Options IT is a leading provider of private financial cloud services to more than 120 investment banks, broker dealers, proprietary trading firms, and traditional and alternative investment management firms across Europe, North America and Asia.
Business need:
Provide clients with a hosted market data and trade execution service that offers ultra-low latency connectivity and high throughput systems performance to enable them to act quickly on small changes in price and maximize profit.
Solution:
Options IT deployed new blade servers in its global data center locations to support flexible, scalable private cloud capabilities within its proprietary Options PIPE platform.
Benefits:
Enabled Options IT to provide a custom-built, private cloud computing model for its clients, establishing the PIPE platform as a competitive staple for financial institutions. The PIPE Private Financial Cloud makes it possible for Options IT’s clients to respond rapidly to emerging opportunities in the fast-moving global capital markets system.
Case Study
Options IT is a leading provider of private financial cloud services to more than 120 investment banks, broker dealers, proprietary trading firms, and traditional and alternative investment management firms across Europe, North America and Asia.
Empowering its clients to overcome shrinking margins
During the last several years, increased automated trading volumes and thinner spreads on international stock exchanges had been driving transaction volumes up and per-trade profit margins down for trading firms. Options IT wanted to offer its clients an optimized low-latency market data and connectivity service so they could quickly capitalize on small movements in price and improve trading profit margins.
Transforming IT architecture to offer a flexible, scalable solution
Using IBM systems technology, Options IT deployed new blade servers in its global data center locations to support private cloud capabilities. Branded as the Options PIPE Private Financial Cloud services platform, these private cloud computing capabilities can facilitate rapid strategy deployments to ensure rapid response to emerging opportunities in the fast-moving global capital market system. The PIPE platform architecture reduces management costs, lowers energy impact and increases scalability for the technology provider. PIPE clients are able to make IT costs an operational expense rather than a capital expenditure, which removes the risk associated with IT ownership, management and maintenance. Clients are able to focus on their service delivery and business objectives.
Integrating the system architecture to accommodate rapid changes in demand
To help deliver the performance, agility and cost-efficiency that clients demand, the PIPE Private Financial Cloud is based on a versatile, redundant hardware infrastructure. The environment includes embedded Ethernet and fabric switches, power supplies and cabling, and a single management console for all systems. This integrated system architecture and consolidated management interface significantly simplifies system administration.
When a client requires more capacity, Options IT can easily plug an additional compatible blade server into an existing chassis in any one of its 18 global data centers, immediately integrating the server with the existing platform. The rapid expansion of the PIPE platform enables the provider to deliver high levels of performance at very short notice.
Paul Bryant, CTO of Options IT says, “The cross-compatibility is excellent; we can run a mixture of different blades within a single chassis without any issues, and we can move workload from one blade to another... As a result, it’s possible for us to meet very precise client requirements as and when they arise, without having to embark on periodic hardware replacement projects.”
High-security, high-performance computing power
In order to deliver the required performance and responsiveness, the Options PIPE platform is built on a highly versatile hardware infrastructure leveraging IBM BladeCenter servers. These systems are accessed via high-quality, low-latency private circuits, providing both excellent performance and a high level of security.
Automating the delivery of new services
Beyond simply adding physical capacity to the PIPE platform, Options IT can also rapidly meet its clients’ changing performance needs by being able to add or remove system capacity and service diversity on-demand.
When a client requires connectivity to a new market or a new trading application through its PIPE Velocity service, Options IT is able to quickly provision the services on the PIPE platform. Velocity provides an ultra-low latency market-data, connectivity and application-hosting service for all major markets across North America, Europe and Asia.
Changing the game by providing high performance trading technology services in the private cloud
The PIPE Velocity service provides clients with a fully optimized ultra-low latency market data and application hosting service for firms executing high frequency trading strategies. Velocity, like all Options PIPE services, is delivered as a private cloud solution. So when a client sees an opportunity, Options IT can help them exploit it quickly.
“The PIPE platform helped us meet demanding deadlines for go-live of our new strategy area,” says the CTO of a U.S. hedge fund manager. “Instead of trying to build the IT infrastructure ourselves we are using a proven platform that already had the characteristics we needed - many of which would otherwise have been outside the project budget.”
Becoming an operational staple for clients seeking a competitive advantage
Options IT helps its clients take advantage of global trading opportunities that previously may have been out of reach due to lack of technology agility or resources. By leveraging a specialized, private cloud computing platform for their most demanding technology requirements, financial institutions can gain a competitive advantage through improved responsiveness and lower IT costs.
“Our partnership with IBM makes a significant contribution to our ability to deliver the levels of service that our clients need,” comments Bryant. “The flexibility and manageability provided by the IBM BladeCenter platform is very important, helping us to provide new systems rapidly and manage them efficiently.”
Designed for Data
A single management console within the systems greatly simplifies systems management, while the cross-compatibility of the solution makes it possible for Options IT to run several different blades within a single chassis or move workload between blades to meet specific clients’ needs with no issues.
Tuned to the Task
Additional capacity can be added in minutes with automated provisioning of network and processor resources.
Managed in the Cloud
The Options PIPE platform is built on a highly secure, versatile hardware infrastructure leveraging IBM BladeCenter servers. Capacity can be adjusted on demand, enabling Options IT to rapidly meet client’s fluctuating needs.
Driving Innovation
Service-level and performance-based offerings enable end-clients to focus on their service delivery and business objectives and not IT management and maintenance.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Freie Universität Berlin
Working in close collaboration with other institutions, researchers at this university used a massively improved computing environment to create a solution that enables rapid identification of certain cancers so patients can be alerted and treated earlier
Freie Universität Berlin is a leading research institution. It is one of nine German universities successful in all three funding lines in the federal and state Excellence Initiative, thereby receiving additional funding for its institutional future development strategy. The university’s performance in the Excellence Initiative has provided funding for several new graduate schools and transdisciplinary research clusters. Freie Universität Berlin is a member of the IBM Academic Initiative.
Business need:
Researchers at Freie Universität Berlin and MATHEON, both world-class German research institutions, sought better methods for analyzing human blood proteins as a means of detecting diseases earlier than was previously possible. Their focus: cancer. Their general approach: proteomic pattern diagnostics, a relatively new method for the early detection, surveillance and monitoring of diseases through the identification of disease-specific proteomic “fingerprints”—roughly, specific, abnormal mixtures of proteins in the blood.
Solution:
By working closely with mathematicians and other collaborators, computer scientists at the university created a solution enabling scientists to analyze 12,000 patient records in real time—each comprising roughly 2.5 GB of data—at a rate approximately 250 times faster than they had before. The solution analyzes and compares samples of healthy and diseased individuals by applying statistical algorithms that help identify disease-specific features of proteome profiles. When moved to a clinical setting, doctors and their patients will get more test results and more precise diagnoses—faster.
