Virtualization Helps Stoneridge Reduce Data Center Costs

Stoneridge is saving money and data center space worldwide by simplifying its IT operations with Dell PowerEdge servers supported by Dell EqualLogic Internet SCSI (iSCSI) storage area networks (SANs).

Stoneridge, Inc., headquartered in Warren, Ohio, is an independent designer and manufacturer of highly engineered electrical and electronic components, modules and systems principally for the automotive, medium- and heavy-duty truck, agricultural and off-highway vehicle markets. Stoneridge has IT presence in most of its locations in 15 countries. Dell helped the company standardize onto a centralized IT network, providing greater economy and global efficiency.

“Having Dell as our global IT supplier for servers and end-user devices enabled us to dramatically shrink our IT footprint and spend,” said Bill Johnson, Chief Information Officer, Stoneridge. “Virtualization architecture on Dell PowerEdge servers has resulted in cost savings across a range of areas, including energy and datacenter real estate.”

Using Dell PowerEdge R900 and Dell PowerEdge 2900 servers, with VMware Infrastructure 3 virtualization software. Stoneridge retired 89 percent of its active servers in the company’s main data center. Stoneridge is using Dell EqualLogic iSCSI SANs to support the virtualized server infrastructure, providing high transactional performance and scalability while simplifying management and administration.

“With the Dell EqualLogic iSCSI SANs, we can leverage our existing networks, switches, and experience and get great performance without a costly infrastructure upgrade,” Johnson said.

Stoneridge was able to consolidate IT server infrastructure by more than 50 percent, eliminating more than $1 million in server hardware and reduced recurring annual server hardware replacement costs by approximately $330,000 in 2007. Virtualization architecture on Dell PowerEdge servers also has helped reduce power use at Stoneridge’s main data center by 58 percent.

“Stoneridge is a perfect example of how Dell simplifies IT for its customers,” said Bill Rodrigues, vice president of Dell’s Corporate Business Group. “By removing cost and complexity for our customers, we are enabling them to realize significant cost savings in terms of energy, real estate, IT infrastructure and staffing costs.”