9.1 What this chapter is about This chapter describes a case study from one of our clients. In this case study, you learn about the best practices employed to plan, implement, and support the enterprise-wide deployment of an enhanced messaging and collaboration software platform. This initiative was recently undertaken by a global financial services firm in partnership with IBM. The key concepts for the initiative include: The importance of identifying specific business objectives related to a deployment, where significant value can be measured in business terms How the IBM Software Services group can be used to meet deployment goals The benefits of establishing global software configuration standards Server platform selection and how it can affect deployment architecture Considerations for heritage platform co-existence and data migration Real world deployment challenges and how they can be addressed Why a comprehensive education and communications plan is critical for success Software deployment package design and quality control testing Accelerated product enhancements using user feedback and collaborative