

Windows 11 offers several changes meant to streamline and simplify your desktop while enhancing the security of remote and hybrid work.  

Here are a few of the upcoming changes that we’re looking forward to:  

  • Microsoft Teams to be Directly Integrated 

Chat from Microsoft Teams will be fully integrated into Windows 11, with access from the start menu. This will allow users to mute/unmute themselves directly from the taskbar.  

  • Snap Layouts and Snap Groups 

Windows 11 will offer a variety of layouts where users can snap multiple windows into place and optimize the use of your screen real estate. Further, these layouts can be saved so multiple windows jump into their designated place with one click.  

  • Built-In Security Technology 

Windows 11 will provide enhanced protection against malware threats with developed virtualization-based security (VBS) and Hypervisor-protected code integrity (HVCI or memory integrity). 

  • Zero Trust-Ready Operating System 

The Zero-Trust model assumes breach and verifies each request as though it originates from an open network, regardless of where the request originates or what resources it accesses.  

  • Microsoft Store for Business & Education to Retire 

The Store for Business will be refreshed and retired as of 2023. However, capabilities to manage the Microsoft Store will be included in Microsoft Endpoint Manager and Applications will be published in the Software Center and the Intune Application.  

Who is Eligible? The Latest Windows 11 Upgrade Specifications 

The Windows 11 upgrade is free to PC users, but the upgrade is not compatible with all systems. IT teams and users will need to confirm their devices meet the system requirements to ensure they’ll be eligible for the upgrade.  

Minimum System Requirements: 

  • Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster with 2 or more cores on a compatible 64-bit processor or System on a Chip (SoC) 
  • RAM: 4 gigabyte (GB)  
  • Storage: 64 GB or larger storage device 
  • System firmware: UEFI, Secure Boot capable 
  • TPM: Trusted Platform Module version 2.0 
  • Graphics card: DirectX 12 compatible graphics/WDDM 2.0 driver 
  • Display: >9” diagonally with HD Resolution (720p), 8 bits per color channel 
  • Internet Connection: Microsoft account and internet connectivity is required for setup for Windows 11 Home 

Recently, Microsoft updated its compatible processor list to allow select PCs using Intel 7th gen processors to be included in the Windows 11 upgrade.  

You can also check to see if your device is Windows 11 eligible by going to Settings > Windows Update and select “Check for updates.”  

Act Now: Steps Your Business Should Take to Ensure a Smooth Transition 

With the upgrade only a month away, now is the time to be proactive and ensure your team is ready for Windows 11. 

Here’s what you can do next to prepare:

  1. Check Your Eligibility 

At a minimum, follow the steps above to make sure your PC is ready for the upgrade. If your PC is not eligible, you will need to get a new PC to have access to Windows 11. After the October launch date, all new PCs will have Windows 11 pre-loaded.  

  1. Enable the OneDrive Folder Migration 

Before you begin your upgrade to Windows 11, it’s important to ensure that your data will be available on the upgraded system. Make sure you enable the OneDrive Folder Migration to allow the documents to move between OS versions and workstations. There are currently 40 settings that can be configured for OneDrive today in Intune.  

  1. Take Advantage of Testing 

Begin testing the ability to deploy multiple configurations and versions of OS releases using Intune. Early adopters will be able to group manage the hardware eligible computers to subscribe to the Windows Insider Channels with more than a handful of available configurations. 

Next Steps: Stay Tuned for the Latest Windows 11 Developments  

As we countdown to the October launch date, we’ll be keeping you up to date on the latest information provided by Microsoft. For more information on what to expect, how the launch will be conducted, and what your IT team should be doing to prepare, reach out to an Arraya expert. 

As with any change, preparation is key to ensure a smooth transition. Whether you need help with enterprise management, upgrade execution, or managing your devices through autopilot, Arraya Solutions can help.  Reach out to us today to start a conversation.  

Visit https://www.arrayasolutions.com//contact-us/ to connect with our team now.  

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Microsoft recently announced that it will be updating its servicing model starting with Windows Server 2022.  

Previously, Microsoft offered two release channels:  

  1. Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) 

For the LTSC, a new major version of Windows Server is released every 2-3 years and users are entitled to 5 years of mainstream support and 5 years of extended support. This channel is appropriate for systems that require a longer servicing option and functional stability.  