Benefits:
-Increased the speed of analyzing patient records by 250 times -Allowed scientists to examine 12,000 2.5 GB patient records in real time -Detected and validated new “fingerprints” for bladder, kidney and pancreatic cancers—a result that, according to the university’s clinical partners, would not have been possible using current blood-testing techniques -Lent a boost to the search for earlier and less aggressive cancer therapies that have a positive impact on a patient’s quality of life and prognosis, as compared with existing treatments
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Case Study
Freie Universität Berlin is a leading research institution. It is one of nine German universities successful in all three funding lines in the federal and state Excellence Initiative, thereby receiving additional funding for its institutional future development strategy. The university’s performance in the Excellence Initiative has provided funding for several new graduate schools and transdisciplinary research clusters. Freie Universität Berlin is a member of the IBM Academic Initiative.
The Opportunity
Researchers at Freie Universität Berlin and MATHEON, both world-class German research institutions, sought better methods for analyzing human blood proteins as a means of detecting diseases earlier than was previously possible. Their focus: cancer. Their general approach: proteomic pattern diagnostics, a relatively new method for the early detection, surveillance and monitoring of diseases through the identification of disease-specific proteomic “fingerprints”—roughly, specific, abnormal mixtures of proteins in the blood.
What Makes It Smarter
One of the primary challenges in proteomics is dealing with the immense data sets involved in comparing and mapping proteins at a speed that will help save lives. By working closely with mathematicians and other collaborators, computer scientists at the university created a solution enabling scientists to analyze 12,000 patient records in real time—each comprising roughly 2.5 GB of data—at a rate approximately 250 times faster than they had before. The solution analyzes and compares samples of healthy and diseased individuals by applying statistical algorithms that help identify disease-specific features of proteome profiles. When moved to a clinical setting, doctors and their patients will get more test results and more precise diagnoses—faster.
Real Business Results
- Increased the speed of analyzing patient records by 250 times
- Allowed scientists to examine 12,000 2.5 GB patient records in real time
- Detected and validated new “fingerprints” for bladder, kidney and pancreatic cancers—a result that, according to the university’s clinical partners, would not have been possible using current blood-testing techniques
- Lent a boost to the search for earlier and less aggressive cancer therapies that have a positive impact on a patient’s quality of life and prognosis, as compared with existing treatments
Freie Universität Berlin is a leading research institution. It is one of nine German universities successful in all three funding lines in the federal and state Excellence Initiative, thereby receiving additional funding for its institutional future development strategy. The university’s performance in the Excellence Initiative has provided funding for several new graduate schools and transdisciplinary research clusters. Freie Universität Berlin is a member of the IBM Academic Initiative.
Business need:
Researchers at Freie Universität Berlin and MATHEON, both world-class German research institutions, sought better methods for analyzing human blood proteins as a means of detecting diseases earlier than was previously possible. Their focus: cancer. Their general approach: proteomic pattern diagnostics, a relatively new method for the early detection, surveillance and monitoring of diseases through the identification of disease-specific proteomic “fingerprints”—roughly, specific, abnormal mixtures of proteins in the blood.
Solution:
By working closely with mathematicians and other collaborators, computer scientists at the university created a solution enabling scientists to analyze 12,000 patient records in real time—each comprising roughly 2.5 GB of data—at a rate approximately 250 times faster than they had before. The solution analyzes and compares samples of healthy and diseased individuals by applying statistical algorithms that help identify disease-specific features of proteome profiles. When moved to a clinical setting, doctors and their patients will get more test results and more precise diagnoses—faster.
Benefits:
-Increased the speed of analyzing patient records by 250 times -Allowed scientists to examine 12,000 2.5 GB patient records in real time -Detected and validated new “fingerprints” for bladder, kidney and pancreatic cancers—a result that, according to the university’s clinical partners, would not have been possible using current blood-testing techniques -Lent a boost to the search for earlier and less aggressive cancer therapies that have a positive impact on a patient’s quality of life and prognosis, as compared with existing treatments
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Case Study
Freie Universität Berlin is a leading research institution. It is one of nine German universities successful in all three funding lines in the federal and state Excellence Initiative, thereby receiving additional funding for its institutional future development strategy. The university’s performance in the Excellence Initiative has provided funding for several new graduate schools and transdisciplinary research clusters. Freie Universität Berlin is a member of the IBM Academic Initiative.
The Opportunity
Researchers at Freie Universität Berlin and MATHEON, both world-class German research institutions, sought better methods for analyzing human blood proteins as a means of detecting diseases earlier than was previously possible. Their focus: cancer. Their general approach: proteomic pattern diagnostics, a relatively new method for the early detection, surveillance and monitoring of diseases through the identification of disease-specific proteomic “fingerprints”—roughly, specific, abnormal mixtures of proteins in the blood.
What Makes It Smarter
One of the primary challenges in proteomics is dealing with the immense data sets involved in comparing and mapping proteins at a speed that will help save lives. By working closely with mathematicians and other collaborators, computer scientists at the university created a solution enabling scientists to analyze 12,000 patient records in real time—each comprising roughly 2.5 GB of data—at a rate approximately 250 times faster than they had before. The solution analyzes and compares samples of healthy and diseased individuals by applying statistical algorithms that help identify disease-specific features of proteome profiles. When moved to a clinical setting, doctors and their patients will get more test results and more precise diagnoses—faster.
Real Business Results
- Increased the speed of analyzing patient records by 250 times
- Allowed scientists to examine 12,000 2.5 GB patient records in real time
- Detected and validated new “fingerprints” for bladder, kidney and pancreatic cancers—a result that, according to the university’s clinical partners, would not have been possible using current blood-testing techniques
- Lent a boost to the search for earlier and less aggressive cancer therapies that have a positive impact on a patient’s quality of life and prognosis, as compared with existing treatments
NorthgateArinso builds a compact, energy-efficient and scalable solution
With smarter computing from IBM
NorthgateArinso™ (NGA) provides payroll and human resource services to global corporations. From hosted systems through to fully outsourced solutions, NGA offers a complete range of services to match each customer’s needs.
Business need:
NorthgateArinso needs to deliver the same impeccable level of service to clients regardless of underlying fluctuations in business volumes. Supporting multiple systems to meet varying customer needs with separate physical servers proved expensive to procure and support.
Solution:
Consolidated to an architecture based on IBM Power and IBM BladeCenter technologies. Data storage is provided by IBM System Storage DS8100 and DS4800, configured as a SAN and managed by IBM SAN Volume Controller. The entire infrastructure is controlled, monitored and managed using IBM Tivoli software.
Benefits:
The single shared infrastructure is easier to manage and more flexible in handling fluctuating workload, enabling NGA to adapt its IT response to fit the business need. The company can also follow a single set of governance policies, offering provable regulatory compliance.
