DiData improves Engen`s network, office automation platform

Dimension Data is upgrading Engen Petroleum`s southern African local area network (LAN) environment to become Microsoft Windows 2000-centric. Although this major project still has six months to run, the oil giant is already experiencing significant benefits.

Back-end management benefits include standardisation, an easily upgradeable infrastructure, managed software distribution and up-to-date virus protection at all times.

In order for Engen, a vastly distributed organisation, to manage its IT infrastructure it needed a tightly controlled solution, manageable from a central location.

"Engen needed to reduce operational support costs and deliver a better service to their user base," says Peter du Plooy, Chief Information Officer, Engen Petroleum Ltd. "It also needed a solution that would facilitate efficient access to Engen`s applications, including SAP R/3."

The oil company chose IT infrastructure integrators Dimension Data Enterprise Systems to design a centrally controlled IT office automation platform that was easily supported yet agile enough to adapt to a changing business landscape. The solution consisted of a combination of Compaq server and desktop hardware, Microsoft operating and management systems, and Citrix Terminal Server technologies.

"Support queries from users with PCs that have already been upgraded are down 33%," says Andries van der Vyver, eBusiness Manager, Engen Petroleum Ltd. "The entire file and print environment is more stable, and we are able to enforce usage policies more easily. For example, users can no longer install their own software so cannot corrupt their PC environments, nor introduce viruses."

The first phase of the project was delivery of business critical applications to remote users in SA`s rural areas, as well as Botswana, Lesotho Swaziland and Namibia.

"We have reduced desktop support costs in these regions," says Du Plooy. "By replacing PCs with less expensive Windows terminals, we reduced capital expenditure and application roll-out costs. New applications now only need to be packaged once, and not at every desktop."

According to Doug Nel, Account Manager, Dimension Data Network Services Western Cape, user efficiency was also improved due to the enhanced performance of the applications delivered by the Terminal Server solution.

The next phase of the solution involved implementing a system to efficiently manage the remaining desktop PCs throughout the organisation.

"Engen needed a management system for intelligent software distribution, software and hardware auditing, helpdesk functionality and desktop lockdown through policy management," says Nel. "We recommended a combination of Microsoft`s System Management Server (SMS), Compaq`s Insight technology for desktop hardware management and Windows 2000 Active Directory for policy-based lockdown."

The solution has reduced support costs and remarkably improved desktop application roll-out time.

Windows 2000 has been rolled out as the core server backbone for the Active Directory services, TCP-IP management and file and print services. The Active Directory is already being used as the user information repository and will be extended as more applications take advantage of the Active Directory.

The Windows 2000 platform will be rolled out to the desktop environment during the second half of this year to leverage more of the benefits offered by a combined Windows 2000 server and desktop platform.

Since Windows 2000 forms the foundation of Microsoft`s .NET architecture, Engen is ideally positioned to leverage its infrastructure investment by designing a solution based on the Microsoft .NET principles.

Van der Vyver says users will realise further benefits when the company`s existing operating system is removed as the project is completed towards the end of the year. In the meantime, the back-end environment is already benefiting.

"We have standardised much of our environment," he says. "We have also introduced network protection and now have an infrastructure that is easily upgradeable. We are able to distribute software efficiently, and our virus protection stays up to date.

"Dimension Data has helped Engen achieve its immediate goal of implementing a more manageable network and office automation infrastructure that will reduce the total cost of ownership of the IT investment."

Commenting on the project, Geoff ten Oever, partner manager at Microsoft SA says: "To take advantage of business opportunities, Engen required a technology infrastructure that can readily respond to changing market forces, deliver high reliability, efficient management, ease of use, and that supports the latest advances in networking hardware. Microsoft`s Windows 2000 is the most comprehensive and integrated platform for building and deploying applications. Working with Dimension Data, Engen is already experiencing the benefits of this technology."