  1. Semi-Annual Channel (SAC) 

For the SAC, new releases were available twice a year, in spring and fall, and each release was supported for 18 months from the initial release. This focused on containers and microservices and was best for customers who innovated quickly and took on new operating systems at a faster pace. However, some of the limitations of SAC included a shorter support period, a requirement for Software Assurance, and no desktop option.  

Recently, Microsoft announced that starting with Windows Server 2022, there will only be one primary release channel available, which will be the Long-Term Servicing Channel. The Semi-Annual Channel will no longer be available.  

The following table will help users determine the end of support dates for both LTSC and SAC: 

Windows Server Release Version Build Number Availability Mainstream Support End Date Extended Support End Date 
Windows Server, version 20H2 (Semi-Annual Channel) (Datacenter Core, Standard Core) 20H2 19042.508.200927-1902 10/20/20 5/10/22 N/A 
Windows Server, version 2004 (Semi-Annual Channel) (Datacenter Core, Standard Core) 2004 19041.264.200508-2205 5/27/20 12/14/21 N/A 
Windows Server, version 1909 (Semi-Annual Channel) (Datacenter Core, Standard Core) 1909 18363.418.191007-0143 11/12/19 5/11/21 N/A 
Windows Server 2019 (Long-Term Servicing Channel) (Datacenter, Essentials, Standard) 1809 17763.107.1010129-1455 11/13/18 1/9/24 1/9/29 
Windows Server 2016 (Long-Term Servicing Channel) (Datacenter, Essentials, Standard) 1607 14393.0 10/15/16 1/11/22 1/11/27 

Those who required frequent updates and used the Semi-Annual Channel for containers and microservices will be able to continue that innovation with Azure Stack HCI.  

Getting to Know Azure Stack HCI 

Azure Stack HCI is a new hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) operating system delivered as an Azure service that provides the latest security, performance, and feature updates. As a single platform, it integrates compute, storage, networking, and virtualization.  

HCI was designed with four goals in mind for users:  

  • Be hybrid by design 
  • Enterprise scale and provide great price performance 
  • Simplify operations 
  • Provide flexibility in deployment  

Azure Stack HCI enables organizations to modernize their infrastructure and consolidate virtualized workloads, reducing costs, and increasing efficiency.  

Azure Stack HCI is suited for multiple use cases, including: 

  • Branch office and edge 
  • Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) 
  • Online transaction processing (OLTP) 
  • Business continuity and disaster recovery (BC/DR) 
  • Enterprise virtualization 
  • Tightly integrated Kubernetes container workloads 

For containerized apps, these can be deployed and managed with Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) on Azure Stack HCI. This is an on-premises implementation of the popular Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) orchestrator, which automates running containerized applications at scale and makes it easier to host Linux and Windows containers in your database.  

Hotpatching With Azure Stack HCI 

A simple but highly anticipated advantage of Azure Stack HCI is that users will be able to apply security patches without rebooting, resulting in a substantially faster procedure than its predecessor. Known as Hotpatching, users will be able to install updates on supported Windows Server Azure Edition virtual machines (VMs) without a reboot after installation.  

This will result in a lower workload impact, faster deployment of updates, and better overall protection as the Hotpatch update packages are scoped to Windows security updates that install fast without rebooting.  

Next Steps: Stay Current on Microsoft’s Latest Developments 

To stay up to date on Microsoft’s products, get in touch with one of our subject matter experts who can guide you through any upcoming changes or new offerings. For more information about semi-annual releases or Azure Stack HCI, contact our team today to start a conversation.  

Visit https://www.arrayasolutions.com//contact-us/ to connect with our team now.  

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According to the IDC’s Futurescape: Worldwide IT Industry 2020 Predictions report, there will be an “industry app explosion.” They predict that by 2023 over 500 million digital applications and services will be developed and deployed using cloud-native approaches. Further, by 2024 800% more apps will run in edge locations.  

While these constant changes in technology bring innovation, more efficient processes, and safer environments, these consistent advancements also pose a challenge for organizations. Modern applications can be unpredictable, have different needs, and reside in multiple locations. What may be compatible one day could very well be incompatible the next.  

