Infovu installs complete IT solution at PSG Channel Group

Network integrator, Infovu, has installed a total IT solution for PSG Channel Group Limited, an employee benefit organisation, comprising a 3Com Local Area Network (LAN), data-telephone and power cabling, automatic fire protection and an Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS). The installation is worth an estimated R340, 000 and is aimed at creating efficiency and increasing productivity, service levels and profitability.

The IT solution was installed at the head office of PSG Channel Group, a member of the listed PSG Group, which offers services such as merchant banking, asset management, unit trusts and life assurance. PSG Channel is an employee benefits group, which employs a team of highly skilled and experienced fund administrators that manage a range of retirement products. Each of these cater for a different investor profile, and enables individual investors to participate to varying degrees depending on their lifestyles and needs.

"The PSG Channel Group is a new company and we needed to install a comprehensive IT infrastructure, in order to place us one step ahead of competitors who still have to upgrade or replace old and archaic systems," says Gerhard du Plessis, PSG`s IT manager. "We live in a global market, so we needed to set up the company with leading edge technology in order for us to be seen as a global player."

Due to PSG`s sophisticated networking needs, 3Com`s SuperStack II 3300 switches were used for the LAN because of their high speed capabilities and reliability, explains Du Plessis.

The 3Com switches connect 81 workstations and 4 servers to the network, enabling the sharing of resources, information, the Internet, control back-up and storage database.

"The switches allow for the integration of existing equipment with new equipment and also cater for future Giga Byte upgrading, which enables PSG to upgrade at any time, without having to acquire additional hardware," says Du Plessis. "There is a demand for increased bandwidth and 3Com`s 3300 switches allow for substantial growth within the PSG Channel Group over the next ten years.

"Due to the competitive nature of the employee benefits market, PSG needs to be IT intensive and demands an IT infrastructure that can support Sungard`s Omniplus Employee Benefits Administration system, which we have installed, enabling us to participate in global and on-line trading."

Du Plessis goes on to say that the availability of video conferencing plays an integral part within the communication structure of the organisation. "The nature of our business demands constant meetings from management that are done both locally and internationally via video conferencing," he adds. "Voice and video are usually susceptible to time delay but using 3Com`s 3300 switches, real time voice, data and video enabled communications is possible."

Du Plessis points out that by converging voice, video and data, PSG is able to substantially reduce communications, operations and network management expenses while increasing the bandwidth available to support new applications that require different types of data transmissions.

"Our Group`s open plan office environment also required a sophisticated custom built reeled cabling system with Category 5 specifications because alternative cabling systems have fixed points or power poles which could not provide the required flexibility," he says. "The new system provides the Group with the flexibility to move individual workstations anywhere on the floor without interfering with other workstations, which is possible using cabling saturation (flood wiring) every 3 meters with reeled cabling that provides elastic spirals containing data, telephone and power to each workstation."

He goes on to say that the custom built cabling system is practical because when a workstation is not in use,the spiral can be clipped off from the workstation and reeled up to the roof until future usage is required. The flexible network installation was certified by MOD-TAP, according to international standards. "To ensure the safety of the installed technology infrastructure, Ionisation Combustion gas detectors, capable of detecting fire in its early stages, were installed in the computer room," he concludes.