Hosting

Challenge

A hosted or on-demand version of the Microsoft Enterprise Project Management (EPM) Solution can play a pivotal role in your evaluation and deployment of the platform. The Microsoft EPM Solution provides the power of choice – the option to deploy the solution on-premise or use it as an on-demand or hosted service. Organizations frequently face decision points throughout the deployment process which the on-demand Microsoft Enterprise Project Management Solution can effectively address.

The Evaluation Process

Gaining familiarity with the Microsoft EPM Solution is a common goal early in the evaluation process. Team members may wish to try the basic, non-customized solution to identify ways it can solve their needs.

As the evaluation process proceeds, customizing the Microsoft Enterprise Project Management Solution and populating it with project data can allow your organization to try the proposed solution, customized for your organization’s needs, prior to making a purchase decision.

The Deployment Process

Deploying the Microsoft EPM Solution may require your IT department to install hardware and software and train personnel. Your organization may wish to deploy the solution on-premise but your IT department may not be able to support launch of the solution within the desired initial launch time frame.

In some cases, your IT department may not have the bandwidth or expertise in-house to support the Microsoft Enterprise Project Management Solution. The cost of supporting the Microsoft EPM Solution on-premise may also make outsourcing an attractive alternative.

Solution

A hosted Microsoft Enterprise Project Management Solution can provide valuable benefits throughout the evaluation and deployment process. Available on-demand services include online product tours, hosted trials, interim hosting, and long-term hosting.

Online Product Tours

The Microsoft Enterprise Project Management Solution tours are a powerful way to familiarize yourself and your organization with the potential uses and benefits of the solution. Guided, 7-day, online tours of Microsoft Project Server 2007, Project Portfolio Server 2007 and Project Professional 2007 are available in multiple languages on this web site. The complimentary tours provide an introduction to the Microsoft EPM Solution and include the opportunity to go offroad and explore a live, online version of the solution on your own.

Hosted Trials

On-demand, 30-day, Proof of Concept (POC) Trials allow your organization to try the Microsoft Enterprise Project Management Solution customized for your specific needs using your own project data. A POC Trial is typically coordinated with a Microsoft EPM Solution implementation partner and provides a powerful way to evaluate the solution for your unique needs before making a purchase decision.

Interim Hosting

Interim hosting of the Microsoft Enterprise Project Management Solution can provide a cost-effective bridge between the need for rapid deployment and the readiness of your IT department to deploy the solution. An on-demand Microsoft EPM environment can often be delivered within five business days, ready for configuration. If your IT department is not ready to deploy the Microsoft EPM Solution on-premise, you can deploy an on-demand environment now then migrate onsite once they are ready.

Long-Term Hosting

The on-demand Microsoft Enterprise Project Management Solution can be a very cost effective, long-term alternative to onsite deployment. Depending on the capabilities of your IT department, a hosted or on-demand Microsoft EPM environment can result in lower costs and higher availability than in-house deployment. Using an on-demand solution can also eliminate obstacles for collaboration by disparate teams, whether internal or external to your organization.

Software + Service

Microsoft partners are beginning to offer a unique Build-To-Order (BTO) service for the Microsoft EPM Solution helping to ensure organizations can leverage best practices and get the solution up and running in a matter of days. With the Software + Service delivery model, configuring and deploying the Microsoft EPM Solution is not only faster, it is more cost effective than on-premise deployments as well.