With Cisco’s UCS X-Series with Intersight, this “future-ready” system is engineered to innovate at the speed of software and evolve with new technology across a hybrid cloud landscape. As a device designed to accommodate the diversity of modern applications, this modular system is managed entirely from the cloud.  

5 Reasons Cisco’s UCS X-Series Modular System Stands Out 

As a solution designed to be both simple and adaptable, all while providing for traditional scale-out and enterprise workloads, the UCS X-Series helps take the complexity out of IT.  

Here’s how:   

  1. A Simplified Data Center 

The UCS X-Series Modular System was designed to simplify the data center into a single unified system which is managed entirely from the cloud. Here you control all apps and your entire infrastructure.  

As the requirements for today’s applications can be unpredictable, you don’t want to be locked into one set of resources. With the UCS X-Series Modular System, you can consolidate into a single platform for better performance, automation, and efficiency.  

Using a single server means the system supports a broader range of workloads, resulting in less products to support, reduced training costs, and increased flexibility. The chassis is free from “parasitic hardware” (switches and management modules that must be purchased, configured, powered, cooled, and maintained) with a midplane-free design so there are no limitations on future interconnect technology.  

A unified fabric interconnects all devices in the system and securely carries all traffic to the fabric interconnects where it can be broken out into IP networking, Fibre Channel SAN, and management connectivity.  

2. Ease of Deployment & Management with Cisco Intersight 

Powered by the Cisco Intersight cloud operations platform, Intersight consists of optional, modular capabilities of advanced infrastructure, workload optimization, and Kubernetes service. As a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) management platform, Intersight has access to both configuration and monitoring capabilities.  

This provides Cisco with the ability to deploy, monitor, manage, and support all physical and virtual infrastructure. This reduces redundant manual tasks and administrative details for you and your employees so you can focus on business outcomes that matter. Cloud-based management keeps everything up to date automatically, with a constant stream of new capabilities. 

3. Modular Networking Components 

A pair of Cisco UCS 9108 Intelligent Fabric Modules carry all network traffic to a pair of Cisco UCS 6400 Series Fabric Interconnects. Each IFM features server ports of up to 200 Gbps of unified fabric connectivity per compute node with two IFMs and uplink ports made up of 8x 25-Gbps SFP28 ports.  

Because of the midplane-free design, upgrades to new networking technology are easily enabled as they become available, as opposed to systems with fixed network and I/O traces on a chassis midplane. This supports a wide range of workloads and is equipped to accommodate future I/O technologies as they emerge.   

4. Computing Capabilities & Storage 

The Cisco UCS X9508 Chassis is designed to house and interconnect a variety of computing and I/O devices to accommodate future additions.   

The Cisco UCS X210c M6 Compute Node features: 

  • CPU: Up to 2x 3rd Gen Intel® Xeon® Scalable Processors with up to 40 cores per processor 
  • Memory: Up to 32x 256 GB DDR4-3200 DIMMs for up to 8 TB of main memory. Configuring up to 16x 512-GB Intel Optane™ persistent memory DIMMs can yield up to 12 TB of memory. 
  • Disk Storage: Up to 6 SAS or SATA drives can be configured with an internal RAID controller, or up to 6 NVMe drives scan be configured with four lanes each of PCIe Gen4 connectivity, and up to 2 M.2 memory cards can be configured with RAID 1 mirroring.  
  • mLOM virtual interface card: The Cisco UCS Virtual Interface Card 14425 can occupy the server’s mLOM slot enabling up to 50 Gbps of unified fabric connectivity to each of the chassis IFMs for 100 Gbps of connectivity per server.  
  • Mezzanine virtual interface card: The optional Cisco UCS Virtual Interface Card 14825 can occupy the server’s mezzanine slot at the bottom of the chassis. This card’s I/O connectors link to Cisco UCS X-Fabric technology that is planned for future I/O expansion. 

This is the first device of the Cisco UCS X-Series Modular System with the capability to integrate  third-party devices, including storage from NetApp, Pure Storage, and Hitachi.  

5. Adaptability & Resilience for the Future  

The UCS X-Series can be considered a long-term investment for users due to its open, modular design that allows for the adoption of new technology, such as future generations of processors, storage, non-volatile memory, accelerators, and interconnects. Users can simply install new modules, as needed, allowing this design to last for years. Now, users can embrace emerging technology without hesitation.  

