Blue-chip company SABMiller has enlisted the world-class services of IT industry leader Internet Solutions to supply a fully outsourced managed hosting solution for the new SAB Miller plc corporate Web site: www.sabmiller.com.
Key requirements crucial to the successful implementation of the site included the need for fast response for local and international users, high availability/access to the Internet data centre where the application would be hosted, and a 24x7 fully operational environment. Internet Solutions` hub hosts approximately 60% of corporate SA at its state-of-the-art data centre in Rosebank, Johannesburg and its service includes `round the clock` expert support.
The site includes investor relations as well as continual live share price feeds and is linked to a dedicated fibre pipe to enable UK directors and company staff to access it at high speed. The entire solution offered by Internet Solutions included a complex security system, a comprehensive backup service and continual monitoring.
Greg Payne, IS Business Unit Manager, comments on the success of the project: "We provided SABMiller with a complete solution including management of the operating system and databases as well as a staging environment for testing site changes prior to going live.
Zelda Hudson, Corporate Web Manager for SABMiller, is enthusiastic about the service. "Prior to changing to the Managed Hosting Service, SABMiller made use of a conventional IS hosting solution. Although the service itself was excellent, the onus was on us to ensure that the day-to-day operation of the server was running efficiently. This put pressure on our already stretched IT resources and therefore we were looking for a solution that would remove this responsibility from us. Internet Solutions introduced the Managed Hosting Services and it was definitely the answer. Our server is monitored proactively and efficiently, and we now rely solely on IS to advise us of a problem with our server. It is reassuring to know all the latest patches will be installed timeously and software will be upgraded when needed and I can absolutely recommend this solution to companies," she concludes.
Share
Established in 1993 as the country`s first commercial Internet service provider, IS has grown in stature and today attracts 80% of the SA`s top 250 listed companies. IS remains the leading ISP with a market share of over 50%.
Probably one of the country`s most successful post-apartheid companies, IS has expanded from being a pure Internet connectivity provider to an innovative and pioneering business with services that include Internet access, VPNs, hosting, dial-up, security and business gateway solutions. As testimony to its recognition as a market leader, IS has earned an impressive collection of awards, which includes eight First National Bank "Most Admired" awards, Professional Management Review silver and golden arrow awards, Financial Mail Deloitte & Touche Best Company to Work for Award and even a Loerie award for its design work.
In 2002, IS was certified as a Cisco Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP), the first and only company outside of the US to be awarded this accolade. The CPN-MSSP brand associates IS with the worldwide leaders in Internet security.
Editorial contacts