Can you fool your users?

For most companies, 'user acceptance' is the true litmus test of whether or not a new product will be purchased. But do you think you could deploy a new product that impacts the user without telling them? That's exactly what CNP construction did.

CNP decided that they would deploy Riverbed Steelhead appliances in the branch office without telling its users. As written on the Zycko web site: Head of IT at CNP Richard Seear comments: "We ran several users on the new system and didn't tell them that we'd changed servers, just to see whether the phone would ring - it didn't."

At the end of the day, this enables CNP to avoid putting larger and larger servers in the branch office and regional data centers. Instead, they can focus on more strategic projects such as new applications, better planning, and cost cutting initiatives.

What about you? Have you been able to consolidate infrastructure? What have the results been for your organization?