Due to the unique packaging of the UCS X-Series and its power and cooling systems, higher powered processors and accelerators will be possible in the future, all with continued support from Cisco Intersight.  

Next Steps: Stay Flexible in a Changing World 

A lot has changed and will continue to change. With Cisco’s UCS X-Series, users will have the flexibility they need to adapt, no matter where technology takes them in the future. Our teams have the knowledge and experience necessary to help you determine if this system would be right for you. Reach out to one of our experts today with any questions or to start a conversation.  

Visit https://www.arrayasolutions.com//contact-us/ to connect with our team now.

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At Microsoft’s most recent Inspire 2021 event, Windows 365 was unveiled as a “new category of computing”. This solution allows you to manage your desktops through subscription and take the operating system for Windows 10 and Windows 11 (once available) to the Microsoft Cloud.

As much of the workforce continues to log on remotely, this will provide employees with full use of all apps, data, and settings whether on personal or corporate devices. We checked in with Arraya’s experts to uncover the top benefits Windows 365 users can look forward to.

With Windows 365, users can expect:

  • Flexibility for Employees
    As Windows 365 will work on any modern web browser or through Microsoft’s Remote Desktop app, users can access Windows from their PC, Mac, iPad, Android device, and more. This allows users to take advantage of a hybrid work model in which teams are both working from home and on-site. Whenever and wherever they log in, they won’t lose any of their settings or configurations. This new solution helps organizations who may not have the IT staffing expertise to support virtual work now take advantage of a hybrid work option.
  • Secure Hybrid Work
    Windows 365 stores information on the cloud, not on the device, and implements the principles of Zero Trust. Each access request is fully authenticated, authorized, and encrypted before access is granted.

    Microsoft Endpoint Manager’s combined Configurations Manager and Intune solutions provide a great platform for supporting Windows 365 in a Hybrid configuration. Here, the Windows 365 experience can potentially be managed using GPO. While this remains to be tested, there is support for configurations in Azure Virtual Desktop when using a hybrid configuration.

    This functionality is enabled by the Azure cloud components we’ve come to know and appreciate. These capabilities built from Azure Virtual Desktop, Azure Active Directory, and Microsoft Intune, have been steadily introducing new desktop support capabilities that will be further enhanced by Windows 365.
  • Protected Investments Through a Subscription Model
    Previously, users faced the costs of refreshing a dated fleet of technology, tracking down computers that weren’t turned in by employees, or standing up an on-premises VDI solution. As a subscription, users will always have access to the latest features, fixes, and updates.

    Maintaining the configuration can now be traded into a simple subscription model that can be scaled, distributed globally, and managed directly from the Microsoft Cloud using Microsoft Endpoint Manager.  

    In shifting these resources to the cloud, users can protect their investments by ensuring that the hardware specification will be Windows 11 compliant and ready to provision when Windows 11 is available. Based on the information provided by Microsoft to date, there may be a firm requirement to have a stricter hardware specification for Windows 11 than that of Windows 10.

As the workforce continues to grapple with the pandemic, there are no signs of turning back from a hybrid work model. Windows 365 provides users with the flexibility to work from the device of their choosing, all while providing their employers with the security they need to ensure their organization’s data and information will be safe.

Next Steps: Getting Started with Windows 365

For Windows 365, there will be multiple pricing and configuration options for users to choose from while meeting all security and scaling requirements when managed by Microsoft Intune.

Due to high demand, there is currently a waiting list for a trial license to begin exploring Windows 365. In the meantime, Arraya can also assist with any questions you may have and provide guidance to determine the needs of your individual organization and how to get started.

Contact one of our experts today to start a conversation.

Visit https://www.arrayasolutions.com//contact-us/ to connect with our team now.
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Microsoft Inspire, Microsoft’s annual conference for its partner community, recently wrapped up, leaving us soaking in their latest announcements.

Reflecting on an “exceptional year of unparalleled disruption, accelerated innovation, and digital transformation,” the conference highlighted the many ways our relationships with technology have changed since early 2020.

