OWENS Container Services take on Citrix
Owens Container Services,a ANZ based provider ofleasingfor containers and storage. The below case study outlinesits recent implementation of Citrix MetaFrametechnology withkey benefits including:
Key Benefits
Web-based application access without rewriting code
Applications deployed within minutes rather than days
Remote office connectivity solution
New business units on-line within a day
Simplified, centralised IT architecture
If you would like further information or would like to speak with Ross Pavey from Owens Container Services, please contact Amanda Millar or Skye Eggleton at Howorth Communications on +61 2 9904 4533 or email pr@howorth.com.au.
"We're a growing organisation and constantly expanding through mergers and acquisitions. With MetaFrame and NFuse Classic, we're able to bring new business units on-line within a day."
- Ross Pavey, IT Manager, OWENS Container Services
OWENS Container Services
A division of the publicly listed OWENS Group, OWENSC ontainer Services provides tank and container repair services such as fleet management, sales and domestic leasing of containers and storage. The division operates from over 15 sites along the Australian East Coast, New Zealand and Fiji.
The Challenge: Connecting Remote Sites Across Three Countries
With 15 sites across three countries, OWENS Container Services was faced with the difficulties inherent in conducting an international business without the benefits of a Wide Area Network (WAN). For management, the timeliness and accuracy of operational data received presented challenges.
According to Ross Pavey, IT Manager at OWENS Container Services, at the same time that management was starting to express seriousc oncerns about individual networks, there was the need to provide a totalt echnology refresh across the entire division. "If we'd gone ahead with as traightforward upgrade to the separate networks and client machines, we would have had to spend around AUD$190,000 and still have the problems of trying to get each network to communicate effectively with all the others," he noted.
Implementing Citrix MetaFrame Application Server Software
In partnership with Harbour IT, a silver member of the Citrix Solutions Network , OWENS Container Services redirected its network strategy to one of thin clients and server-based computing within a Citrix MetaFrame environment. A single Melbourne-based server farmc onsisting of nine Compaq DL380 and DL360 servers running Citrix MetaFrames oftware on Microsoft Windows NT 4.0, Terminal Server Edition provided a single-point solution for the division.
"At the same time as we were examining MetaFrame," said Mr Pavey, "another division within the Group was implementing a Frame Relay infrastructure across all divisions. This gave the us the opportunity to 'hijack' some of the bandwidth for our MetaFrame solution - not all that difficult given that we were able to demonstrate how little bandwidth is consumed by Citrix ICA clients."
Simplified IT Administration and Centralised Application Access
With the server-based model in place, Mr Pavey and his team of two other IT personnel are able to deploy new applications such asNavision Financials and those written in-house using Visual Basic, within minutes aso pposed to days. "If we had to install a new application to all 100 desktops, we would need to have someone install the programme on each client machine in three countries," he observed. "Now it's simply a case of install it once on a MetaFrame server."
With Citrix NFuse Classic, senior managers and other staff members can access applications and email remotely from any Web browser. This provides an alternative network access method should the Frame Relay experience problems. "Many of our senior managers can be travelling overseas or interstate for weeks at a time," said Mr Pavey. "With NFuse Classic on their notebooks, all they need is a local Internet dial-up connection and they can access their e-mail anda pplications just as if they were sitting at their desks."
Establishing a Group Standard
The success of Citrix MetaFrame and NFuse Classic has been so great within the Container Services and Administration divisions that senior management within the OWENS Group has given a directive that all applications across all operations are to be moved over to MetaFrame servers. Already, an additional 200 MetaFrame licenses have been installed within the Administration division. "We're a growing organisation and constantly expanding through mergers and acquisitions," noted Mr Pavey. "With MetaFrame and NFuse Classic, we're able to bring new business units on-line within a day. Even in cases where the new business unit doesn't have Frame Relay access, they can get on-line to then etwork over the Internet via Citrix NFuse."
- ends -
Solution Overview
Key Benefits
Web-based application access without rewriting code
Applications deployed within minutes rather than days
Remote office connectivity solution
New business units on-line within a day
Simplified, centralised IT architecture
Applications Deployed
Microsoft Office 97
Navision Financials
Custom applications written in Visual Basic
Networking Environment
Citrix MetaFrame software running on nine Compaq DL360 and DL380 servers; dual P3 733 and 900MHZ processors and 1GB RAM
Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition
Frame Relay WAN
300 clients: mix of Compaq notebooks and Compaq PCs
About Citrix MetaFrame
Citrix MetaFrame application server software is enabling organisations to extend the virtual workplacee verywhere by providing secure, reliable access to applications and information on any device or network connection from any location. MetaFrame extends the functionality of Microsoft Windows 2000 Servers and Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition, as well as UNIX Operating Systems. It provides enterprise management and Web-enablement of applications via Citrix NFuse Classics oftware, and flexible access to applications via the full Net - LANs, WANs, Internet, intranets and extranets.
