hybris, a provider of multichannel commerce and communication software has today announced, as part of its UK channel development programme, that it is partnering with Midlands-based Eclipse Group, a specialist in designing, developing and supporting IT systems for a broad range of customers from mid-size through to large multinationals.
The new agreement will bring together Eclipse’s well established systems integration and Java-based software development skills, together with hybris’ proven, agile B2B and B2C multichannel platforms.
Since forming in 1996, Eclipse Group has built a strong team of over 200 IT specialists across their UK and Polish offices. Eclipse has, created its own agile business applications development team, with applications now being used within companies in the logistics, manufacturing, automotive and retail sectors. This strong pedigree is important to hybris’ plans to expand into new vertical markets with experienced partners. In March, the company announced that it is now partnering with 11 of the 12 leading commerce providers named in Forrester Research’s Wave Report on Global Commerce Service Providers.
Frank Schoutissen, Vice President Channel at hybris, said: “Eclipse Group demonstrates the skill and expertise that we are looking for in our partners. The successful implementation of a commerce platform requires a broad knowledge, not just of the technology involved, but also how this technology will be used to deliver a first-class service to customers and integrate with all other systems utilised by the client. This depth of knowledge is evident in the quality of Eclipse’s customers, and the systems it has developed internally, or with partners prior to integration. We are very excited about the opportunities that this affords hybris.”
Eclipse has been appointed as a hybris Silver partner and will focus on UK-based customers. One additional advantage to the new partnership is that Eclipse has an active customer hosting and support service, which hybris’ believes will appeal to customers who prefer a third-party to manage the systems.
Steve Carter, Managing Director, Eclipse Group, said: “Part of our business strategy is to continually look to develop new relationships with leading technology partners and hybris fits our approach perfectly. Our clients have one need in common: to invest in IT solutions which offer flexibility and add value to their businesses. As a leading and innovative player in the eCommerce market, our partnership with hybris will allow us to combine our strengths and empower our clients to make the right business decisions quickly. We are enthused and excited by the prospect of working closely with hybris and we are sure the partnership will be a great success.”
FACTFILE:
hybris is a vendor of next generation end-to-end multichannel commerce software based on a single platform including managed and hosting services. Its clear vision about the need for consistency, coordination and personalization of information across all channels and throughout all phases of the customer lifecycle has resulted in the development of an integrated, agile solution enabling businesses to communicate and sell across all channels – online and offline - in a consistent and effective way. hybris has 14 offices around the world located in the economic capitals of North & South America, Europe and Asia and supports over 380 global customers.
Customers are brands from retail and manufacturing industries, including: Bobcat, Clarks, Coca Cola Beverages, Conrad, Grundfos, Hornbach, Iomega, Kaiser+Kraft, Levi´s, Lufthansa, Migros, Nespresso, Nikon, P&G, Rexel, Timberland and Toys´R´Us.
Monday, 2 April 2012
That's Entertainment News: Vision247™ solves time delay issues for live progr...
That's Entertainment News: Vision247™ solves time delay issues for live progr...: • Ensures over the top (OTT) internet streaming is viable for time-sensitive channels like news, ...
Sunday, 1 April 2012
That's Business: Chancellor Launches Google Campus In East London's...
That's Business: Chancellor Launches Google Campus In East London's...: Chancellor of the Exchequer the Rt. Hon. George Osborne MP recently launched Google Campus, a seven storey co-working and events space in th...
Splunk Granted U.S. Patent for Innovative Time-Series Search Engine Technology
Splunk® Inc., a leading provider of software for real-time operational intelligence, has announced the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued Splunk a patent for its pioneering technology that organises, indexes, searches and presents time-series data.
Most data that organisations generate comes from the machines and applications powering their networks, servers and operations. This data, which typically takes the form of time-series events, is highly diverse, variable, and voluminous. It can be difficult to process in a timely manner. Splunk’s latest patent covers methods, apparatus, and computer programs for time stamping, indexing, searching and presenting analytics results from this data.
