Datacraft strengthens global services network with new STARtrac centres

In an aggressive step to expand its global service business, Datacraft Asia - Dimension Data`s Asian subsidiary - has opened new state-of-the-art network management centres in Japan, Korea and New Zealand.

The new centres, also known as STARtrac (STAR Technical Response and Assistance Centre), replicate and expand the capabilities offered by Datacraft`s original STARtrac centre in Singapore and complement those offered by Dimension Data in Australia, South Africa, Europe, South America and, soon, the US.

The operations centres utilise Dimension Data`s unique Global Services Operating Architecture (GSOA), which provides the operating systems platform for the Group`s online services initiatives. The GSOA is a complex eco-system consisting of commercial, industry-standard software tools, in-house software and application-to-application integration modules which allow all the various system components to interact as a single system.

The new STARtrac centres can therefore offer Dimension Data`s over 100 Global Services covering the full spectrum of the Group`s operations.

According to Bruce Watson, chief executive, Dimension Data network services, all Datacraft`s operations centres will be linked to Dimension Data`s network operations centres around the world to provide the world`s first global services network.

"As more and more companies move from traditional business models into the e-commerce world, their need for technology assistance and outsourced network services becomes more critical," says Koh See Heong, Datacraft`s chief operating officer and Director of Services.

"We understand such concerns, which is why we are moving rapidly to address their networking demands as well as their need to outsource their network management. The setting up of new operations centres throughout Asia Pacific is integral in delivering quality services to our customers, wherever they are."

The three new centres in Japan, Korea and New Zealand are linked to the main operations centre in Singapore and are equipped with sophisticated facilities such as 24-hour helpdesk, call centre and remote network monitoring which support the Group;s Global Service offerings. These include products like Insite, a tiered service offering basic network monitoring to complete facilities management. Network event and fault management extends from reactive services through to complete, proactive engineering services.

"The complexity of managing today`s information networks and lack of skilled IT professionals are driving companies in New Zealand to outsource their network management," explains Mark McHugh, MD of Datacraft New Zealand.

"As the demand mounts rapidly in the country, the launch of the operations centre is opportune in helping us capture a lion`s share of this new emerging market and meet customers` demand for local specialised IT support."

In Japan the opening of the operations centre, with its ability to provide 24-hour proactive support, has enabled Datacraft to join other Dimension Data regional operations in achieving Cisco Systems` prestigious Certified Gold Partner certification, which is awarded to channel partners with the highest standard of sales and support.

"The operations centre in Japan has the unique ability to provide telephone support services in both Japanese and English. This effectively removes any language barrier our customers may face when they outsource their network management to Datacraft," says Yoshimoto Uemura, President of Datacraft Netwave in Japan.

The launch of STARtrac in Korea has also enabled Datacraft to address the growing demands of its Korean customers for real-time, online network management services and support on a 24x7 basis.

Managed by highly qualified and certified service engineers, the Dimension Data-designed operations centres offer a wide selection of advanced real-time, proactive network management services which help optimise companies` network performance and availability. These range from basic monitoring to extensive predictive analysis and reporting, through to complete facility management including security services.

Using its fully automated Customer Services Management System, Dimension Data`s global network services incorporate on-line fault tracking, remote diagnosis and fault resolution without disrupting customers` mission-critical networks, ensuring consistent service delivery to multinational clients. In addition, customers can access the global services` secure web portal to check on their network status and performance in real time. Where on-site technical assistance is required, the company also guarantees on-site response within four hours in most cities in Asia Pacific.