STME implements enterprise data storage solution at MCV

All of MCV's company information, including the financial and sales data generated by its ERP system, is protected by the new solution.

MCV's storage investment will enable the five branches of the company to access information from the central computing system at head office via a satellite hook-up. Previously, MCV relied on manual backups for its vital corporate data, which resulted in errors and generated a greater workload for employees.

All MCV buses and trucks are manufactured at its Salheya facility which has an installed capacity to manufacture 9000 vehicles annually. The entire production process is controlled through a SAP ERP system. MCV has become the local market leader in the manufacture of Mercedes Benz commercial vehicles and exports 40 percent of its annual production.

"Our rapid expansion has necessitated more disk capacity," said Alfred Fouad, IT Manager at MCV, "but we prefered to have a centralised storage solution that could provide extra storage capacity, and schedule and run accurate backups, as well as offer data protection and accessibility to each of the five branches of the company."

He added, "STME's expertise in enterprise storage and excellent pre-sales, and post-sales, service impressed us, while the proposed comprehensive and cost-effective solution perfectly meets our storage needs."

At the core of the new MCV storage solution is hardware provided by EMC, a global technology partner of STME. The centralised storage system implemented by MCV includes EMC CLARiiON hardware, VERITAS Netbackup software and an Exabyte automated tape library. Already, 100 MCV users are accessing data from the EMC CLARiiON, a figure that is expected to rise by 50% in the next phase of the project.

STME was selected following an extremely competitive bidding process. "With this new storage strategy, MCV can expect not only greater efficiency, but also a smooth transition into new areas of business," commented Andrew Calthorpe, Sales Director of STME.

"By implementing a leading-edge storage strategy that is both scalable and reliable, MCV has created an infrastructure that can grow as its array of services and customer base increase," he concluded.

MCV plans a second phase of its partnership with STME, which will include the implementation of a storage area network (SAN) for greater information availability.

DaimlerChrysler, MCV's licensing partner, recently awarded EMC Corporation for its superior services organization and industry-driving product innovations. The world's third-largest auto manufacturer utilizes EMC information storage systems to provide information storage and management across its entire worldwide operations.

ENDS