"Machine data is one of the largest and fastest-growing segments of the Big Data universe,” said Erik Swan, co-founder and CTO of Splunk. “The ability to harness this data is no longer a ‘nice to have’ luxury; it’s mission-critical. When we started Splunk, we set out to make current and historical machine data easily accessible by IT and business users. To do this, we came up with a unique way to time stamp, index, search, analyse and present results in real-time.”
Swan added, “Every modern organisation, large and small, generates enormous volumes of machine data. Before Splunk software, it was difficult to manage this data effectively. Now we’re seeing customers not just manage their machine data, but innovate with it. They’re finding new ways to glean business insights and gain a competitive advantage.”
Splunk's technology has been granted U.S. Patent No. US 8,112,425 B2. This is Splunk’s second patent. In 2011, Splunk was issued a patent for organising and understanding machine data through use of a "machine data web." The inventions included in these patents help power Splunk® Enterprise™ 4.3, the company’s flagship software for collecting, indexing and harnessing machine data.
FACTFILE:.
Splunk® Inc. provides the engine for machine data™. Splunk software collects, indexes and harnesses the massive machine data continuously generated by the websites, applications, servers, networks and mobile devices that power business.
Splunk software enables organisations to monitor, search, analyse, visualise and act on massive streams of real-time and historical machine data. In excess of 3,300 enterprises, universities, government agencies and service providers in more than 75 countries use Splunk Enterprise to gain operational intelligence that deepens business understanding, improves service and uptime, reduces cost and mitigates cybersecurity risk. To learn more, please visit www.splunk.com/company.
Thursday, 29 March 2012
That's Business: Review 2011 of the French e-commerce customer expe...
That's Business: Review 2011 of the French e-commerce customer expe...: Since 2009, YUSEO surveys each year the French e-commerce market through the customer experience i...
Tuesday, 27 March 2012
Crossbeam Survey: 94% of IT Personnel Identify Network Security as No. 1 Reason for Stalled Next Generation Data Centre Deployments
A new survey results from Crossbeam identify network security as the number one reason IT organisations are stalled in their efforts to transition to cost- and energy-efficient Next Generation Data Centres (NGDCs). The survey polled 529 IT professionals within large global enterprises and service provider organisations to understand how far along they are in transitioning traditional data centres to the NGDC model.
NGDCs are an evolution of the data centre in which virtualisation and other technologies are deployed to create an environment that is more dynamic, efficient and flexible, allowing organisations to easily scale and respond to changing business requirements. However, according to survey findings, among the three main technology areas of the data centre – application servers, storage infrastructure and network security – network security has not only become the greatest obstacle to the NGDC evolution, it is bringing many NGDC efforts to a halt.
According to the findings:
• 94 per cent of respondents cite network security as the top reason why NGDC deployments are stalled, with virtually no progress anticipated in the next 12-18 months.
• More than 40 per cent of respondents say that network security is the biggest obstacle to the successful deployment of NGDCs. This is compared to storage and application servers, which received merely 15 per cent and 14 per cent of the responses respectively.
The survey research note, a copy of which can be downloaded here, explains a key driver behind this problem is that network security technology remains mired in a “last generation data centre” approach, due largely to a lack of understanding of how to virtualise network security infrastructure as well as budgetary constraints.
“Organisations need to adopt a virtualisation strategy that enables network security infrastructure to be as dynamic as the rest of the environment, or they will wind up with many of the same cost and complexity problems that plague traditional data centres,” said Michelle Bailey, research vice president for IDC’s Enterprise Platforms and Datacentre Trends. “While virtualising network security is still a relatively new concept, it is clear that IT organisations need to be making investments in the right expertise and technologies if they want to avoid repeating the security mistakes of the past.”