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Case Study
Designed for Data
The data generated by the IBM Tivoli software is written to the Tivoli Data Warehouse, and histories are analyzed by Tivoli Common Reporting for trends and service management forecasting. The information generated by Tivoli allows NorthgateArinso to report on service delivery to customers, and to help plan likely growth in capacity needs.
Tuned to the Task
Extensive server virtualization permits simultaneous operation of three operating systems, meaning NGA no longer needs dedicated systems to run high speed applications. The company can assign each customer the most appropriate platform and processor capacity for the agreed service levels and transaction workload
Managed in the Cloud
The solution enables NGA to add instances as required and treat processors, memory, network and storage as a single resource pool; masking the complexity of the underlying components.
Driving Innovation
Leveraging Capacity on Demand agreements with IBM allows NGA the headroom to expand resources by 40 percent in the event of an unexpected surge in demand.
NorthgateArinso™ (NGA) provides payroll and human resource services to global corporations. From hosted systems through to fully outsourced solutions, NGA offers a complete range of services to match each customer’s needs.
Business challenge
Much of the transaction workload is highly time-specific. Customers, not to mention their employees, expect wage calculations and bank transfers to be completed on time, every time. Peak workload varies both predictably, such as at the end of the tax year, and unpredictably, such as during periods of high seasonal demand or temporary staffing. The NGA customers expect the same impeccable level of service delivery regardless of underlying fluctuations in business volumes.
Customers have widely varying needs: some want very fast processing of tens of thousands of employee records, some want more comprehensive analysis and human resource management services. The result is a broad range of payroll and human resources applications and databases, running in the IBM AIX, IBM i and Microsoft Windows operating environments.
In the past, supporting the multiple applications, databases and operating systems would have resulted in separate physical servers and unconnected storage devices. This architecture was expensive to procure and support, and complex dependencies made it difficult to ensure that disaster recovery, backup and archive solutions would perform as expected, raising data governance issues.
Description of solution
To manage these demands, NGA has consolidated to highly integrated primary data centers in London and Brussels, each one twinned with a failover data center. Built with integrated IBM Power and IBM BladeCenter technologies, with extensive server virtualization to permit simultaneous operation of all three operating systems. Data storage is provided by IBM System Storage DS8100 and DS4800 disk arrays, configured as a SAN and managed by IBM SAN Volume Controller (SVC). The entire infrastructure is controlled, monitored and managed using IBM Tivoli Systems Manager and related Tivoli software.
For example, an NGA application runs on the IBM i platform, providing very high speed payroll processing. Previously this would have typically required a standalone server running the IBM i operating system with dedicated storage. Now, NGA runs the IBM i operating system as a virtual server on a machine that also runs, simultaneously, IBM AIX. The NGA software makes use of existing processor, memory, network and storage infrastructure, which is itself included in the data center’s comprehensive data backup, archive and disaster recovery solution.
Using virtualization, NGA assigns each customer the most appropriate platform and processor capacity for the agreed service levels and transaction workload. At seasonal peaks such as Christmas, NGA has Capacity on Demand agreements with IBM that allow processing capacity to be added temporarily, by activating additional processors for defined periods. For example, in the UK the primary IBM Power 595 server has 17 POWER6 processors active out of a total of 24 installed, representing an instant 40 percent extra headroom if demand surges unexpectedly.
Similarly, NGA uses SAN Volume Controller as the gateway to the DS8100 and DS4800 devices, making the total storage capacity available to all systems regardless of application or operating system. SVC allows NGA to direct data to the best storage device for the task at hand, without having to make costly or time-consuming changes at the application level.
For example, benchmarking new user services only makes sense if during the test period they are configured for real-world running. Virtualization allows the processing capacity to be adjusted and high-performance disk to be allocated for test duration, and then released to the pool on completion.
Tivoli Monitoring provides a single view of performance, covering file systems, disk capacity limits, processor response and more. The data generated by Tivoli is written to the Tivoli Data Warehouse, and histories are analyzed by Tivoli Common Reporting for trends and service management forecasting. The information generated by Tivoli allows NGA to report on service delivery to customers, and to help plan likely growth in capacity needs.
Benefits
With shared processing and storage capacity, NGA has created an integrated platform that allows it to adapt its IT response to fit the business need. Multiple separate standalone servers, applications and databases have been replaced with a single shared infrastructure that is easier to manage and more flexible in managing very large swings in transaction workload.
Data governance policies and procedures, critical for a company handling payroll and personnel details for international corporations, can be imposed globally on a single architecture. NGA complies with Statement on Auditing Standards No. 70: Service Organizations (commonly abbreviated as SAS 70) and ISO/IEC 27001 Information Security Management System (ISMS) standards, much of which would be difficult in a fragmented environment.
David Gibson, Enterprise Systems Manager at NGA comments, “IBM Capacity on Demand gives us the ability to respond to customer needs from a single platform in a variety of ways. Trial Capacity on Demand allows us to add processors over a defined period to test our need for a larger base load configuration. On/Off Capacity on Demand allows us to add processors at short notice for smaller time periods, to weather the storms if required. Exception Capacity on Demand allows us to activate every processor in a disaster recovery scenario to ensure we are not held back by capacity issues at critical times. Capacity on Demand gives us a flexible way to adjust capacity at any level we choose, assigning the additional power to a specific application or to a range of virtual servers, ensuring we meet our service delivery commitments.
“The ability to run IBM i as a guest operating system has led to the resurgence of high-speed applications such as the one we use for payroll processing. We no longer need dedicated systems to run this application, and for some customers it offers the ideal solution. We can add instances in a very cost-effective manner, sharing processors, memory, network and storage, which makes it a very attractive proposition commercially.”
“Data governance is very high on our agenda, because sensitive Personal data requires that we follow the correct operational procedures. The shared services model in our data centers allows us to follow a single set of data governance and security policies across the infrastructure, offering greater ease of management and provable regulatory compliance.”
NorthgateArinso™ (NGA) provides payroll and human resource services to global corporations. From hosted systems through to fully outsourced solutions, NGA offers a complete range of services to match each customer’s needs.
Business need:
NorthgateArinso needs to deliver the same impeccable level of service to clients regardless of underlying fluctuations in business volumes. Supporting multiple systems to meet varying customer needs with separate physical servers proved expensive to procure and support.
Solution:
Consolidated to an architecture based on IBM Power and IBM BladeCenter technologies. Data storage is provided by IBM System Storage DS8100 and DS4800, configured as a SAN and managed by IBM SAN Volume Controller. The entire infrastructure is controlled, monitored and managed using IBM Tivoli software.
Benefits:
The single shared infrastructure is easier to manage and more flexible in handling fluctuating workload, enabling NGA to adapt its IT response to fit the business need. The company can also follow a single set of governance policies, offering provable regulatory compliance.