Microsoft announced several new product and program updates, with the purpose of providing new opportunities for partners to build on Microsoft cloud for the new world of work, while leveraging a foundation of trust and security.  

How will these changes affect your organization? Arraya’s experts have compiled a list of the key takeaways from Microsoft Inspire and the impact they could have on the tech giant’s user base.

Windows 365 to Integrate to the Cloud

As the biggest news of the conference, Microsoft announced that Windows 365 will allow businesses to access Cloud PCs from anywhere and on any device.  

Windows reported that Windows 365 will take the operating system for Windows 10 and Windows 11 (once available) to the Microsoft Cloud. This will allow users to stream the full Windows experience, including apps, data, and settings, to both personal and corporate devices. Information will be stored in the cloud, not on the device, to provide secure access with the principles of Zero Trust. This will allow companies to further expand their hybrid work models in which employees are both in the office and working from home.

Microsoft to Consolidate SIEM and XDR Security Tools

As the threat landscape continues to evolve, protecting individual systems and areas is no longer sufficient. Microsoft announced its latest security approach which integrates both XDR and SIEM tools from a single vendor. This means Azure Sentinel, Microsoft 365 Defender, and Azure Defender will be integrated as one solution.

Defenders will now be armed with more context and automation than ever to stay ahead of attacks.

XDR: Microsoft Defender

Microsoft Defender is delivered as two tailored experiences:

  1. Microsoft 365 Defender (for end-user environments)

The following branding changes will unify Microsoft 365 Defender Technologies:

  • Microsoft 365 Defender (previously Microsoft Threat Protection)
  • Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (previously Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection)
  • Microsoft Defender for Office 365 (previously Office 365 Advanced Threat Protection)
  • Microsoft Defender for Identity (previously Azure Advanced Threat Protection)

New features will include extending mobile threat defense capabilities across all major OS platforms, extending macOS support, and additional focus on phishing attacks.

2. Azure Defender (for cloud and hybrid infrastructure)

The following branding changes will unify the Azure Defender Technologies:

  • Azure Defender for Servers (previously Azure Security Center Standard Edition)
  • Azure Defender for IoT (previously Azure Security for IoT)
  • Azure Defender for SQL (previously Advanced Threat Protection for SQL)

New features include a unified experience in identifying and mitigating unprotected resources, additional protection for SQL servers on-premises and in multi-cloud environments, and support for operational technology networks with the integrations of CyberX into Azure Defender for IoT.

SIEM: Azure Sentinel

As Microsoft’s cloud native SIEM, Azure Sentinel connects to Microsoft Defender to provide visibility across the entire environment and includes data from other security solutions, such as firewalls and existing security tools.

Azure Sentinel is deeply integrated with Microsoft Defender so you can integrate your XDR data and combine this with all security data across your entire enterprise.

New features include new entity behavior analytics view to make it easier to diagnose compromised accounts and simplified management of threat intelligence.

Microsoft Viva to Drive Culture Transformation

Microsoft Viva, the employee experience platform, is designed to work with existing solutions and can be easily customized and extended to be part of any company’s portfolio to help drive its culture transformation. This platform unites collaboration, learning, and the wellbeing of employees so they’re supported in their everyday workflows.

Microsoft has now added more than 20 new integrations for the platform, complementing the additions announced in February. Through these integrations, customers can seamlessly connect to the systems and tools their employees use every day right in the flow of Viva experiences.

Honorable Mention: Microsoft’s “100/100/0” Sustainability Goal

Microsoft introduced “100/100/0” as one of their sustainability goals and initiatives.

While the world is shifting to electric, most electrons flowing onto grids today come from carbon intensive sources. Microsoft’s 100/100/0 vision is that on all the world’s grids, 100 percent of electrons, 100 percent of the time, will be generated from zero carbon sources.

By 2030 Microsoft seeks to have 100 percent of its electricity consumption, 100 percent of the time, matched by zero carbon energy purchases.

Next Steps: Take Advantage of Microsoft’s Latest Offerings

To learn more about Microsoft’s latest offerings, reach out to our subject matter experts who can keep you up to date and confirm if any of these new products or enhancements would benefit your organization. Contact our team today to learn more.

Visit https://www.arrayasolutions.com//contact-us/ to connect with our team now.
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