“For all the documented efficiencies and green benefits of the NGDC, virtualised environments are much more fluid by nature, which opens the potential for threats due to the ease with which applications and data can be moved around,” said Jim Freeze, chief marketing officer of Crossbeam. “IT organisations realise that bringing network security into the NGDC must be a priority. Yet the survey results reveal a troubling lack of progress.”
To learn more about Next Generation Data Centres and to download a copy of the survey research note, please visit http://www.crossbeam.com/solutions/next-generation-data-cent....
Brian Robertson, Crossbeam’s product marketing manager, discusses the research findings in his blog titled Survey Results: Crossbeam Customers Closer to their Security Vision in the Next Generation Data Centre.
To register for one of Crossbeam’s upcoming NGDC Summits worldwide, visit http://www.crossbeam.com/ngdc-road-show/.
FACTFILE:
Crossbeam Systems®, Inc. offers a proven approach to deploying network security that meets the extreme performance, scalability and reliability demands of large enterprises, service providers and government agencies. Its leading X-Series security platform offers an open, high-performance architecture that easily provisions and scales multiple best-in-class security applications to meet the ever-changing threat landscape. Companies rely on Crossbeam to intelligently manage risk, accelerate and maintain compliance, and protect their businesses from evolving threats. Crossbeam is headquartered in Boxborough, Mass., and has offices in Europe, Latin America and Asia Pacific. More information is available at http://www.crossbeam.com.
NGDCs are an evolution of the data centre in which virtualisation and other technologies are deployed to create an environment that is more dynamic, efficient and flexible, allowing organisations to easily scale and respond to changing business requirements. However, according to survey findings, among the three main technology areas of the data centre – application servers, storage infrastructure and network security – network security has not only become the greatest obstacle to the NGDC evolution, it is bringing many NGDC efforts to a halt.
According to the findings:
• 94 per cent of respondents cite network security as the top reason why NGDC deployments are stalled, with virtually no progress anticipated in the next 12-18 months.
• More than 40 per cent of respondents say that network security is the biggest obstacle to the successful deployment of NGDCs. This is compared to storage and application servers, which received merely 15 per cent and 14 per cent of the responses respectively.
The survey research note, a copy of which can be downloaded here, explains a key driver behind this problem is that network security technology remains mired in a “last generation data centre” approach, due largely to a lack of understanding of how to virtualise network security infrastructure as well as budgetary constraints.
“Organisations need to adopt a virtualisation strategy that enables network security infrastructure to be as dynamic as the rest of the environment, or they will wind up with many of the same cost and complexity problems that plague traditional data centres,” said Michelle Bailey, research vice president for IDC’s Enterprise Platforms and Datacentre Trends. “While virtualising network security is still a relatively new concept, it is clear that IT organisations need to be making investments in the right expertise and technologies if they want to avoid repeating the security mistakes of the past.”
“For all the documented efficiencies and green benefits of the NGDC, virtualised environments are much more fluid by nature, which opens the potential for threats due to the ease with which applications and data can be moved around,” said Jim Freeze, chief marketing officer of Crossbeam. “IT organisations realise that bringing network security into the NGDC must be a priority. Yet the survey results reveal a troubling lack of progress.”
To learn more about Next Generation Data Centres and to download a copy of the survey research note, please visit http://www.crossbeam.com/solutions/next-generation-data-cent....
Brian Robertson, Crossbeam’s product marketing manager, discusses the research findings in his blog titled Survey Results: Crossbeam Customers Closer to their Security Vision in the Next Generation Data Centre.
To register for one of Crossbeam’s upcoming NGDC Summits worldwide, visit http://www.crossbeam.com/ngdc-road-show/.
FACTFILE:
Crossbeam Systems®, Inc. offers a proven approach to deploying network security that meets the extreme performance, scalability and reliability demands of large enterprises, service providers and government agencies. Its leading X-Series security platform offers an open, high-performance architecture that easily provisions and scales multiple best-in-class security applications to meet the ever-changing threat landscape. Companies rely on Crossbeam to intelligently manage risk, accelerate and maintain compliance, and protect their businesses from evolving threats. Crossbeam is headquartered in Boxborough, Mass., and has offices in Europe, Latin America and Asia Pacific. More information is available at http://www.crossbeam.com.