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Case Study
Designed for Data
The data generated by the IBM Tivoli software is written to the Tivoli Data Warehouse, and histories are analyzed by Tivoli Common Reporting for trends and service management forecasting. The information generated by Tivoli allows NorthgateArinso to report on service delivery to customers, and to help plan likely growth in capacity needs.
Tuned to the Task
Extensive server virtualization permits simultaneous operation of three operating systems, meaning NGA no longer needs dedicated systems to run high speed applications. The company can assign each customer the most appropriate platform and processor capacity for the agreed service levels and transaction workload
Managed in the Cloud
The solution enables NGA to add instances as required and treat processors, memory, network and storage as a single resource pool; masking the complexity of the underlying components.
Driving Innovation
Leveraging Capacity on Demand agreements with IBM allows NGA the headroom to expand resources by 40 percent in the event of an unexpected surge in demand.
NorthgateArinso™ (NGA) provides payroll and human resource services to global corporations. From hosted systems through to fully outsourced solutions, NGA offers a complete range of services to match each customer’s needs.
Business challenge
Much of the transaction workload is highly time-specific. Customers, not to mention their employees, expect wage calculations and bank transfers to be completed on time, every time. Peak workload varies both predictably, such as at the end of the tax year, and unpredictably, such as during periods of high seasonal demand or temporary staffing. The NGA customers expect the same impeccable level of service delivery regardless of underlying fluctuations in business volumes.
Customers have widely varying needs: some want very fast processing of tens of thousands of employee records, some want more comprehensive analysis and human resource management services. The result is a broad range of payroll and human resources applications and databases, running in the IBM AIX, IBM i and Microsoft Windows operating environments.
In the past, supporting the multiple applications, databases and operating systems would have resulted in separate physical servers and unconnected storage devices. This architecture was expensive to procure and support, and complex dependencies made it difficult to ensure that disaster recovery, backup and archive solutions would perform as expected, raising data governance issues.
Description of solution
To manage these demands, NGA has consolidated to highly integrated primary data centers in London and Brussels, each one twinned with a failover data center. Built with integrated IBM Power and IBM BladeCenter technologies, with extensive server virtualization to permit simultaneous operation of all three operating systems. Data storage is provided by IBM System Storage DS8100 and DS4800 disk arrays, configured as a SAN and managed by IBM SAN Volume Controller (SVC). The entire infrastructure is controlled, monitored and managed using IBM Tivoli Systems Manager and related Tivoli software.
For example, an NGA application runs on the IBM i platform, providing very high speed payroll processing. Previously this would have typically required a standalone server running the IBM i operating system with dedicated storage. Now, NGA runs the IBM i operating system as a virtual server on a machine that also runs, simultaneously, IBM AIX. The NGA software makes use of existing processor, memory, network and storage infrastructure, which is itself included in the data center’s comprehensive data backup, archive and disaster recovery solution.
Using virtualization, NGA assigns each customer the most appropriate platform and processor capacity for the agreed service levels and transaction workload. At seasonal peaks such as Christmas, NGA has Capacity on Demand agreements with IBM that allow processing capacity to be added temporarily, by activating additional processors for defined periods. For example, in the UK the primary IBM Power 595 server has 17 POWER6 processors active out of a total of 24 installed, representing an instant 40 percent extra headroom if demand surges unexpectedly.
Similarly, NGA uses SAN Volume Controller as the gateway to the DS8100 and DS4800 devices, making the total storage capacity available to all systems regardless of application or operating system. SVC allows NGA to direct data to the best storage device for the task at hand, without having to make costly or time-consuming changes at the application level.
For example, benchmarking new user services only makes sense if during the test period they are configured for real-world running. Virtualization allows the processing capacity to be adjusted and high-performance disk to be allocated for test duration, and then released to the pool on completion.
Tivoli Monitoring provides a single view of performance, covering file systems, disk capacity limits, processor response and more. The data generated by Tivoli is written to the Tivoli Data Warehouse, and histories are analyzed by Tivoli Common Reporting for trends and service management forecasting. The information generated by Tivoli allows NGA to report on service delivery to customers, and to help plan likely growth in capacity needs.
Benefits
With shared processing and storage capacity, NGA has created an integrated platform that allows it to adapt its IT response to fit the business need. Multiple separate standalone servers, applications and databases have been replaced with a single shared infrastructure that is easier to manage and more flexible in managing very large swings in transaction workload.
Data governance policies and procedures, critical for a company handling payroll and personnel details for international corporations, can be imposed globally on a single architecture. NGA complies with Statement on Auditing Standards No. 70: Service Organizations (commonly abbreviated as SAS 70) and ISO/IEC 27001 Information Security Management System (ISMS) standards, much of which would be difficult in a fragmented environment.
David Gibson, Enterprise Systems Manager at NGA comments, “IBM Capacity on Demand gives us the ability to respond to customer needs from a single platform in a variety of ways. Trial Capacity on Demand allows us to add processors over a defined period to test our need for a larger base load configuration. On/Off Capacity on Demand allows us to add processors at short notice for smaller time periods, to weather the storms if required. Exception Capacity on Demand allows us to activate every processor in a disaster recovery scenario to ensure we are not held back by capacity issues at critical times. Capacity on Demand gives us a flexible way to adjust capacity at any level we choose, assigning the additional power to a specific application or to a range of virtual servers, ensuring we meet our service delivery commitments.
“The ability to run IBM i as a guest operating system has led to the resurgence of high-speed applications such as the one we use for payroll processing. We no longer need dedicated systems to run this application, and for some customers it offers the ideal solution. We can add instances in a very cost-effective manner, sharing processors, memory, network and storage, which makes it a very attractive proposition commercially.”
“Data governance is very high on our agenda, because sensitive Personal data requires that we follow the correct operational procedures. The shared services model in our data centers allows us to follow a single set of data governance and security policies across the infrastructure, offering greater ease of management and provable regulatory compliance.”
Europe Airpost Client Reference
The successor of Aéropostale, the French aviation company Europe Airpost is as specialized in the transport of mail and in freight as the transport of passengers over medium distances, for all operators. Its method, the “Quick Change” procedure, allows cargo aircraft to be converted into comfortable passenger aircraft.
Business need:
In order to meet the demands of a growing airline, Europe Airpost realized it needed a major overhaul of its IT infrastructure. The datacenter was not organized, with a lot of cables and physical servers which presented too many points of potential failure.
Solution:
Europe Airpost selects and IBM BladeCenter solution and consolidated 70 physical servers to 8 IBM BladeCenter HS22 virtualized servers, reducing the cost of ownership of its computer resources by 60% in 2 months.
