Structured achieved platinum status in the RPN program based on the completion of certifications, increased sales volumes and successful customer deployments of Riverbed wide area network (WAN) optimization solutions, and the authorization to sell Riverbed Cascade®, an advanced network and application performance analysis and visibility solution. Structured combines Riverbed solutions with its own expertise, tools, resources and knowledge in information technology and systems integration to improve remote and mobile employee productivity, enable private clouds, and provide enterprise-wide network and application visibility for its customers.

“Structured assesses business requirements and architects technology solutions that address our clients’ tactical and strategic needs, both now and into the future,” said Ron Fowler, Structured’s president and CEO. “Riverbed IT performance products have become a key component in our deployed solutions to ensure success for our customers’ strategic IT initiatives, including data center consolidation, virtualization, remote office connectivity and disaster recovery.

“Structured has leveraged the broad resources Riverbed provides to its partners to achieve success,” said Randy Schirman, vice president of worldwide channel sales at Riverbed. “We are pleased with Structured’s attainment of the platinum level and look forward to a continued productive partnership with them in the future.”

More than 13,000 organizations worldwide, across a wide range of markets, depend on Riverbed to understand, optimize and consolidate their IT infrastructure. Riverbed delivers hardware, software and virtualized solutions that overcome performance issues caused by distance, distributed computing, and ever increasing amounts of data. Virtualization, consolidation and cloud computing promise huge cost savings and improved efficiencies, but as users move farther from their data, slow applications and file transfers can stall these strategic initiatives. Riverbed delivers to the remote office and mobile workers the same “local” performance, no matter where the private data center or public cloud may be. Riverbed continues building on its success in the WAN optimization and application-aware network performance management (NPM) markets with new and innovative solutions for accelerating cloud storage and access to applications and data deployed in public, private and hybrid clouds.

About Structured
Structured is one the largest information technology consultancies and systems integrators in the West. Structured’s areas of specialization include application delivery, business continuity, enterprise networking, information security, governance, storage, computing and unified communications solutions. Structured offers a full range of enhanced support and contract staffing services to ensure that clients have the right level of support to meet their internal or external SLAs.

Founded in 1992 and headquartered in Portland, OR, Structured has offices in Oregon, Alaska, California, Idaho, Illinois, Nevada and Washington. For more information, visit http://www.structured.com or call (800) 881-0962.

Press Contact:
Elisabeth Glover
The David James Agency, LLC
+1 805 494-9508
elisabeth@davidjamesagency.com

PORTLAND, OR, June 14, 2011 – Structured, a leading information technology and systems integrator of secure and scalable IT solutions and services, announced today that it has been recognized by Everything Channel as a part of CRN’s 2011 VAR500 list, which ranks the top technology integrators in North America. Featuring the highest producing technology integrators and solution provider organizations in the IT channel, the VAR500 rankings consider earnings from hardware sales, software sales and managed IT services. Structured placed #320 in the 17th annual ranking.

The VAR500 is a list of the largest value-added resellers, solution providers and integrators in North America by revenue size. Revenue size is determined by the amount of annual products and services sold over the course of 2010. Structured has been recognized as an innovative solution provider who is making efforts to bring new and exciting technologies into the channel and transforming the way the company and its vendor partners do business.

Structured works with companies to assess their business requirements and then to architect information technology solutions that address tactical and strategic needs. It partners with best-in-class technology manufacturers to provide complete hardware, software and services solutions to North American customers that protect the integrity of their information with secure infrastructure, voice and mobility, and storage and systems. The company has invested in technical know-how and earned premier certifications in the areas of collaboration, business continuity, networking, security, governance, storage, systems, virtualization and cloud solutions.

“The VAR500 represents the top performing solution providers in the IT community,” said Kelley Damore, vice president and editorial director, Everything Channel. “Vendors of all sizes rely heavily on the VAR500 list to find those solution providers best suited to sell their products. VAR500 honorees are considered trusted business advisors, integration experts, and invaluable partners.  Even more importantly, they solve customers’ biggest IT business problems through product integration, training, consulting and services.”

“Structured is excited to have earned a ranking in the Everything Channel’s CRN VAR500,” said Ron Fowler, Structured’s president and CEO. “This is recognition of the success of our efforts to continually improve our services by identifying and implementing best practices that demonstrate our commitment to innovation, service excellence, technical and sales certifications, respect, and integrity.”

About Structured

Structured is one the largest information technology consultancies and systems integrators in the West. Structured’s areas of specialization include application delivery, business continuity, enterprise networking, information security, governance, storage, computing and unified communications solutions. Structured offers a full range of enhanced support and contract staffing services to ensure that clients have the right level of support to meet their internal or external SLAs.

Founded in 1992 and headquartered in Portland, OR, Structured has offices in Oregon, Alaska, California, Idaho, Illinois, Nevada and Washington.

For more information visit www.structured.com or call (800) 881-0962.