Excel Wins Award for a Second Year Running
The Network Computing Awards, which took place on 22nd March in London, have been running for 6 years and are particularly meaningful as they are voted for by the readers of Network Computing magazine - the people who use the products every day. They were set up to recognise the companies, products and services in the industry that have most impressed the readers.
Excel beat off stiff competition from Brand-Rex (runners up), TE Connectivity (formerly Krone), Belden, Nexans, Panduit and Systimax to take the award for a second year.
Andrew Percival, Managing Director, says, “Winning Cabling Supplier of the Year for a second year is a great achievement and we’re very thankful for all those that voted for us.” Andrew continued “Back in October 2011 we decided to give the Excel brand a complete re-fresh which not only improved the look and feel of the system but has really helped to position Excel as a leading player in the market place. Winning accolades such as the Network Computing award helps to reinforce this message and further demonstrates the considerable strength of the system.”
The award was collected on the evening by the Directors of Sales for the North and South, Ian Irving and John Twidell respectively.
For details on Excel visit www.excel-networking.com.
Revelation Software Announce the Release of OpenInsight Version 9.3.1
Revelation Software Limited] are pleased to announce the availability of the latest release of OpenInsight (OI). OI version 9.3.1 provides Revelation's OI developers with a number of enhancements and new features to further increase their productivity and to also enhance their end-user's experience.
The main highlights of this new release include:
OpenInsight for Web (O4W 1.3) - This latest version of O4W includes additional integration with the new Banded Report Writer, new support routines for RSS feeds and a brand new 'ad hoc' report builder. In addition, the release includes a number of additional mobile enhancements such as a mobile specific menu and report output. Through O4W's integration with jQuery Mobile (the companion library to O4W's jQuery), web pages can be created using "finger friendly" user interface elements and design.
OpenInsight for QM (OI4QM) - The OI4QM data connector enables MultiValue application developers to fully utilise the QM database from Ladybridge Systems Limited. Using this dedicated data connector, Windows GUI and Web 2.0 interfaces can be quickly created without any change being required to an existing QM database.
"With this latest release, we're proving our commitment to our Revelation and MultiValue community", said Mike Ruane, President/CEO Revelation Software, "They asked us for a connection to QM from Ladybridge, and we listened. Our users also gave us a list of enhancements and suggestions for the Banded Report Writer, and we've taken care of them as well."
Also included in the OI 9.3.1 release are a number of patches and enhancements for the Banded Report Writer, Table Builder, and Database manager.
"Mobile computing is an essential requirement for any application development", said Robert Catalano, Director of Sales, Revelation Software. "We are empowering the MultiValue community with one of the best mobile computing toolkits on the market that is affordable, familiar to MV developers, and connects to their existing database with no change."
OpenInsight Development Suite 9.3.1 is available from Revelation Software, or through their network of resellers.
The main highlights of this new release include:
OpenInsight for Web (O4W 1.3) - This latest version of O4W includes additional integration with the new Banded Report Writer, new support routines for RSS feeds and a brand new 'ad hoc' report builder. In addition, the release includes a number of additional mobile enhancements such as a mobile specific menu and report output. Through O4W's integration with jQuery Mobile (the companion library to O4W's jQuery), web pages can be created using "finger friendly" user interface elements and design.
OpenInsight for QM (OI4QM) - The OI4QM data connector enables MultiValue application developers to fully utilise the QM database from Ladybridge Systems Limited. Using this dedicated data connector, Windows GUI and Web 2.0 interfaces can be quickly created without any change being required to an existing QM database.
"With this latest release, we're proving our commitment to our Revelation and MultiValue community", said Mike Ruane, President/CEO Revelation Software, "They asked us for a connection to QM from Ladybridge, and we listened. Our users also gave us a list of enhancements and suggestions for the Banded Report Writer, and we've taken care of them as well."