Benefits:
• Reduced the cost of ownership of its computer resources by 60% in 2 months
• Power consumption decreased from 18 KVa to 8 KVa, while computing power and storage capacity were increased
• Maintenance costs decreased by 37%
• One-half of the second computer room was freed up for office space
"We were able to reduce our administrative tasks by one half. We have reduced the license, we have reduced maintenance and… we have reduced by two-thirds in two months our TCO." - Fabrice de Biasio, Director of Information Systems, Europe Airpost
Business need:
In order to meet the demands of a growing airline, Europe Airpost realized it needed a major overhaul of its IT infrastructure. The datacenter was not organized, with a lot of cables and physical servers which presented too many points of potential failure.
Solution:
Europe Airpost selects and IBM BladeCenter solution and consolidated 70 physical servers to 8 IBM BladeCenter HS22 virtualized servers, reducing the cost of ownership of its computer resources by 60% in 2 months.
Benefits:
• Reduced the cost of ownership of its computer resources by 60% in 2 months
• Power consumption decreased from 18 KVa to 8 KVa, while computing power and storage capacity were increased
• Maintenance costs decreased by 37%
• One-half of the second computer room was freed up for office space
"We were able to reduce our administrative tasks by one half. We have reduced the license, we have reduced maintenance and… we have reduced by two-thirds in two months our TCO." - Fabrice de Biasio, Director of Information Systems, Europe Airpost
IBM BladeCenter HS22 and HS22V
Innovation comes standard
The IBM® BladeCenter® HS22 and HS22V are high-performance blade servers that offer outstanding performance for virtualization with new levels of memory capacity and CPU performance. Featuring the next generation Intel® Xeon® 5600 series processors, the HS22 and HS22V blade servers deliver a 25% performance boost over the previous generation - enabling these efficient workhorse blade servers with six-core performance at the price of yesterday's four-core servers.
These versatile blade servers can help improve the economics of your data center with up to:
17X faster performance
94% reduction in energy costs alone
97% IT footprint reduction
50% lower connectivity costs
92% fewer networking cables
In addition, unparalleled reliability features and innovative management tools that come with every BladeCenter system allows your critical applications to stay up and running longer. And with a broad portfolio of compatible chassis, blades, I/O, storage and management components, BladeCenter is a platform designed to grow with you.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Oil and Gas Industry Sees Boom in High-Tech Collaboration
The oil and gas industry has realized that keeping information flowing among its workers is key to continued flow in its pipelines.
According to a survey released today at Microsoft’s Global Energy Forum in Houston, oil and gas professionals are relying more than ever on collaboration – and real-time collaboration tools like social networking – to get their jobs done and remain competitive within their industry. The survey, conducted by Microsoft and Accenture, shows that the global nature of the oil and gas industry is driving the demand for real-time information and knowledge sharing, said Craig Hodges, Microsoft’s general manager of U.S. Manufacturing and Resources.
“Whether it’s in the same office building or across the globe, these folks have a strong need for collaboration both inside and outside of their companies,” Hodges said. “This industry is very concerned about safety and security, but these results show big progress in the area of collaboration.”
The survey of 205 professionals at oil- and gas-related companies from around the world found that nearly three-fourths are using social media tools for business collaboration, a significant increase over last year’s survey responses (62 percent). Overall, professionals are collaborating more than ever, with 34 percent reporting that they are collaborating more this year than last.
“Only 24 months ago, none of this would have been on people's radar screens,” Hodges said. “But today 84 percent of respondents said that they have the ability to contact colleagues anytime, from anyplace, on any device. To me, that's a pretty strong indicator of great momentum in adoption of these tools.”
The goal of the survey, the third annual survey commissioned by Microsoft and Accenture, was to capture what is driving increased collaboration among oil and gas professionals and determine current thinking about the business value of collaboration tools to enhance processes and workflows. Hodges said the results support industry trends and build upon the feedback from last year’s survey. They also helped identify areas where cloud services can drive collaboration and innovation.
“The industry is beginning to wake up to see the cloud as a vehicle to drive their business and increase collaboration,” he said. "Cloud computing holds enormous promise not only in accelerating the implementation and adoption of technology, but also in creating the ability for oil and gas professionals to collaborate around the world.” That means greater business agility and increased operational efficiency and profitability, he added.
As the geographical and demographic landscape of the oil and gas industry continues to evolve, the workforce will require new technologies that better connect people, data and resources across continents and supply chains, Hodges said. The energy sector faces some of the biggest management problems on the planet – wild swings in supply and demand, volatile prices, and shifting worldwide energy policies have made oil and gas exploration and production more complex than ever.
At the Global Energy Forum, Microsoft is showcasing how its products can help companies face these challenges. “Our technology toolkit is well-suited to be applied to the problems these companies face day in and day out,” Hodges said.
At the conference, companies will learn how they can use Windows Phone 7 to build applications that enable them to do business on a smartphone, for example. Microsoft Lync will be used to illustrate the benefits of unified communications and presence. And attendees will see how Microsoft StreamInsight can help companies uncover hidden patterns of data to provide insights and help solve problems.
Several Microsoft partners will talk about their experiences with Microsoft technologies. For example, a member of the board of directors at Bharat Petroleum, one of India’s largest companies, will use Lync to give a video presentation on its use of Microsoft’s unified communications tools. Shell will talk about its use of Microsoft Online Services to drive its vision for increased collaboration. And Chevron and industry standards group Energistics will showcase their experience with the Windows Azure platform and SQL Azure to utilize data more effectively.
Hodges said that the push toward unifying communications in the cloud will likely continue as oil and gas professionals becoming increasingly spread out around the world.
“Like every other industry, oil and gas companies are trying to do more with less, and it becomes even more important to move strategically and swiftly,” he said. “This is especially true in the oil and gas industries, where the availability of natural resources is constantly in flux and decision-making – often between business units spread across the globe – needs to happen swiftly. The cloud can address this need with flexibility, agility and cost efficiency.”
According to a survey released today at Microsoft’s Global Energy Forum in Houston, oil and gas professionals are relying more than ever on collaboration – and real-time collaboration tools like social networking – to get their jobs done and remain competitive within their industry. The survey, conducted by Microsoft and Accenture, shows that the global nature of the oil and gas industry is driving the demand for real-time information and knowledge sharing, said Craig Hodges, Microsoft’s general manager of U.S. Manufacturing and Resources.
“Whether it’s in the same office building or across the globe, these folks have a strong need for collaboration both inside and outside of their companies,” Hodges said. “This industry is very concerned about safety and security, but these results show big progress in the area of collaboration.”
The survey of 205 professionals at oil- and gas-related companies from around the world found that nearly three-fourths are using social media tools for business collaboration, a significant increase over last year’s survey responses (62 percent). Overall, professionals are collaborating more than ever, with 34 percent reporting that they are collaborating more this year than last.
