Aramex Virtualizes Servers, Reduces IT Infrastructure by Half
Business need
To support growth, Aramex needed to increase capacity at its data centers worldwide, enhancing enterprise efficiency and delivering better services to end users.
Solution
Aramex decided to virtualize its Dell PowerEdge* blade servers with VMware, and deploy Dell EqualLogic* storage. It chose Dell ProSupport* to help maximize performance.
Aramex, headquartered in Jordan, is a global leader in logistics and transportation. The company, which launched in 1982, operates in more than 310 locations across 50 countries and sees double-digit growth year after year. In 1997, Aramex became the first Arab-based international company to trade its shares on the NASDAQ stock exchange, and, in 2005, the firm went public on the Dubai Financial Market as Arab International Logistics, with its shares traded under ARMX.
To support its global operation, the company has data centers in Jordan, the United Kingdom, Dubai, and India. Even with these four facilities, the IT team still faces constant pressure to meet the demand for services. A growing number of employees need access to business-critical applications and storage for their files. Plus, the expanding web infrastructure for e-commerce needs to be supported. Samer Awajan, Chief Technology Officer at Aramex, says: “Aramex has been successful, largely because of our drive for efficiency. Every department – including IT - seeks ways to work more productively.” And it was the idea of greater efficiency that drove Awajan when he looked to add more server performance and storage capacity across the four data centers. “I wanted to begin virtualizing our servers,” he says. “But I wanted to look carefully at different storage options.”
Aramex quickly gains deep insight into iSCSI storage
As a long-term partner of Dell, Aramex spoke to the IT provider about possible solutions. “I was particularly interested in Dell’s iSCSI-based storage,” says Awajan. “Because iSCSI technology now offers 10-gigabyte connectivity, I knew it would be a credible alternative to fibre channel systems.” At the same time, Awajan also discussed blade server technology with Dell to get a better understanding of how the technology was developing. “We’d successfully deployed a few Dell PowerEdge blades in the past. They seemed like a good choice for enterprise efficiency, creating high-density, power-efficient server platforms,” he says.
Read the full Aramex Virtualizes Servers, Reduces IT Infrastructure by Half Case Study.
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Aramex Virtualizes Servers, Reduces IT Infrastructure by Half
Business need
To support growth, Aramex needed to increase capacity at its data centers worldwide, enhancing enterprise efficiency and delivering better services to end users.
Solution
Aramex decided to virtualize its Dell PowerEdge* blade servers with VMware, and deploy Dell EqualLogic* storage. It chose Dell ProSupport* to help maximize performance.
Aramex, headquartered in Jordan, is a global leader in logistics and transportation. The company, which launched in 1982, operates in more than 310 locations across 50 countries and sees double-digit growth year after year. In 1997, Aramex became the first Arab-based international company to trade its shares on the NASDAQ stock exchange, and, in 2005, the firm went public on the Dubai Financial Market as Arab International Logistics, with its shares traded under ARMX.
To support its global operation, the company has data centers in Jordan, the United Kingdom, Dubai, and India. Even with these four facilities, the IT team still faces constant pressure to meet the demand for services. A growing number of employees need access to business-critical applications and storage for their files. Plus, the expanding web infrastructure for e-commerce needs to be supported. Samer Awajan, Chief Technology Officer at Aramex, says: “Aramex has been successful, largely because of our drive for efficiency. Every department – including IT - seeks ways to work more productively.” And it was the idea of greater efficiency that drove Awajan when he looked to add more server performance and storage capacity across the four data centers. “I wanted to begin virtualizing our servers,” he says. “But I wanted to look carefully at different storage options.”
Aramex quickly gains deep insight into iSCSI storage
As a long-term partner of Dell, Aramex spoke to the IT provider about possible solutions. “I was particularly interested in Dell’s iSCSI-based storage,” says Awajan. “Because iSCSI technology now offers 10-gigabyte connectivity, I knew it would be a credible alternative to fibre channel systems.” At the same time, Awajan also discussed blade server technology with Dell to get a better understanding of how the technology was developing. “We’d successfully deployed a few Dell PowerEdge blades in the past. They seemed like a good choice for enterprise efficiency, creating high-density, power-efficient server platforms,” he says.
Read the full Aramex Virtualizes Servers, Reduces IT Infrastructure by Half Case Study.