Also included in the OI 9.3.1 release are a number of patches and enhancements for the Banded Report Writer, Table Builder, and Database manager.
"Mobile computing is an essential requirement for any application development", said Robert Catalano, Director of Sales, Revelation Software. "We are empowering the MultiValue community with one of the best mobile computing toolkits on the market that is affordable, familiar to MV developers, and connects to their existing database with no change."
OpenInsight Development Suite 9.3.1 is available from Revelation Software, or through their network of resellers.
Satellite and SES continue their growth path in Europe
SES has announced that satellite has become the leading TV infrastructure in Europe, ahead of terrestrial and cable reception.
Approximately 84 million European households have satellite (Direct-to-Home, DTH) as their primary TV reception mode, an increase of 22 percent over the last four years. In the same period, terrestrial TV lost nearly 16 million homes, while cable TV lost over 2 million. IPTV - the TV distribution over tele-communication networks in IP format - has grown from a very low level to some 16 million households.
These are the results of the year-end Satellite Monitor that SES presents annually and that is based on primary research in 35 European and North African countries. The study is based on more than 62,000 interviews, conducted by leading market research institutes under the lead of TNS Infratest, Germany.
The main growth markets for satellite in 2011 were the UK, Germany, Ukraine, Poland and Italy. The main growth drivers are the development of digital reception and High Definition (HD). Satellite today is the leading digital infrastructure, reaching nearly 44 percent of all 186 million digital TV homes in Europe. The digitalisation rate of satellite is 97 percent, compared to 70 percent in terrestrial reception and 48 percent in cable.
The new study that SES presented today in London also shows that ASTRA is extending its position in the European markets. Around 142 million TV households are served by ASTRA, 7 million more than the year before and 25 million more than four years ago. More than half of the European TV homes (57 percent) receive their signals from ASTRA. 73 percent of all European satellite homes are ASTRA households, a total of 62 million. As a leader of digitalisation and High Definition (HD), ASTRA is also the leading HDTV platform in Europe. Over 23 million of the total 29 million satellite HD households in Europe are ASTRA households. The ASTRA Satellite System transmits 267 HD channels.
Worldwide, SES broadcasts in excess of 1200 HD channels on its fleet of 50 satellites and reaches 258 million TV households.
"This success confirms our view that satellite reception is the most attractive and future-proof mode for households to watch TV", said Norbert Hölzle, Senior Vice President Commercial Europe, in London. "The trend in Germany, where satellite overtook cable for the first time in history, is confirmed in the UK as well as in Europe overall, where satellite outgrew the other reception modes. The number and variety of channels, the quality of the broadcast, and the large reach of satellite remain compelling arguments for households to decide for a satellite dish.
Approximately 84 million European households have satellite (Direct-to-Home, DTH) as their primary TV reception mode, an increase of 22 percent over the last four years. In the same period, terrestrial TV lost nearly 16 million homes, while cable TV lost over 2 million. IPTV - the TV distribution over tele-communication networks in IP format - has grown from a very low level to some 16 million households.
These are the results of the year-end Satellite Monitor that SES presents annually and that is based on primary research in 35 European and North African countries. The study is based on more than 62,000 interviews, conducted by leading market research institutes under the lead of TNS Infratest, Germany.
The main growth markets for satellite in 2011 were the UK, Germany, Ukraine, Poland and Italy. The main growth drivers are the development of digital reception and High Definition (HD). Satellite today is the leading digital infrastructure, reaching nearly 44 percent of all 186 million digital TV homes in Europe. The digitalisation rate of satellite is 97 percent, compared to 70 percent in terrestrial reception and 48 percent in cable.