“Only 24 months ago, none of this would have been on people's radar screens,” Hodges said. “But today 84 percent of respondents said that they have the ability to contact colleagues anytime, from anyplace, on any device. To me, that's a pretty strong indicator of great momentum in adoption of these tools.”
The goal of the survey, the third annual survey commissioned by Microsoft and Accenture, was to capture what is driving increased collaboration among oil and gas professionals and determine current thinking about the business value of collaboration tools to enhance processes and workflows. Hodges said the results support industry trends and build upon the feedback from last year’s survey. They also helped identify areas where cloud services can drive collaboration and innovation.
“The industry is beginning to wake up to see the cloud as a vehicle to drive their business and increase collaboration,” he said. "Cloud computing holds enormous promise not only in accelerating the implementation and adoption of technology, but also in creating the ability for oil and gas professionals to collaborate around the world.” That means greater business agility and increased operational efficiency and profitability, he added.
As the geographical and demographic landscape of the oil and gas industry continues to evolve, the workforce will require new technologies that better connect people, data and resources across continents and supply chains, Hodges said. The energy sector faces some of the biggest management problems on the planet – wild swings in supply and demand, volatile prices, and shifting worldwide energy policies have made oil and gas exploration and production more complex than ever.
At the Global Energy Forum, Microsoft is showcasing how its products can help companies face these challenges. “Our technology toolkit is well-suited to be applied to the problems these companies face day in and day out,” Hodges said.
At the conference, companies will learn how they can use Windows Phone 7 to build applications that enable them to do business on a smartphone, for example. Microsoft Lync will be used to illustrate the benefits of unified communications and presence. And attendees will see how Microsoft StreamInsight can help companies uncover hidden patterns of data to provide insights and help solve problems.
Several Microsoft partners will talk about their experiences with Microsoft technologies. For example, a member of the board of directors at Bharat Petroleum, one of India’s largest companies, will use Lync to give a video presentation on its use of Microsoft’s unified communications tools. Shell will talk about its use of Microsoft Online Services to drive its vision for increased collaboration. And Chevron and industry standards group Energistics will showcase their experience with the Windows Azure platform and SQL Azure to utilize data more effectively.
Hodges said that the push toward unifying communications in the cloud will likely continue as oil and gas professionals becoming increasingly spread out around the world.
“Like every other industry, oil and gas companies are trying to do more with less, and it becomes even more important to move strategically and swiftly,” he said. “This is especially true in the oil and gas industries, where the availability of natural resources is constantly in flux and decision-making – often between business units spread across the globe – needs to happen swiftly. The cloud can address this need with flexibility, agility and cost efficiency.”
Adoption of Real-Time Collaboration Technologies Continues to Grow Among Oil and Gas Professionals, According to Microsoft and Accenture Survey
Oil and gas professionals are collaborating more than they did one year ago and are adopting the use of social media tools into their daily work, according to a Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq “MSFT”) and Accenture (NYSE: ACN) survey released today at the Microsoft Global Energy Forum 2011 in Houston.
The survey of 205 professionals within international, national and independent oil- and gas-related companies found that nearly three-fourths (74 percent) are using social media for business collaboration — a significant increase over last year’s survey responses (62 percent). Public instant-messaging tools are used the most for business collaboration (38 percent, an 11 percent increase over last year), followed by internal company social networks (33 percent, a 17 percent increase over last year).
Overall, professionals are working together more than ever, with 34 percent reporting that they are collaborating more this year than in the previous year. This trend is anticipated to grow in coming years, primarily because of the aging oil and gas industry work force that must prepare its younger generation to take on leadership roles. Almost a third of respondents (31 percent) said that improved technology-driven access to information could lessen the business impact resulting from the scarcity of skills and talent stemming from the aging work force.
In addition, the global nature of the oil and gas industry is driving the demand for the ability to collaborate from anywhere, at any time, using any device for real-time information and knowledge sharing. However, this ability is often hindered by what survey respondents identified as the biggest barriers for collaboration: broken workflows that prevent information flow (47 percent) and no unified solution for knowledge sharing (45 percent).
To address these collaboration barriers, respondents identified that the following technology enhancements are needed to further a company’s success: improved timing to streamline decision-making (52 percent), improved interaction capability through any device (42 percent), and improved computing power for data analysis and computer simulation (35 percent).
“As the industry continues to expand globally with workers dispersed across multiple regions, oil and gas companies are challenged to find new, innovative ways to help employees collaborate and share information remotely, in a security-enhanced manner,” said Craig Hodges, general manager of U.S. Manufacturing and Resources at Microsoft. “The cloud is driving this business transformation, providing flexibility, agility and cost reductions to the enterprise and providing information workers with anytime, anyplace access to information, across a wide variety of connected smart devices, powered by Windows.”
“Diversification, developments in oil and gas technology, talent, and regulatory policies are just a few factors demanding oil and gas companies to make information available to their work forces and partners in a timely and efficient manner,” said Brian Miller, senior executive in the energy industry group at Accenture. “The survey results show the industry’s recognition of the strategic benefits in utilizing IT solutions such as cloud computing, enabling easier accessibility to data and knowledge sharing within a security-enhanced environment. Companies need to accelerate the implementation of these solutions to help them innovate, operate more successfully in dynamic environments, and increase their productivity and business performance.”
About Accenture
Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with approximately 211,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world’s most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. The company generated net revenues of US$21.6 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2010.
The survey of 205 professionals within international, national and independent oil- and gas-related companies found that nearly three-fourths (74 percent) are using social media for business collaboration — a significant increase over last year’s survey responses (62 percent). Public instant-messaging tools are used the most for business collaboration (38 percent, an 11 percent increase over last year), followed by internal company social networks (33 percent, a 17 percent increase over last year).
Overall, professionals are working together more than ever, with 34 percent reporting that they are collaborating more this year than in the previous year. This trend is anticipated to grow in coming years, primarily because of the aging oil and gas industry work force that must prepare its younger generation to take on leadership roles. Almost a third of respondents (31 percent) said that improved technology-driven access to information could lessen the business impact resulting from the scarcity of skills and talent stemming from the aging work force.
In addition, the global nature of the oil and gas industry is driving the demand for the ability to collaborate from anywhere, at any time, using any device for real-time information and knowledge sharing. However, this ability is often hindered by what survey respondents identified as the biggest barriers for collaboration: broken workflows that prevent information flow (47 percent) and no unified solution for knowledge sharing (45 percent).
To address these collaboration barriers, respondents identified that the following technology enhancements are needed to further a company’s success: improved timing to streamline decision-making (52 percent), improved interaction capability through any device (42 percent), and improved computing power for data analysis and computer simulation (35 percent).
