SmartSquare outsources on demand with IBM Global Services
Posted: 13 October 2003
The business expertise and consulting centre for the UAE
signs outsourcing technology agreement with IBM
SmartSquare, a Zayed University initiative empowered by IBM that
provides world-class business information, consulting and technology
delivery facilities to organisations in the UAE, has completed implementation
of a “business best-practice” model of outsourced, on
demand technology services in conjunction with IBM Global Services.
SmartSquare is hosting its business consultancy Web portal, data
management, messaging, collaboration and IT infrastructure at the
joint IBM/eHosting DataFort hosting centre, allowing it to dramatically
reduce the complexity of managing and running its technology systems,
and allowing it to focus on its core business, providing an accessible
source of knowledge and business solutions to all sizes of organisations
in the UAE.
SmartSquare can now benefit from the security, reliability and
24x7 availability provided by IBM, where it can use the latest technology
for its business systems, but only has to manage its desktop PC
user environment for its internal office tasks, and for the software
development that it carries out.
In a project that started in late 2002, SmartSquare began planning
for the implementation of its server infrastructure, along with
associated web and collaboration services, using an outsourced technology
model. Applications hosted include Lotus Domino and Notes collaboration,
as well as systems management, wireless services and firewalling.
“SmartSquare is a national centre for intellectual development,
and the study of ways to improve business methods and processes.
We are primarily an organisation devoted to knowledge and expertise
– developing methods and practices, developing new forms of
software.
It makes no sense for us to spend valuable resources, both physical
and financial, to implement server and application infrastructure
in-house. The cost is extremely high, and distracts us from our
core activities. We developed an outsourcing model with the help
of IBM Global Services that gives us the functionality, security
and performance we need, without the massive capital and ongoing
costs of machines, software and IT support staff,” said Ulrich
Lang, Centre Manager for SmartSquare.
The hosting centre hosts applications for data management, messaging,
collaboration and Web services, running the Windows 2000 operating
system, IBM Lotus Domino, and Apache. This allows SmartSquare to
develop its Web portal to provide a dynamic online resource that
further allows for the development of a dynamic, online intellectual
capital database for Zayed University and the business community
of the UAE.
SmartSquare only has to handle the day-to-day support of its staff’s
desktop PCs, while Computer Assist (an IBM partner) provides ongoing
support for the Domino collaboration systems.
“Acceptance of the business model for outsourcing technology
infrastructure is gaining ground in the Middle East. While it requires
a leap of faith by organisations that their critical business systems’
availability, functionality and – above all – security
will be as good, or better, than having their IT systems in house,
the business benefits of outsourcing are simply overwhelmingly compelling,”
said Mariana Kruger, Business Manager for eHosting Outsourcing Services,
IBM Global Services. “SmartSquare is a think-tank to build
a stronger UAE, embodying the most progressive thinking in business
planning.
Outsourcing its technology to IBM clearly shows that SmartSquare
is willing to live by what it says: that technology outsourcing
works, and makes good business sense.”
Posted by Richard Price,
Editor Pipeline Magazine
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