The new study that SES presented today in London also shows that ASTRA is extending its position in the European markets. Around 142 million TV households are served by ASTRA, 7 million more than the year before and 25 million more than four years ago. More than half of the European TV homes (57 percent) receive their signals from ASTRA. 73 percent of all European satellite homes are ASTRA households, a total of 62 million. As a leader of digitalisation and High Definition (HD), ASTRA is also the leading HDTV platform in Europe. Over 23 million of the total 29 million satellite HD households in Europe are ASTRA households. The ASTRA Satellite System transmits 267 HD channels.
Worldwide, SES broadcasts in excess of 1200 HD channels on its fleet of 50 satellites and reaches 258 million TV households.
"This success confirms our view that satellite reception is the most attractive and future-proof mode for households to watch TV", said Norbert Hölzle, Senior Vice President Commercial Europe, in London. "The trend in Germany, where satellite overtook cable for the first time in history, is confirmed in the UK as well as in Europe overall, where satellite outgrew the other reception modes. The number and variety of channels, the quality of the broadcast, and the large reach of satellite remain compelling arguments for households to decide for a satellite dish.
The factual growth of satellite and ASTRA in the digital world confirms their leading role. It puts us in a strong position to compete with other networks and combine our strengths with DSL and broadband reception. The combination of both in the connected TV will be the best of all possible worlds for the TV viewer."
SES is a world-leading satellite operator with a fleet of 50 geostationary satellites. The company provides satellite communications services to broadcasters, content and internet service providers, mobile and fixed network operators and business and governmental organisations worldwide.
SES stands for long-lasting business relationships, high-quality service and excellence in the broadcasting industry. The culturally diverse regional teams of SES are located around the globe and work closely with customers to meet their specific satellite bandwidth and service requirements.
SES (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG) owns and operates the ASTRA Satellite System. It holds participations in Ciel in Canada and QuetzSat in Mexico, as well as a strategic participation in satellite infrastructure start-up O3b Networks.
SES is a world-leading satellite operator with a fleet of 50 geostationary satellites. The company provides satellite communications services to broadcasters, content and internet service providers, mobile and fixed network operators and business and governmental organisations worldwide.
SES stands for long-lasting business relationships, high-quality service and excellence in the broadcasting industry. The culturally diverse regional teams of SES are located around the globe and work closely with customers to meet their specific satellite bandwidth and service requirements.
SES (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG) owns and operates the ASTRA Satellite System. It holds participations in Ciel in Canada and QuetzSat in Mexico, as well as a strategic participation in satellite infrastructure start-up O3b Networks.
Monday, 26 March 2012
Point to Point Puts NATS on Flight Path to Success
Point to Point restores enthusiasm for NATS future workspace vision
Desktop, application and virtualisation specialists, Point to Point, have just announced the successful completion of a discovery project which will enable National Air Traffic Service (NATS) to move to a new virtualised desktop environment. NATS enlisted the help of Point to Point for the discovery portion of the project through the deployment of a slimmed down desktop virtualisation system designed to illustrate the tangible benefits of virtualisation to senior management.
NATS is a leader in air traffic management, providing air traffic control services for 15 major airports covering UK and eastern North Atlantic airspace. NATS was looking to improve the IT user experience by introducing greater flexibility and remote working facilities, while also future-proofing the IT environment to support the business’ growth ambitions.
Gavin Walker, Head of Information Solutions for NATS, comments: “We have 6000 employees across the organisation including operational, technical and general office workers, who all have varied user profiles in relation to their use of IT. Operational staff do not have dedicated desks, phones or PCs, but they do need access to IT services for general admin tasks. Technical engineering and development teams work across multiple sites and need remote access. The business also has an ambitious growth strategy, which includes expansion into new international regions, the introduction of new services and partners, and possible M&As. Therefore the ability to scale at a fast pace was also a key requirement.”
After careful consideration of the technologies available, NATS recognised that desktop virtualisation, which allows remote access to the corporate network from anywhere at any time, would be the right solution. Additionally, it was vital that the technology could be delivered through the cloud to enable the company to scale as and when required. The project would also include providing a connection to a role based computing view with integrated Identity Management to help the company deploy services and applications based on user profiling to further improve the user experience.