“As the industry continues to expand globally with workers dispersed across multiple regions, oil and gas companies are challenged to find new, innovative ways to help employees collaborate and share information remotely, in a security-enhanced manner,” said Craig Hodges, general manager of U.S. Manufacturing and Resources at Microsoft. “The cloud is driving this business transformation, providing flexibility, agility and cost reductions to the enterprise and providing information workers with anytime, anyplace access to information, across a wide variety of connected smart devices, powered by Windows.”
“Diversification, developments in oil and gas technology, talent, and regulatory policies are just a few factors demanding oil and gas companies to make information available to their work forces and partners in a timely and efficient manner,” said Brian Miller, senior executive in the energy industry group at Accenture. “The survey results show the industry’s recognition of the strategic benefits in utilizing IT solutions such as cloud computing, enabling easier accessibility to data and knowledge sharing within a security-enhanced environment. Companies need to accelerate the implementation of these solutions to help them innovate, operate more successfully in dynamic environments, and increase their productivity and business performance.”
About Accenture
Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with approximately 211,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world’s most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. The company generated net revenues of US$21.6 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2010.
Organizations Speed Business Results With New Appliances From HP and Microsoft
HP and Microsoft Corp. today announced a portfolio of four new converged application appliances that fuse applications, infrastructure and productivity tools into a single system. These solutions help organizations optimize employee productivity and decision-making, while simplifying the delivery of applications for IT. The HP Business Decision Appliance is available now to run business intelligence services, and the HP E5000 Messaging System for Microsoft Exchange Server is planned to be available in 45 days to run messaging services. Two other appliances are expected to be available later this year.
Until now there have been two ways to deploy critical business applications: highly customized deployments that take too long or proprietary stacks of applications and infrastructure that are inherently rigid and slow to change. The result is only 32 percent of IT projects that deliver critical business applications are rated as “successful” by the organizations implementing them.
Delivering on the companies’ extended partnership announced a year ago, the new converged application appliances from HP and Microsoft are the industry’s first systems designed for IT, as well as end users. They deliver application services such as business intelligence, data warehousing, online transaction processing and messaging. The jointly engineered appliances, and related consulting and support services, enable IT to deliver critical business applications in as little as one hour, compared with potentially months needed for traditional systems. One of the solutions already offered by HP and Microsoft — the HP Enterprise Data Warehouse Appliance — delivers up to 200 times faster queries and 10 times the scalability of traditional Microsoft SQL Server deployments.4
“Customers are looking to significantly reduce implementation and decision times,” said Mark Potter, senior vice president and general manager, Industry Standard Servers and Software, HP. “With our converged application appliances, HP and Microsoft enable customers to shorten the time required to deliver information, which helps to reduce risk and cost.”
“Microsoft and HP are helping IT professionals fight their biggest foes — time and complexity,” said Ted Kummert, senior vice president, Business Platform Division, Server and Tools Business, Microsoft. “With these appliances, we’re helping to put critical business information in our customers’ hands when they need it.”
Expanding the Reach of Business Intelligence
With the HP Business Decision Appliance, HP and Microsoft have greatly reduced the time and effort it takes for IT to configure, deploy and manage a comprehensive business intelligence solution, compared with a traditional business intelligence solution where applications, infrastructure and productivity tools are not pre-integrated. This appliance is optimized for Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft SharePoint and can be installed and configured by IT in less than one hour.
The solution enables end users to share data analyses built with Microsoft’s award-winning5 PowerPivot for Excel 2010 and collaborate with others in SharePoint 2010. It allows IT to centrally audit, monitor and manage solutions created by end users from a single dashboard.
Red Wing Shoe Company, a worldwide manufacturer and retailer of premium work shoes and boots, was an early adopter of the HP Business Decision Appliance through GNet, an HP/Microsoft Frontline channel partner.
“We were intrigued by the idea that we could implement a turnkey solution that was fully integrated into our environment with minimal effort,” said Mike Cleary, director, IT Architecture and Operations, Red Wing Shoe Company. “Previously, to install all the required software and configure the components would have taken us several days. Now not only our business analysts but the broader user community can use a familiar tool, Microsoft Excel, to create and analyze data in new and unique ways.”
Scalable from midsize organizations to large enterprise environments, converged application appliances also offer HP/Microsoft Frontline channel partners such as GNet significant sales opportunities. Because the appliances are open, based on industry standards, and can be integrated into heterogeneous data centers, they are ideal offerings for channel partners.
The HP Business Data Warehouse Appliance is a data store designed for small and midsize businesses that delivers enterprise-class functionality with increased simplicity and administrator-free operation. This appliance complements the HP Enterprise Data Warehouse Appliance, which is designed for large organizations, is optimized for SQL Server 2008 R2, and was introduced in November. The HP Enterprise Data Warehouse Appliance improves data access with massive scalability and faster queries than traditional SQL Server databases. Through interoperability with the Microsoft Business Intelligence platform, customers can deliver managed business intelligence solutions to everyone in an organization.
Enterprise-Class Messaging in Hours
The new HP E5000 Messaging System for Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 is the industry’s first self-contained, preconfigured platform for Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 that delivers enterprise-class messaging to businesses of all sizes. This messaging system, which can be deployed in as little as a few hours, delivers large mailboxes at a low cost, centralized archiving and 24x7 access from any device, and it can scale as business needs grow.
Customers benefit from built-in features such as the HP Quick Deployment tool, which validates configuration and active directory permissions to enable faster implementation. In addition, compatibility between management tools such as HP Systems Insight Manager and Microsoft System Center Operations Manager, as well as support, help reduce the amount of time required to implement the solution.
To help ensure uninterrupted service, the appliance features designed-in best practices with fully redundant hardware and Database Availability Groups, a Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 feature that continuously replicates data.
Delivering on the Promise of Private Clouds
In addition to workload-specific appliances, HP and Microsoft plan to deliver the HP Database Consolidation Appliance. This appliance consolidates hundreds of databases into a single, virtual environment, providing customers with a private cloud database solution that offers self-service, on-demand scalability and dynamic elasticity with the additional control offered through an on-premises deployment.
Optimized for SQL Server 2008 R2 and Microsoft Hyper-V Cloud, the appliance will be delivered as complete, pre-installed, pretuned hardware with rapid deployment and enhanced manageability. Similar capabilities of the appliance will be offered as a reference architecture to customers who have advanced IT skills and prefer to build their own appliance with best practice guidance from HP and Microsoft.
Accelerating Business Service Delivery
HP and Microsoft will offer support and consulting services for the converged application appliances to help customers accelerate business service delivery. The services portfolios include assessment, design, proof of concept and implementation, as well as ongoing support. The services use HP and Microsoft’s expertise in delivering comprehensive, simplified solutions for data management, business intelligence, data warehouse and messaging.
