PRODUCTS

Software-defined storage
IBM Spectrum Virtualize
IBM Flash Storage

BENEFITS

Improved Servers performance – reduce power consumption
Smooth operation of the applications
Savings on capital and operational costs
Increased data transfer rate

CHALLENGES

Strengthen business process management capabilities
Increasing demands from employees, customers and suppliers
Enable greater focus on core competencies

One of the largest telecommunications providers in Greece providing inclusive mobile & fixed telephony, internet and TV solutions to its customers strengthened its IT infrastructure with IBM Storage and Software Defined solutions. As the Telco provider continued to broad its activities, the pressure mounted to digitally transform its operations by enhance the storage performance and improve user satisfaction through a simplified and unified environment. At the same time the company had to increase user productivity and improve application performance to address to the new business challenges.

Business Challenges

As a game changer in the telecommunication sector with a strong desire to take a step forward, the Telco provider wanted to improve its IT efficiency, both in order to reduce capital and operational costs and in order to create a greener infrastructure, which was one of the key projects within the company’s sustainability strategy.

In more general terms, the IT Department was also tasked with helping the company to face up to several broad business challenges, including: increasing demands from employees, customers and suppliers; the need to support new technologies; rising cost pressures; and growing competition. These challenges required the IT Services Department to strengthen its business process management capabilities, to enable greater focus on core competencies, and generally to improve the professionalism of its project management, service and delivery processes.

IBM’s Systems Division Manager for Greece and Cyprus said: “IBM’s cutting-edge technologies can prove catalytic to complete projects that accelerate digital transformation and enhance the competitiveness of Greek and Cypriot businesses. Through IBM’s state-of-the-art technologies and high-quality company services, any business can gain the speed, flexibility and high availability needed to meet future challenges.“

Solution

IBM Storage was selected from the Telco provider for the implementation of its major project, which involves the installation of the company’s new Central Storage, installation and modernization of communication with Disaster Recovery Storage, as well as the installation of central switches that serve the 780 Virtual Servers interface and 120 physical Servers with the new Central Storage.

Telco provider started working with IBM, through its silver business partner, Pylones Hellas which took care of the physical implementation.

Pylones Hellas in partnership with IBM undertook this major project, targeting to improve computer infrastructure performance and reduce power consumption by utilizing IBM Storage and Software Defined solutions across all Telco providers systems.

The implementation of the highly complex project had a duration of 7 months and the transition to new technologies was absolutely successful, ensuring the smooth operation of the applications using specialized tools and techniques.

With the Software Defined Storage solution chosen by Telco provider – utilizing IBM Spectrum Virtualize, IBM Virtual Storage Center and IBM Flash Storage – implemented in collaboration with Pylones Hellas, has seen an improvement in the performance of Servers by 50% -70%, capacity savings using real-time compression techniques, while storage management time decreased by 80%. Furthermore, the data transfer rate from Storage to the systems has increased at least twice.

Benefits

Accelerate storage performance

The significant business benefits derived from this solution include the increase of storage performance, improvement of user satisfaction through a simplified and unified environment, acceleration of user productivity, and improvement of application performance. Additionally, the total cost of acquiring, maintaining and managing the storage infrastructure is reduced through ease of use.

Energy consumption and a total cost reduction

At the same time, the immediate response to the company’s new business needs was achieved. Data Center is expected to save space by 80% compared with the old system, a 65% reduction in energy consumption and a total cost reduction of € 3.3 million over a five-year period.

“This investment is another step forward for us in the digital era. We implemented many changes in the company over the past few years to this direction and this project was expected to deliver significant technological, financial, ecological and business results. We are very pleased with the way the project was evolved and we are confident for the benefits that will bring to our organization, customers and partners.” said Telco’s provider IS Operation & Program Office Director.