Key Benefits
Web-based application access without rewriting code
Applications deployed within minutes rather than days
Remote office connectivity solution
New business units on-line within a day
Simplified, centralised IT architecture
If you would like further information or would like to speak with Ross Pavey from Owens Container Services, please contact Amanda Millar or Skye Eggleton at Howorth Communications on +61 2 9904 4533 or email pr@howorth.com.au.
"We're a growing organisation and constantly expanding through mergers and acquisitions. With MetaFrame and NFuse Classic, we're able to bring new business units on-line within a day."
- Ross Pavey, IT Manager, OWENS Container Services
OWENS Container Services
A division of the publicly listed OWENS Group, OWENSC ontainer Services provides tank and container repair services such as fleet management, sales and domestic leasing of containers and storage. The division operates from over 15 sites along the Australian East Coast, New Zealand and Fiji.
The Challenge: Connecting Remote Sites Across Three Countries
With 15 sites across three countries, OWENS Container Services was faced with the difficulties inherent in conducting an international business without the benefits of a Wide Area Network (WAN). For management, the timeliness and accuracy of operational data received presented challenges.
According to Ross Pavey, IT Manager at OWENS Container Services, at the same time that management was starting to express seriousc oncerns about individual networks, there was the need to provide a totalt echnology refresh across the entire division. "If we'd gone ahead with as traightforward upgrade to the separate networks and client machines, we would have had to spend around AUD$190,000 and still have the problems of trying to get each network to communicate effectively with all the others," he noted.
Implementing Citrix MetaFrame Application Server Software
In partnership with Harbour IT, a silver member of the Citrix Solutions Network , OWENS Container Services redirected its network strategy to one of thin clients and server-based computing within a Citrix MetaFrame environment. A single Melbourne-based server farmc onsisting of nine Compaq DL380 and DL360 servers running Citrix MetaFrames oftware on Microsoft Windows NT 4.0, Terminal Server Edition provided a single-point solution for the division.
"At the same time as we were examining MetaFrame," said Mr Pavey, "another division within the Group was implementing a Frame Relay infrastructure across all divisions. This gave the us the opportunity to 'hijack' some of the bandwidth for our MetaFrame solution - not all that difficult given that we were able to demonstrate how little bandwidth is consumed by Citrix ICA clients."
Simplified IT Administration and Centralised Application Access
With the server-based model in place, Mr Pavey and his team of two other IT personnel are able to deploy new applications such asNavision Financials and those written in-house using Visual Basic, within minutes aso pposed to days. "If we had to install a new application to all 100 desktops, we would need to have someone install the programme on each client machine in three countries," he observed. "Now it's simply a case of install it once on a MetaFrame server."
With Citrix NFuse Classic, senior managers and other staff members can access applications and email remotely from any Web browser. This provides an alternative network access method should the Frame Relay experience problems. "Many of our senior managers can be travelling overseas or interstate for weeks at a time," said Mr Pavey. "With NFuse Classic on their notebooks, all they need is a local Internet dial-up connection and they can access their e-mail anda pplications just as if they were sitting at their desks."
Establishing a Group Standard
The success of Citrix MetaFrame and NFuse Classic has been so great within the Container Services and Administration divisions that senior management within the OWENS Group has given a directive that all applications across all operations are to be moved over to MetaFrame servers. Already, an additional 200 MetaFrame licenses have been installed within the Administration division. "We're a growing organisation and constantly expanding through mergers and acquisitions," noted Mr Pavey. "With MetaFrame and NFuse Classic, we're able to bring new business units on-line within a day. Even in cases where the new business unit doesn't have Frame Relay access, they can get on-line to then etwork over the Internet via Citrix NFuse."
- ends -
Solution Overview
Key Benefits
Web-based application access without rewriting code
Applications deployed within minutes rather than days
Remote office connectivity solution
New business units on-line within a day
Simplified, centralised IT architecture
Applications Deployed
Microsoft Office 97
Navision Financials
Custom applications written in Visual Basic
Networking Environment
Citrix MetaFrame software running on nine Compaq DL360 and DL380 servers; dual P3 733 and 900MHZ processors and 1GB RAM
Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition
Frame Relay WAN
300 clients: mix of Compaq notebooks and Compaq PCs
About Citrix MetaFrame
Citrix MetaFrame application server software is enabling organisations to extend the virtual workplacee verywhere by providing secure, reliable access to applications and information on any device or network connection from any location. MetaFrame extends the functionality of Microsoft Windows 2000 Servers and Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition, as well as UNIX Operating Systems. It provides enterprise management and Web-enablement of applications via Citrix NFuse Classics oftware, and flexible access to applications via the full Net - LANs, WANs, Internet, intranets and extranets.
