Johannesburg, 08 Jul 2004
An outsourcing agreement held with Artec Computer Systems has helped leading motor industry supplier Webasto to find peace of mind with its technology infrastructure.
Webasto, a supplier of sunroofs, air-conditioning and heating equipment to the motor industry, turned to Artec a little over two years ago to help gain stability in its IT infrastructure. Highly dependent on its technology, yet jaded by the lack of performance from its previous technology partner, the company initially employed Artec`s support services on an ad hoc basis. Berenice February, systems administrator at Webasto, says while the services provided by Artec provided excellent value, it was the company`s commitment to providing value that led Webasto to seek a full outsource contract.
"Webasto has grown exceptionally quickly in the last five years and Artec has proved that not only can they keep pace with our needs, but can bring value to the table in terms of new technology that we may not otherwise have considered," she says.
The past two years have resulted in substantial technology upgrades for the company with its e-mail server moving from external hosting to an onsite Microsoft Server 2003 implementation, and a managed network which has been put in place to link its three main branches: Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.
Andrew Tucker, CEO of Artec, says the company has helped Webasto to focus on its business instead of its technology downtime.
"Webasto is currently running at an uptime of 98%, the network speed is considerably higher, IT costs are down, end-users are happier and the business is reaping the benefits of escalating efficiency. Our focus at Webasto is not solving problems, it`s anticipating any issues and ensuring the company never feels the effect of them," he says.
February agrees: "As an example, in the two years that Webasto has been with Artec we have never had a virus issue. In a business environment viruses can cause critical and protracted downtime which we just cannot afford. Regular reports from Artec show activity performed on the system, with any problems that have been averted. We`re pleased that most of the time we are completely unaware of the issues until we see the report."
Tucker attributes the company`s success with Webasto to Artec`s strong client focus and high quality technical skills. "As a Microsoft Gold Partner we have access to the latest technology, we use this together with our understanding of our clients needs and are thus able to present them with optimal solutions which suit, or even anticipate, their needs. At the end of the day technology is there to drive business - we aim to ensure that our clients get the best fit."
Share