Availability and Pricing
• The HP Business Decision Appliance with three years of HP 24x7 hardware and software support services is available today from HP and HP/Microsoft Frontline channel partners for less than $28,000 (ERP). Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 and Microsoft SharePoint 2010 are licensed separately.
• The HP Enterprise Data Warehouse Appliance with services for site assessment, installation and startup, as well as three years of HP 24x7 hardware and software support services, is available today from HP and HP/Microsoft Frontline channel partners starting at less than $2 million. Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Parallel Data Warehouse is licensed separately.
• The HP E5000 Messaging System with three years of HP 24x7 hardware and software support services is expected to be available in March from HP and HP/Microsoft Frontline channel partners starting at $36,000. Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 is licensed separately.
• The HP Business Data Warehouse Appliance is expected to be available in June, and the HP Database Consolidation Appliance is planned to be available in the second half of this year.
Until now there have been two ways to deploy critical business applications: highly customized deployments that take too long or proprietary stacks of applications and infrastructure that are inherently rigid and slow to change. The result is only 32 percent of IT projects that deliver critical business applications are rated as “successful” by the organizations implementing them.
Delivering on the companies’ extended partnership announced a year ago, the new converged application appliances from HP and Microsoft are the industry’s first systems designed for IT, as well as end users. They deliver application services such as business intelligence, data warehousing, online transaction processing and messaging. The jointly engineered appliances, and related consulting and support services, enable IT to deliver critical business applications in as little as one hour, compared with potentially months needed for traditional systems. One of the solutions already offered by HP and Microsoft — the HP Enterprise Data Warehouse Appliance — delivers up to 200 times faster queries and 10 times the scalability of traditional Microsoft SQL Server deployments.4
“Customers are looking to significantly reduce implementation and decision times,” said Mark Potter, senior vice president and general manager, Industry Standard Servers and Software, HP. “With our converged application appliances, HP and Microsoft enable customers to shorten the time required to deliver information, which helps to reduce risk and cost.”
“Microsoft and HP are helping IT professionals fight their biggest foes — time and complexity,” said Ted Kummert, senior vice president, Business Platform Division, Server and Tools Business, Microsoft. “With these appliances, we’re helping to put critical business information in our customers’ hands when they need it.”
Expanding the Reach of Business Intelligence
With the HP Business Decision Appliance, HP and Microsoft have greatly reduced the time and effort it takes for IT to configure, deploy and manage a comprehensive business intelligence solution, compared with a traditional business intelligence solution where applications, infrastructure and productivity tools are not pre-integrated. This appliance is optimized for Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft SharePoint and can be installed and configured by IT in less than one hour.
The solution enables end users to share data analyses built with Microsoft’s award-winning5 PowerPivot for Excel 2010 and collaborate with others in SharePoint 2010. It allows IT to centrally audit, monitor and manage solutions created by end users from a single dashboard.
Red Wing Shoe Company, a worldwide manufacturer and retailer of premium work shoes and boots, was an early adopter of the HP Business Decision Appliance through GNet, an HP/Microsoft Frontline channel partner.
“We were intrigued by the idea that we could implement a turnkey solution that was fully integrated into our environment with minimal effort,” said Mike Cleary, director, IT Architecture and Operations, Red Wing Shoe Company. “Previously, to install all the required software and configure the components would have taken us several days. Now not only our business analysts but the broader user community can use a familiar tool, Microsoft Excel, to create and analyze data in new and unique ways.”
Scalable from midsize organizations to large enterprise environments, converged application appliances also offer HP/Microsoft Frontline channel partners such as GNet significant sales opportunities. Because the appliances are open, based on industry standards, and can be integrated into heterogeneous data centers, they are ideal offerings for channel partners.
The HP Business Data Warehouse Appliance is a data store designed for small and midsize businesses that delivers enterprise-class functionality with increased simplicity and administrator-free operation. This appliance complements the HP Enterprise Data Warehouse Appliance, which is designed for large organizations, is optimized for SQL Server 2008 R2, and was introduced in November. The HP Enterprise Data Warehouse Appliance improves data access with massive scalability and faster queries than traditional SQL Server databases. Through interoperability with the Microsoft Business Intelligence platform, customers can deliver managed business intelligence solutions to everyone in an organization.
Enterprise-Class Messaging in Hours
The new HP E5000 Messaging System for Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 is the industry’s first self-contained, preconfigured platform for Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 that delivers enterprise-class messaging to businesses of all sizes. This messaging system, which can be deployed in as little as a few hours, delivers large mailboxes at a low cost, centralized archiving and 24x7 access from any device, and it can scale as business needs grow.
Customers benefit from built-in features such as the HP Quick Deployment tool, which validates configuration and active directory permissions to enable faster implementation. In addition, compatibility between management tools such as HP Systems Insight Manager and Microsoft System Center Operations Manager, as well as support, help reduce the amount of time required to implement the solution.
To help ensure uninterrupted service, the appliance features designed-in best practices with fully redundant hardware and Database Availability Groups, a Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 feature that continuously replicates data.
Delivering on the Promise of Private Clouds
In addition to workload-specific appliances, HP and Microsoft plan to deliver the HP Database Consolidation Appliance. This appliance consolidates hundreds of databases into a single, virtual environment, providing customers with a private cloud database solution that offers self-service, on-demand scalability and dynamic elasticity with the additional control offered through an on-premises deployment.
Optimized for SQL Server 2008 R2 and Microsoft Hyper-V Cloud, the appliance will be delivered as complete, pre-installed, pretuned hardware with rapid deployment and enhanced manageability. Similar capabilities of the appliance will be offered as a reference architecture to customers who have advanced IT skills and prefer to build their own appliance with best practice guidance from HP and Microsoft.
Accelerating Business Service Delivery
HP and Microsoft will offer support and consulting services for the converged application appliances to help customers accelerate business service delivery. The services portfolios include assessment, design, proof of concept and implementation, as well as ongoing support. The services use HP and Microsoft’s expertise in delivering comprehensive, simplified solutions for data management, business intelligence, data warehouse and messaging.
Availability and Pricing
• The HP Business Decision Appliance with three years of HP 24x7 hardware and software support services is available today from HP and HP/Microsoft Frontline channel partners for less than $28,000 (ERP). Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 and Microsoft SharePoint 2010 are licensed separately.
• The HP Enterprise Data Warehouse Appliance with services for site assessment, installation and startup, as well as three years of HP 24x7 hardware and software support services, is available today from HP and HP/Microsoft Frontline channel partners starting at less than $2 million. Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Parallel Data Warehouse is licensed separately.
• The HP E5000 Messaging System with three years of HP 24x7 hardware and software support services is expected to be available in March from HP and HP/Microsoft Frontline channel partners starting at $36,000. Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 is licensed separately.
• The HP Business Data Warehouse Appliance is expected to be available in June, and the HP Database Consolidation Appliance is planned to be available in the second half of this year.
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