IBM Helps Tracker Networks Enhance Business Resilience Requirements

New Managed Continuity and Work Area Recovery Solutions optimize and protect business and IT assets.

ARMONK, N.Y. IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced it has deployed expanded business resilience services for Tracker Networks (Pty) Ltd, a leading supplier of vehicle recovery and monitoring systems in South Africa. The services will help Tracker Networks to manage its information technology (IT) infrastructure more efficiently, lower the overall cost of IT operations, minimize business disruption and implement a superior disaster recovery strategy.

The deployment of the IBM services by Tracker has reaped benefits, most recently after a fire occurred at one of its facilities. Leveraging IBM BCRS resiliency center infrastructure and Work Area Recovery services, Tracker was able to recover critical applications and reroute communications and employees, while simultaneously running one of its critical business function -- recovering stolen and hijacked vehicles.

As part of its agreement with Tracker, IBM deployed new Managed Continuity and Work Area Recovery Solutions that or the first time integrate fully outsourced management for critical applications with the continuous protection and recovery of those applications and systems. The new services address end to end business continuity and resiliency from the desktop to the server, and are fully managed across the client premise and IBM Business Continuity and Resiliency Service centers. IBM Managed Continuity services provides secure data center space, services and operational support to help companies optimize continuous business operations. Tracker Networks also deployed IBM Infrastructure Services work area recovery services to provide alternate work environments to address the human element of a disaster or other business disruption. This enables Tracker and other clients to select their level of service from four options: dedicated seats, shared, virtual workplace continuity and mobile work area continuity facilities.

“It’s important for IT managers and CFOs to be able to see and understand every aspect of their network and IT setup. Working with IBM Business Continuity and Resiliency Services has helped us facilitate a managed services approach that better aligns IT spending around our key priorities,” says Andre Ackerman CFO, Tracker Networks. “Not only are our IT operations more secure within the IBM center but we are also receiving bulletproof protection and meeting necessary regulatory and industry compliance requirements.”

The IBM services model allows a business or enterprise data center operation to hand pick key IT applications for IBM to manage. Once implemented, the applications and operations are enabled to run at the customer’s data center or and IBM Business Continuity and Resiliency Services center. Tracker elected to have IBM to host a majority of its mission-critical servers in a secure data center located near the company’s headquarters in South Africa.

“IBM can help clients achieve cost savings for a typical data center’s information protection and disaster recovery operation, enabling them to meet business objectives,” says Philippe Jarre, general manager for IBM Business Continuity and Resiliency Services. “Our partnership with Tracker enabled them to focus on their business and IT needs in order to deliver value and meet their business objectives.”