Sunday 28 December 2008

Telecom Fiji engages Datacraft for Next Generation Network upgrade across South Pacific nation

Fiji Limited (TFL), the sole provider of local and national telephony services, has rolled out a new IP network to meet the growing demand for voice and data services as the South Pacific nation moves steadily towards telecom market deregulation.

TFL currently serves over 100,000 customers across a wide geographic area using a diverse technology base. The new Next Generation IP Network is based on a Cisco MPLS platform and consists of a territory-wide IP Backbone combined with a Metro Ethernet Network (MEN) in the capital city of Suva.

Datacraft was tasked with establishing a highly resilient and efficient replacement infrastructure. The new network will enable the incumbent operator to stay ahead of competition by providing the platform for the latest range of business services such as high speed data, capacity on demand and voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP); while ensuring customer satisfaction by meeting tough Quality of Service (QOS) goals.

“With the continuing rise of the Internet, we have seen rising customer expectations for new services, as well as traffic growth that the old network could no longer match,” said Ian Lyons, Group General Manager Sales, Marketing and Business Development. “Datacraft demonstrated an awareness of the unique political, social and regulatory environment that we face in Fiji and the company came up with a carefully evaluated plan that met our demanding requirements, while being capable of meeting our expanding market needs into the future.”

Telecom Fiji’s IP-based network was completed in seven months at a cost of over US$1 million.

“We were extremely pleased to win this prestigious national contract, with Datacraft being involved in the project scoping as early as 2003,” said Robin Hartendorp, Managing Director of Datacraft New Zealand. “As a result of our strong client relationship and regular communications, the strong support rendered by Cisco, as well as our excellent track record of service delivery, we were able to customize an innovative solution that addresses both their business and technical requirements.”

To address the demanding service level expectations of their customers, TFL is evaluating Datacraft support offerings, Insite and Uptime. Insite is an online, real-time network and IT systems management service that covers issues ranging from basic fault monitoring to extensive predictive analysis and reporting. Uptime provides a continuous 24 x 7 x 365 managed service for trouble shooting and resolution of issues facing mission-critical IT systems.

About Datacraft

Datacraft is a wholly owned subsidiary of Dimension Data plc (LSE:DDT), a US$4.5 billion leading global IT solutions and services provider. Datacraft operates in over 50 offices across 13 Asia Pacific countries. We help clients plan, build, support, manage, improve and innovate their IT infrastructures. Datacraft combines an expertise in networking, security, data centre, storage, Microsoft solutions and contact centre technologies, with advanced skills in consulting, integration, training and managed services to craft IT solutions for businesses. For more information, please visit www.datacraft-asia.com?DCSext.dept=9&WT.mc_id=100252

For more information contact
Esther Quah
Datacraft Asia Ltd
esther.quah@datacraft-asia.com

Sunday 21 December 2008

Malaysia’s i-City built on Cisco Connected Real Estate infrastructure by Datacraft

Singapore, 10 Nov 2008 Datacraft, Asia’s leading independent IT solutions and services company, has implemented Cisco Connected Real Estate (CCRE) solutions, and delivered world class infrastructure

i-City, a RM 2 billion ICT-enabled commercial development on a 72 acre freehold site, is situated in the strategic neighbourhood of Shah Alam, Malaysia. i-City is fast gaining traction as the regional hub for high-technology companies and knowledge communities. Designated by the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDEC) as a MSC Cybercentre, the first phase of the development comprising 300,000 sq ft of Cybercentre Office Suites has been completed and is ready for occupation. Future phases would transform i-City into a fully integrated township, comprising a shopping mall, corporate towers and offices, office suites, hotels and serviced apartments. i-City will also house multiple high-performance data centres and a digital media hub.


Designed from the start to become the next-generation international and cyber-gateway to the country, i-City is expected to attract global mix of technology companies and knowledge workers, creating a vibrant knowledge-based working environment. An essential element to help realise this vision is CCRE. The introduction of CCRE means that a converged IP network is built into the underlying infrastructure of every building (similar to common utilities such as power, water and gas), providing a powerful platform to transform the way in which buildings are managed and how services are delivered.


CCRE is the foundation on which disparate building management systems, HVAC, lighting and transportation, energy management, video and security access controls will integrate with traditional IP-based communication and collaboration systems such as e-mail, messaging, voice and productivity services. Every element from cooling, lighting, security, digital signage to voice and video communication can be controlled centrally. This revolutionary approach to city design has enabled i-City to help the entire community generate new revenue streams, reduce capital and operating expenditure, and improve overall operations efficiency by reducing the complexity of building systems connectivity, prolonging asset life, and improving management capabilities and performance through real-time information.


When fully completed, a high-speed scalable fibre-optics network will span across the entire 72-acre development, connecting all of the office suites, commercial towers, retail tenants and hotel to i-City’s high-performance data centre which is also the communication and operations hub. “Technology is an essential component of the entire ecosystem. Our vision is to promote i-City to be a conducive environment where work, play, learn and live intermix seamlessly!” said Lim Boon Siong, Deputy CEO of i-Bhd.


A comprehensive range of network and telecommunication, hosting, software service on demand, estate management and security services is made available via i-Office2, the designated operator tasked at providing fully managed office services to i-City tenants and residents.