Capespan, SA`s largest fresh fruit exporter, has dumped its Compaq and Unisys IT systems for IBM`s hardware and Oracle`s database.
The multimillion-rand implementation sees almost half of SA`s fresh fruit exports managed by IBM`s Netfinity servers. The fruit distributor opted for the IBM Fast 500 SAN storage environment - the first in the country.
Capespan was created in 1999 through a merger between Unifruco and Outspan, each having a disparate IT infrastructure. Capespan standardised its development environment and migrated the two original companies` Informix and Unisys databases to Oracle software.
IBM business partner First Technology, represented by Ludwig Debekind, with support from IBM engineers when required, implemented all IBM technology at Capespan.
Capespan`s group information systems manager, Stef Rigotti, says Capespan`s inherited infrastructure, based on mainframes, was expensive to run. "We had the option of upgrading - which was going to be expensive for the comparatively small performance improvements we would get - or migrating to more modern technology."
Capespan will roll-out IBM desktop technology to complete its new infrastructure.
Representing 1 000 growers and with an annual turnover of between R3 billion and R5 billion, Capespan is responsible for the international marketing and distribution of between 50 million and 60 million cartons of fruit - just less than half of SA`s total fruit exports. Capespan`s fruit goes to 60 different countries, with 50% of the volume going to Europe.
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