German motor vehicle maker
Daimler AG has
signed a contract with
Fujitsu Siemens Computers
(FSC) to consolidate and run its European Data Centre (EDC) for
the next three years.
The deal follows the restructure of Daimler's entire IT
infrastructure following its demerger from Chrysler last year.
The deal is expected to save Daimler millions and improve
overall performance through greater compliance with ITIL standards,
the firm said.
The EDC provides IT services to Daimler companies worldwide,
including server operation and the integration of new hardware,
databases and applications. Daimler, a major SAP user, runs more
than 4,000 software applications. It processes more than 1.5
million e-mails a day and more than 20 million internet
accesses.
Daimler previously used several external providers to manage
parts of the EDC's operation. Daimler said consolidating services
into one pair of hands created "clear competencies and
responsibilities" and streamlined the flow of work.
FSC is now responsible for the entire operation. It will run
5,000 servers, 1,500 databases and maintain and develop Daimler
systems software. Daimler will run the global network itself.
FSC must meet 28 service level agreements (24 SLAs for technical
services and four for process services) and defined KPIs. "The
targets cover normal operation of the servers as well as
maintenance of complex database and software environments," it
said.
FSC will use ITIL, the standard for process-oriented IT service
management, to monitor its SLA targets. It will also increase the
share of offshored services already provided from India. This will
reduce costs further.
FSC will take on some of Daimler's manufacturing systems, but
not all, and none of the design and engineering systems. "One of
Daimler's goals is to support these de-centralised IT
infrastructures by central, standardised remote services," the firm
said.