NATS started working with Point to Point in November 2011 and has now completed the planning and discovery stage of the project. Point to Point conducted a thorough examination of NATS IT environment, which involved testing applications, assessing the company’s long-term business plans and profiling the user-base to ensure the technologies suggested would be compatible with the IT environment.
Walker comments: “Point to Point worked very closely with us making site visits, talking to our staff, and didn’t just rely on empirical evidence to understand how we work. The discovery work was superb. Point to Point made it very clear what was achievable and what wasn’t, and presented us with various options along with supportive information outlining the different paths we could take. There was no pressure to choose one specific vendor or technology, they just gave us the pros and cons for each.”
Point to Point was also able to deliver a scaled down version of the planned desktop virtualisation system with Office 2010 called ‘Springboard’. Springboard was rolled out to 100 people across the organisation including the CEO and most of the executive team. “Getting stakeholder investment can be a challenge as IT is seen to be taking money away from the bottom line. Springboard helped us to demonstrate immediate results and provided an indication of what the system would be able to do once in place - and people have been raving about it! It has got the team enthusiastic about the project again which is fantastic.”
FACTFILE:
Established in 1992, Point to Point has been a Citrix partner since the 1990s and was one of the first Platinum Partners in the UK. Today, Point to Point is totally vendor independent and will give customers an informed but impartial view on their desktop and application strategy. It is involved in developing an organisation’s application and desktop management strategy and depending on the outcome, technology implementation may or may not be involved in the solution.
The Point to Point team is highly skilled and qualified. Over the years Point to Point has been first to market via a number of large-scale deployments involving desktop and application virtualisation, including the first mission critical Citrix implementation in Europe, which developed to also become the largest implementation in Europe.
Point to Point has the customer proof points to support its assertions and can demonstrate the value it delivers to organisations, including household names such as: Premier Foods, St James Place, Surrey Police, Easyjet, and Rabobank to name but a few.
To find out more please visit the Point to Point website at: www.ptop.co.uk. Or follow them on Twitter:
NATS is the UK’s major provider of Air Traffic Management (ATM) services, handling 2.1 million flights in 2010, covering the UK and eastern North Atlantic. NATS provides air traffic control from centres at Swanwick, Hampshire and Prestwick, Ayrshire. NATS also provides air traffic control services at 15 of the nation's major airports including Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow, together with air traffic services at Gibraltar Airport. NATS was the first ATM provider in the world to set an environmental target to reduce CO2 emissions for aircraft under its control by an average 10% per flight by 2020.
NATS is also the first ATM provider to develop and implement an environmental measure as part of its regulatory framework. The UK/Ireland Functional Airspace Block, established in 2008 as part of the Single European Sky initiative, has already delivered more than €43m in fuel savings and expects to deliver savings in terms of fuel burn and delay reduction exceeding €300 million by 2020. NATS has tested the “perfect flight” in which every element of the journey – from pushback, taxi and continuous climb to an optimised flight profile and continuous descent approach – was calibrated to achieve minimal emissions and delay, saving around 11% of the normal fuel burn. Raising the TA will provide more opportunity for this to be replicated in normal operations.
Desktop, application and virtualisation specialists, Point to Point, have just announced the successful completion of a discovery project which will enable National Air Traffic Service (NATS) to move to a new virtualised desktop environment. NATS enlisted the help of Point to Point for the discovery portion of the project through the deployment of a slimmed down desktop virtualisation system designed to illustrate the tangible benefits of virtualisation to senior management.
NATS is a leader in air traffic management, providing air traffic control services for 15 major airports covering UK and eastern North Atlantic airspace. NATS was looking to improve the IT user experience by introducing greater flexibility and remote working facilities, while also future-proofing the IT environment to support the business’ growth ambitions.
