Data Pro grows its business with Intel-based server offerings

As one of South Africa`s leading ISP`s, Data Pro Business Online has positioned itself to provide hardware and services specifically for the medium-sized enterprise. To this end, the company has designed a range of Intel-based servers, provided by Intel distributor AXiZ, to cater for companies with five users and upwards.

"We have standardised on Intel products for our `Fire Series` of server solutions because we have faith in the brand, and this is critical to our confidence in providing solutions to our customers," says Doug Reed, managing director at Data Pro. "We have put a massive investment into the ISP side of our business, and to support this will only sell top branded products to our customers."

Boasting an impressive server farm in its Johannesburg head office, based on Intel platformsand a Lucent Core switched backbone, Data Pro is structured across five operating divisions. "The Connectivity division is the core and provides the platform for Internet access, VPNs, Application Hosting, Web Hosting and specialised Dial Up and International networking solutions," says Reed. "The Web, iCommerce Technical and System Sales divisions complement the networking division to provide a complete business to business e-commerce solution."

Data Pro has strengthened its Systems Sales with the Fire Series, which is available on a financed, outsourced/rental basis. Ranging from the "Firefly", which is an analogue Internet solution using Microsoft Small Business Server on a powerful Intel server. The "Spitfire" offers an ISDN solution, also on an Intel server, and the "Surefire" provides a 64K digital Internet option. All options are available with affordable monthly rentals. The Surefire rental starts at R3295 per month, for the full service, leased line, access devices and server.

All systems are based on high-end Intel Pentium III processors, with upgrade possibilities to dual processing power. Standard memory is 128MB, with a 9.1GB SCSI hard drive for storage. The Fire series is based on the Intel L440GX+ server board, and are manufactured under ISO9002 and SABS standards at AXiZ` assembly facility, MTO (Made to Order).

"Data Pro`s existing list of customers shows the success of our formula," Reed points out. The list includes the Dawn Group, RealMedia, Mica, Liberty Life, Osram, and Tarsus. Data Pro also designed and hosts popular auction website, Aucor. "We offer technology solutions that provide business benefit, on the best hardware platforms that are available," says Reed.

"Our relationship with Data Pro has grown over the years and is currently developing extremely well in the server area," says Ryan Steadman, server product manager at AXiZ. "Data Pro has shown faith in the Intel server platforms that we provide, we are delighted to see this bear fruit in the form of the Fire series."

Data Pro is a subsidiary of Control Instruments and has comprehensive national coverage with over 40 leased line points of presence countrywide, supported by offices in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.