ING Services Polska (ISP) expands the infrastructure of its Katowice center. Now it is supported by private cloud solution, based on Microsoft System Center 2012.
The process of implementation allowed for standardizing running processes and shortening the new servers launch – from 12 days to 3 hours. What is more, it reduced the maintenance costs by 20 percent. The whole process provides agile services for business customers and also increases the level of automation within ISP. It is estimated that the costs of the new technology will be reimbursed in a year and a half.
ING Services Polska provides IT services to the entities within ING Group throughout the world by exploiting the potential of the data center in Katowice. ISP services include hosting, remote management and IT security. The company has 473 employees and serves 70 customers in 15 countries. In September this year, ISP singed a pre-let agreement for over 5 600 sq. meters of modern office space in the second building of GPP Business Park.
“ISP is a dynamic and ambitious organization – we employ people who want to learn and we give them this opportunity. We constantly look for new and better solutions that let us optimize processes and support the agile software development model. And it happens in a large part here because we need a client – and that is the only way. We would like to provide high-quality services to our customers through constant innovation” – says Michał Paprocki, Vice-President of ING Services Polska.
The center provides and manages approximately 250 x86 (Windows, Red hat) servers yearly to its foreign customers. As a result of a business development analysis, ISP decided to build a private cloud solution that will allow for offering flexible computing services to customers and enhancing service (servers/virtual machines) delivery time. Essential requirements towards the Private Cloud solution included: standardizing the processes, simplifying and automatizing certain solutions and automatic settlement of accounts.
“We decided to implement a private cloud solution based on Microsoft Technology, on a basis of a few important factors. Microsoft, together with its partners presented a coherent and overall solution that fulfils our business aims and does not answer the single or present need only. The solution was also proved by a successful pilot phase (proof of concept)” – said Michał Paprocki. “It is also worth mentioning that our good experience of cooperation with Microsoft, concerning “Bank in a Box” project in ING Australia helps us to make this decision.”
The implementation of a private cloud solution based on Microsoft System Center 2012, including additional components, reduced lead time of server delivery fully compliant with ING Global Security Standards, from 12 days to maximum 3 hours. According to ISP, the costs were reduced significantly: launch costs of x86 server were reduced completely and a new “cloud” service, gave an opportunity to reduce maintenance costs of systems that were provided by the private cloud solution, by 20 percent (in comparison to standard maintenance costs).
“The implementation of a private cloud solution based on Microsoft System Center 2012, allows us not only to fulfil project’s requirements and to deliver infrastructure quicker and reduce costs but also react to our customers’ needs – it can make a big difference in business” – claimed Michał Paprocki. “Furthermore, this solution supports a concept “zero touch data center” that is implemented within ING Group and increases employees’ competence significantly.”
“The implementation at ING Services Polska is one of the best examples of using a private cloud solution based on Microsoft Technology. The most important thing is that the benefits can be noticed immediately – both, in operational and cost layers” – added Wojciech Zaremba, Enterprise Services Director at Microsoft Poland.
At this moment, a Private Cloud solution can be operated in two physical locations (two data centers) and can be spread across other locations worldwide to react on business needs. It is estimated that the costs of new technology will be reimbursed in a year and a half (assuming sustained growth of 250 new servers per year).
The implementation period lasted 7 months and was conducted by Microsoft Services.