SafeGuard iT, the SunGard/AST Group availability services joint-venture company providing business continuity and disaster recovery consulting and facilities, has kitted out its state-of-the-art, 500-seat call centre and disaster recovery services (DRS) facility with Compaq ePCs, from local distributor Axiz.
The 60-month rental contract, which covers installation, warranty and support, was secured by Axiz partner ATR (AST Technology Rentals).
SafeGuard iT provides risk profile consulting and develops disaster recovery procedures that are implemented at its facilities in Midrand and Randburg which features support for over 30 IT platforms widely used by the company`s numerous blue-chip companies.
Bernard Vertenten, business manager for SA at SafeGuard iT, explains: "It is what is behind each call centre seat that is most crucial to a company`s ability to recover from a disaster. Our call centre facility serves a dual purpose in a disaster situation: it allows a customer`s call centre agents to continue operating while the customer`s data is recovered at the back-end - all from SafeGuard iT`s premises."
The call centre desks are equipped with Compaq Pentium 4 ePCs and flatscreen LCD monitors. These are connected to SafeGuard iT`s bunkered computer centre via high-speed fibre cabling.
According to Johan Basson, MD of ATR, the ePCs and flatscreen monitors are best suited to the high specification workplace environment that SafeGuard iT has built: "The flatscreen monitors` small footprint saves valuable desk space, while the environmentally friendly features - such as lower radiation and emissions - and 17-inch viewable screens make them less stressful to work with."
Basson continues: "The Compaq ePC has a unique design that is ideally suited to call centre environments: the machine`s size saves on valuable desktop space, the hard drives are fully hot swappable, and the chassis is lockable, preventing unauthorised access to the internal hardware. The ePC is also highly manageable and secure since it operates on a client/server basis, foiling attempts to load any foreign software. The USB port at the front is also ideal for SafeGuard iT`s services, since disaster recovery clients can simply plug their USB memory sticks directly into the ePC and commence working immediately."
Vertenten adds: "The rental option was also key to us because the rental payments are fully tax deductible while the investment remains off balance sheet, enabling us to retain our capital for investments directly related to our core business. It also ensures that we always have the latest, best technology available on our employees` desks. The headache of maintaining the equipment and the related warranties also remains with the rental partner."
As a further value-add to its customers, ATR has loan stock that can be configured to its customers` environments available on standby. These devices are used when any faulty items are swapped out, to ensure minimal downtime to ATR clients, Basson says.
Vertenten concludes: "With this new technology in place, we are confident that we can offer disaster recovery services on a par with anything anywhere in the world. And with the increased focus on good corporate governance, and the vital role that effective disaster recovery plays in ensuring business continuity, we ensure that our customers can recover their businesses at an offsite facility easily and quickly."
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