Gavin Walker, Head of Information Solutions for NATS, comments: “We have 6000 employees across the organisation including operational, technical and general office workers, who all have varied user profiles in relation to their use of IT. Operational staff do not have dedicated desks, phones or PCs, but they do need access to IT services for general admin tasks. Technical engineering and development teams work across multiple sites and need remote access. The business also has an ambitious growth strategy, which includes expansion into new international regions, the introduction of new services and partners, and possible M&As. Therefore the ability to scale at a fast pace was also a key requirement.”
After careful consideration of the technologies available, NATS recognised that desktop virtualisation, which allows remote access to the corporate network from anywhere at any time, would be the right solution. Additionally, it was vital that the technology could be delivered through the cloud to enable the company to scale as and when required. The project would also include providing a connection to a role based computing view with integrated Identity Management to help the company deploy services and applications based on user profiling to further improve the user experience.
NATS started working with Point to Point in November 2011 and has now completed the planning and discovery stage of the project. Point to Point conducted a thorough examination of NATS IT environment, which involved testing applications, assessing the company’s long-term business plans and profiling the user-base to ensure the technologies suggested would be compatible with the IT environment.
Walker comments: “Point to Point worked very closely with us making site visits, talking to our staff, and didn’t just rely on empirical evidence to understand how we work. The discovery work was superb. Point to Point made it very clear what was achievable and what wasn’t, and presented us with various options along with supportive information outlining the different paths we could take. There was no pressure to choose one specific vendor or technology, they just gave us the pros and cons for each.”
Point to Point was also able to deliver a scaled down version of the planned desktop virtualisation system with Office 2010 called ‘Springboard’. Springboard was rolled out to 100 people across the organisation including the CEO and most of the executive team. “Getting stakeholder investment can be a challenge as IT is seen to be taking money away from the bottom line. Springboard helped us to demonstrate immediate results and provided an indication of what the system would be able to do once in place - and people have been raving about it! It has got the team enthusiastic about the project again which is fantastic.”
FACTFILE:
Established in 1992, Point to Point has been a Citrix partner since the 1990s and was one of the first Platinum Partners in the UK. Today, Point to Point is totally vendor independent and will give customers an informed but impartial view on their desktop and application strategy. It is involved in developing an organisation’s application and desktop management strategy and depending on the outcome, technology implementation may or may not be involved in the solution.
The Point to Point team is highly skilled and qualified. Over the years Point to Point has been first to market via a number of large-scale deployments involving desktop and application virtualisation, including the first mission critical Citrix implementation in Europe, which developed to also become the largest implementation in Europe.
Point to Point has the customer proof points to support its assertions and can demonstrate the value it delivers to organisations, including household names such as: Premier Foods, St James Place, Surrey Police, Easyjet, and Rabobank to name but a few.
To find out more please visit the Point to Point website at: www.ptop.co.uk. Or follow them on Twitter:
NATS is the UK’s major provider of Air Traffic Management (ATM) services, handling 2.1 million flights in 2010, covering the UK and eastern North Atlantic. NATS provides air traffic control from centres at Swanwick, Hampshire and Prestwick, Ayrshire. NATS also provides air traffic control services at 15 of the nation's major airports including Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow, together with air traffic services at Gibraltar Airport. NATS was the first ATM provider in the world to set an environmental target to reduce CO2 emissions for aircraft under its control by an average 10% per flight by 2020.
NATS is also the first ATM provider to develop and implement an environmental measure as part of its regulatory framework. The UK/Ireland Functional Airspace Block, established in 2008 as part of the Single European Sky initiative, has already delivered more than €43m in fuel savings and expects to deliver savings in terms of fuel burn and delay reduction exceeding €300 million by 2020. NATS has tested the “perfect flight” in which every element of the journey – from pushback, taxi and continuous climb to an optimised flight profile and continuous descent approach – was calibrated to achieve minimal emissions and delay, saving around 11% of the normal fuel burn. Raising the TA will provide more opportunity for this to be replicated in normal operations.
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