Press Contact:
Elisabeth Glover
The David James Agency LLC
+1 805 494-9508
elisabeth@davidjamesagency.com

PORTLAND, OR – May 23, 2011 – Structured, a leading information technology and systems integrator of secure and scalable IT solutions and services, today announced it has achieved Platinum Partner status in the Hitachi TrueNorth^TM Partner Program from Hitachi Data Systems (HDS).

The Hitachi TrueNorth Partner Program empowers partners to grow their business, market reach and profit potential through the delivery of advanced business data solutions embracing next generation technology and services. The Platinum Partner designation is the highest level in the program, intended for value added resellers, solution providers and systems integrators with a proven track record of providing the best solutions and services in the industry to enterprise, large business and institutional clients.

As a Hitachi TrueNorth Platinum Partner, Structured combines the most innovative, advanced business data solutions with its own expertise, tools, resources and knowledge in information technology and systems integration to deliver virtualization solutions, extend customers’ existing storage assets, provide significant cost savings and enhance integration of data systems and mobility for easy and transparent data migration.

“Customers are looking to value-added resellers like Structured who have proven success in leveraging technology to achieve their customers’ strategic goals,” said Michael Rouser, vice president, Americas Channel Sales, Hitachi Data Systems. “Structured has built trust as an expert Hitachi Data Systems advisor, and has certified expertise to ensure the highest level of customer satisfaction. We’re thrilled that Structured has become a Hitachi TrueNorth Platinum Partner, and we look forward to working with them to ensure sustained success.”

“Structured solves IT problems and provides strategic direction for achieving business goals by immersing ourselves in our customers’ business to truly understand and assess their immediate needs as well as projected growth,” said Ron Fowler, Structured’s president and CEO. “Achieving Platinum Partner status with Hitachi Data Systems confirms that we’re on the right path with our holistic and client centric approach and enables us to offer the most innovative solutions available to enhance our customer service offerings and continually add value.”

About Structured
Structured is one the largest information technology consultancies and systems integrators in the West. Structured’s areas of specialization include application delivery, business continuity, enterprise networking, information security, governance, storage, computing and unified communications solutions. Structured offers a full range of enhanced support and contract staffing services to ensure that clients have the right level of support to meet their internal or external SLAs.

Founded in 1992 and headquartered in Portland, OR, Structured has offices in Oregon, Alaska, California, Idaho, Illinois, Nevada and Washington. For more information, visit http://www.structured.com or call (800) 881-0962.

Press Contact:
Elisabeth Glover
The David James Agency LLC
+1 805 494-9508
elisabeth@davidjamesagency.com

PRIMARY DUTIES

• Architect complex storage and systems solutions
• Install, configure, troubleshoot and manage storage and systems technologies.
• Work with customers to identify, remediate and test solutions.
• Assist sales staff with pre-sales engineering support.
• Document designs and solutions in a clear and concise manner.

REQUIREMENTS

• 5+ years in the data management industry with storage experience as either a pre/post sales SE, technical project manager or systems administrator in a large Corporation (500+ employees).
• Experience in the configuration, deployment and support of  Hitachi Enterprise storage, (USP, USP V or USP VM) and Hitachi modular storage, (AMS1000, AMS2x00)
• Experience in the configuration, deployment and support of  NAS storage solutions (i.e., HNAS, NetApp, BlueArc).
• Experience in the configuration, deployment and support of back-up technologies – hardware and software (i.e., Symantec NetBackup, CommVault, Quantum, IBM).
• Experience with complex Microsoft Active Directory deployments/migrations, as well as experience with virtualization technologies, such as VMware.
• Technical Project Management skills.
• Detailed knowledge of multiple operating systems platforms, including Windows and Linux/Unix with the ability to install, configure, manage and troubleshoot primary storage and back-up technologies.
• Ability to communicate at all levels of an organization from end-user to senior management about both business and IT needs.
• Experience translating business requirements into functional/technical specifications.
• Excellent troubleshooting, problem resolution, and customer management skills.
• A range of major vendor certifications preferred; MCSE, VCP, and/or SNIA a plus.
• Travel within the Chicago metropolitan area is required.

COMPENSATION
Our organization provides a full compensation package that facilitates development and growth.  The benefits package includes medical, dental, vision, group life and AD&D insurance, and long and short-term disability coverage and 401(k).  We also provide training on mutually agreed upon professional goals through a combination of self-study courses, formal training, and on-the-job training.  Obtaining industry based certifications is highly encouraged.

Salary based on experience and certifications.

PRIMARY DUTIES

• Design, install, configure, troubleshoot and manage security and networking solutions.
• Support and provide knowledge transfer to clients.
• Assist sales staff with pre-sales technical support.
• Document designs and scope projects in a clear, concise and accurate manner.

