Citrix supercharges car-part sales

Trade

Car parts importer and distributor Somora is using virtualisation software as the driving force behind its new online ordering platform.

The Citrix software will also “ensure the uninterrupted availability of business-critical applications and will cut network costs by 70%,” according to value-add IT distributor DataSolutions, whose reseller partner GDK Network Systems set up the system.

Somora Motor Parts operates a large distribution and logistics network through 300 agents who service over 4,000 garages throughout Ireland.

GDK was contracted to create resilience and fail-safes in Somora’s IT infrastructure, which had previously depended on just one server to support its entire information, applications and warehouse management systems.

GDK deployed two high spec Citrix Xenservers into the network, giving Somora the capabilities of seven physical servers at 70% less cost.

Somora director Cormac Moore noted that “urgency and fast turnaround times drive our business and create competitive advantage. If we lost access to our systems, business would come to a standstill.”

GDK MD David O’Driscoll said virtualisation was expected to be the firm’s biggest growth area over the next two years. “With all the functionality of physical servers but with significant savings in the cost of maintaining, upgrading, energy and carbon footprint, we’re expecting it to account for 15% of our business by 2010.”

DataSolutions technical director Francis O’Haire said Somora had embraced virtualisation because it makes IT environments more agile and efficient.

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