18
PROCESSES&POWER
RETAIL ROCKED
THE CO-OP ‘GREENS’ ITS
BY CARBON
CONCERN
DATA CENTRE
T
he Co-operative Group has completed
a major data centre overhaul, designed
to improve the performance, availability
and business continuity of key operational and
trading systems, while also reducing power
costs and environmental impact.
The Co-op’s ageing estate, comprising
approximately 550 Intel and UNIX systems,
did not have the scalability to match
its business growth strategy, lacked the The HP Adaptive Infrastructure solution
performance required by modern applications chosen involves gradually standardising the
and was expensive to maintain. Moreover, Group’s UNIX system requirements on a
power provision and the lack of disaster range of HP blade and storage systems, which
A survey of IT managers in retail recovery capabilities posed serious threats to in conjunction with VMware virtualisation
companies has revealed that 71% of data business continuity. software, would eventually consolidate the
centre managers in this sector feel under “Server sprawl, performance and storage server estate by approximately 86%. HP
pressure to reduce energy usage in their concerns as well as scalability, high total cost and SCC, a Preferred Partner, designed and
data centres. of ownership [TCO], poor manageability and installed the solution.
Over half (57%) plan to reduce their inadequate ¾ exibility were seriously limiting Dyson added: “We dramatically increased
carbon footprint in the next 18 months. day-to-day activities and would hinder new server utilisation and boosted the available
But, three quarters admitted they had business initiatives,” Ian Dyson, director of processing power. Previously, we only used
no idea to how much power their data trading group information services, The Co- about 8% of our computing power at any
centres actually use. operative Group told Retail Technology. one time; now there must be about ten times’
The independent research, conducted “We also had to address ‘green’ issues such more power on tap. Our disaster recovery
on behalf of distributor Zycko by Vanson as power consumption and, to protect key strategy involves mirroring each data centre to
Bourne, also found that, while 93% systems, implement an appropriate disaster safeguard all business activities.
claimed to have some measures in recovery solution.” “Our new standardised infrastructure
place, only 54% encourage employees to To alleviate its concerns about disaster has resolved all our concerns and end-users
work remotely to reduce transport costs. recovery, the Group decided to create a rapidly noticed performance improvements.
And only 57% enforce shutting down of second data centre in Rochdale, Greater We can now move the business forward with
computers at night and on weekends. Manchester and then approached HP. con½ dence,” he concluded.
Cost was the biggest barrier to
improving companies’ green credentials,
cited by 32% of respondents, while 25%
TESCO AWARDS
claimed that it simply isn’t enough of a
priority.
MAINTENANCE CONTRACT
David Galton-Fenzi, Zycko’s Group
sales director commented: “The retail Tesco has awarded the contract to maintain its uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) at its
sector is a major economic player and nationwide distribution centres to Uninterruptible Power Supplies Limited of Aldermaston.
a commitment to reducing carbon Ruth Salter, corporate purchasing and buying manager at Tesco PLC said: “It is vital that
emissions is therefore signi¼ cant. In most the data centres that support the Tesco goods distribution network are one hundred
cases, implementing greener IT measures percent operational 24/7. I can think of no area that’s more business critical, so the preventive
inevitably results in cost savings too and, maintenance of our systems is of paramount importance.”
with climate change and the credit crunch Tesco has 32 distributions centres nationwide, replenishing the shelves of nearly 2,000
dominating the news agenda, the business stores, ready to meet the daily demand from its customers she explained. “For our stores to
case has never been more compelling.” be supplied with goods on schedule, we cannot afford for distribution management systems
“The research also revealed that to be unavailable.”
suppliers and the media are key when Salter added that Tesco regularly reviews and seeks to maximise the quality of the services
it comes to educating IT managers on provided by outside contractors. “In this case, the ability to provide all of the services at every
environmental issues, and we therefore one of our distribution centres, on-schedule and on-budget was paramount. Uninterruptible
need to work together to develop and Power Supplies Limited was the outstanding candidate and knowing that this aspect of the
implement the best solutions.” company’s critical business is in their reliable hands ensures peace of mind,” she said.
RETAIL TECHNOLOGY APRIL/MAY 2009
14-19 Processes & Power.indd 18 6/5/09 9:51:32 am
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