REQUIREMENTS

• Minimum 5 – 7 years consulting or industry experience with IT security and networking technologies.
• Expert knowledge of TCP/IP, routing protocols, LAN, WAN and Transport Technologies including MPLS and 802.1X, Firewalls and IDP systems.
• Working knowledge of UNIX/LINIX and significant experience with VOIP and other network intensive protocols, load balancing and bandwidth optimization technologies.
• Significant experience with technologies from the following manufacturers: Juniper, Cisco, Check Point.
• Significant field experience and expert knowledge of data networking and IP technologies including VRRP, GLB, VLAN configuration, Spanning-tree, NAT, 802.1q, 802.1x.
• Ability to communicate at all levels of an organization from end-user to senior management about both business and IT needs.
• Experience translating business requirements into functional/technical specifications.
• Excellent project management, project scoping, troubleshooting, problem resolution, documentation and customer management skills required.
• Juniper certifications in addition to a range of major vendor credentials, is preferred.
• Ability and desire to travel within Pacific Northwest and other destinations for short to medium term projects is required.

COMPENSATION

Structured provides a full compensation package that facilitates development and growth.  Our benefits package includes medical, dental, vision, group life and AD&D insurance, and long and short-term disability coverage and 401(k).  We also provide training on mutually agreed upon professional goals through a combination of self-study courses, formal training, and on-the-job training.  Obtaining industry based certifications is highly encouraged.

Salary based on experience and certifications.

So, why aren’t more companies doing it? What are the barriers to a virtual desktop infrastructure rollout?

Of course, a major infrastructure change isn’t easy to accomplish – even the decision-making process takes a while. Even though the business case is clear, there are a number of reasons why some organizations are hesitating to move forward with desktop virtualization.

Below are the three main challenges to VDI adoption, as well as ways to overcome them:

1. A high capital expenditure is necessary: Implementing virtual desktops is not a decision to be taken lightly. The investment is not small, and you’ll have to provide a solid business case. But, the discipline necessary for justifying the investment will make the upside clear to your company’s executives.

2. You’ll have to deal with non-standard applications: End-users download and install all kinds of software that hasn’t been tested against your corporate image … and only a small portion of them are actually approved. Whether you migrate to a new operating system with or without virtualization, you’ll have to deal with this problem, but in the virtual environment, you can actually implement a solution.

3. There are considerations about accountability: Moving to virtual desktops may require a shift in who “owns” different aspects of your server, storage and desktop environments. There isn’t a technology solution to this problem, but you can get past it with solid planning that is communicated to everyone involved.

There are two ways to increase your company’s revenue and boost the bottom line. You can excel at winning new clients and make additional sales to increase revenues. Or you can cut costs. Ideally, most businesses will look for a combination of the two. Cloud computing can help to accomplish this.

Cloud computing allows you to take advantage of hardware and software as a service. Rather than buying the equipment and making space for a server room – and, of course, hiring an IT staff dedicated to maintaining that equipment – your company can backup data offsite without sacrificing its availability. With a secure infrastructure, password-protected access, and optimized resources in a managed cloud solution, you can be sure that the data you need is available when you need it.

Similarly, with software as a service, cloud computing makes it easy for your staff to access email, documents, data, and reports on the go – all via a secure, web-based login. Whether traveling for a client meeting, working with a team in another location, or telecommuting, the cloud can ensure that your staff are working as effectively as if they were in the office.

Additionally, this sort of mobile access allows company executives and staff to handle everything from inventory tracking to project management to customer relationship management from the office and on the road. Security can be managed easily, and maintaining the equipment doesn’t require additional space or additional staff.

In other words, when you take your business to the cloud – whether for hardware or software as a service (or a combination of the two) – you will find that you are able to increase the access that your staff have to information that they need – allowing them to excel and drive sales. You’ll also discover that your staffing and equipment needs decrease. As a result, you will find that you are able to:

* Maximize the return on your IT investments
* Increase utilization of your current IT technology
* Enhance the lifespan of existing server equipment
* Integrate data storage and access from a variety of platforms

Increasing your company’s capabilities will allow you to keep pace with your competitors. Decreasing costs will allow you to budget effectively; turning to the cloud allows you to devote resources to product development rather than to maintaining your company’s IT.

By turning to the cloud with the help of a solution provider like IBM, you will be able to ensure that your resources are as efficient as possible, reduce the risks of turning to the cloud by relying on a secure infrastructure, and – ultimately – reduce the costs associated with IT at your organization.

Growth is something that most businesses strive for. In order to accomplish it, however, you’ll need to have the right systems in place. Having a scalable IT solution like the one NetApp provides is one part of this equation.

Your company’s IT architecture should allow you to:

1. Simplify backups so that you know that your records are up to date, your staff is on board, and downtime is minimized.

2. Support testing and development efforts. Some tools are available for one operating system and not another. Web design work needs to be tested across numerous browsers and on a variety of platforms. Virtualization allows you to create all of the scenarios that need to be addressed on a single machine.

3. Improve storage efficiency with server virtualization so that you are able to use the tools you have rather than adding another server to the rack each time that you need more space or access to additional software.

4. Simplify recovery by ensuring that your data is stored securely and is available when you need it – whether you are in the office, on the production line, or in an airport on your way to a client meeting.

Opportunities present themselves in various ways. Being able to quickly pull up data, run comparisons related to two different approaches, and test products on a range of platforms will ensure that you’re ready to take action – and that you’re making the choices that best support your business goals.

As needs and the demands on your business change, will you be prepared to act? The right IT architecture – and support – will ensure that you’re ready and positioned to grow your organization.