Centralized and Automated Management Solution enhancing the Business Application and Services

A Major Publication Company in Northeast U.S

COMPANY OVERVIEW

Our client is a magazine publisher in the U.S. headquartered in New York City. It produces nearly 20 consumer magazines and 4 business-to-business publications, more than 25 websites, and over 50 apps for mobile and tablet devices. Its magazines focus on a wide range of subjects,including travel, food, home, culture, and other interests, with fashion predominating. More recently, the company has expanded its offerings to include marketing services and consumer-focused products such as apps and licensed merchandise. It operates in almost 25 countries globally under iconic brands.

BUSINESS CHALLENGE

The customer had a number of smaller instrumentations at the infrastructure layer monitoring different domains. They had to loo k into multiple consoles from multiple tools and wanted to have a cohesive view/dashboard for a heterogeneous environment that would improve response time. The solution desired would need to provide an executive "view" into critical LOB service operations. Such an automated view would provide a deeper dive into the components and dependencies of the infrastructure supporting business applications and services while tying it to an executive dashboard for up/down/warning statuses.

SOLUTION

i3 got to the root cause of performance degradation through the successful implementation of Tivoli’s suite for performance mana gement. It helped in managing more efficiently over 500 servers and over 1,200 network devices--including routers, switches, and load bala ncers. Due to such event consolidation, and service management they have seen substantial cost savings over the period.

BUSINESS BENEFITS

1. Efficient centralized platform to handle notifications/escalations.
2. Customer IOC (Internet Operations Center) is now used heavily and its performance has improved responsiveness.
3. Mission-critical cross-platform and cross-domain (Systems, Applications, and Networks) management capabilities are now being utilized.
4. A complete view of service quality and usage for both operations and business units.
5. Increased flexibility and scalability has particularly helped in deployments of the next generation IP network and OSS consolidation--enabling the provision of insightful and value-added KPI reports to the business units

Network Management Solution ensuring Operational Efficiency and improved Customer Service

One of the largest Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLEC) in Mid-West and South East US

COMPANY OVERVIEW

Our Our client is a rapidly growing, facilities-based integrated communications provider delivering services for 30 markets in 13 contiguous states to many states in the US. The company also offers an array of a la carte products and services--including local voice and data services, domestic & international long distance services, dedicated high-speed Internet access, web design, and a selection of enhanced services to small and medium-sized businesses.

BUSINESS CHALLENGE

The company had the need for a more efficient customer resolution facility and an improved architecture for delivering current and new services to its customers. There was a realization that in order to become a market leader in delivering communications solutions to bus iness customers, they would have to implement a best-of-breed network management solution that would improve operational efficiency by quicker identification and resolution of the root cause of issues--reducing Mean-time-to-Repair and better preventing network outages.

SOLUTION

i 3’s expertise in the designing and implementation of IBM’s Tivoli suite of products resulted in the customer gaining a unified and end-to-end solution to successfully proactively manage its complete Network. i 3 made possible its single goal of improved customer service through a single and consistent service management platform.

BUSINESS BENEFITS

1. An end-to-end view of network elements.
2. Reduction in the number of actionable alarms.
3. Reduced operational costs along with scalability through a layered design.
4. Visibility and details about customers’ networks that they were not previously available.
5. Manageability through a single, logical solution.
6. Attainment of a consistent service management platform.

Network Management Solution improving the Performance and Quality of Service

A leading Telecom provider in New Zealand

COMPANY OVERVIEW

Our customer is one of the first telecom companies in the world to be fully privatized and is also the second largest mobile op erator in New Zealand. It has a significant level of operational scale within the New Zealand telecommunications market, with assets includin g the PSTN network equipment for fixed line calling, the XT 3G mobile network, national backhaul networks, a 50% ownership interest in the Southern Cross international cable, and one of Australia's most extensive fixed IP networks.

BUSINESS CHALLENGE

Our customer needed metrics and thresholds that would be used to reliably indicate their system performance. They required a sy stem that would provide a high level overview of their network status for different users and groups. There was also the need to identify which services and customers that could potentially be affected by problems in the IT infrastructure. Also, in their list of requirements was portal customization for easy navigation of reports

SOLUTION

i 3’s ensemble of skill and experience fulfilled the customer’s requirement of end- to-end management of their IT infrastructure. IBM’s Tivoli Automation product suite proved to be the perfect robust and scalable solution fit for an enterprise as large and widespread as theirs.

BUSINESS BENEFITS

1. Consolidation of complex IT and network operation management tasks.
2. Improvement of service availability and resiliency with real-time service management for the data center, network operations centers, andIT domains.
3. Flexibility in the interface (graphical maps, tables, and event lists).
4. Advanced management capabilities enabling the raising of alerts in an effective and highly proficient manner.
5. Improved time-to-resolution through the streamlining of event & alert management, business service management, and incident & problem management processes.
6. On demand reports helped in improving service quality and reducing operating costs.

Centralized Operational Management Solution Maximizing the Operational Efficiency and Reducing Cost

One of the Global Fortune 500 Companies in Oil Refining and Marketing Petroleum Products

COMPANY OVERVIEW

Our client is one of India’s largest Public Sector Undertakings (PSU), with a rank of less than 250 according to the recent for tune 500 survey. The company deals in oil refining and marketing petroleum products. Its strategic business units include refineries, retail, indust rial and commercial usage, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), lubricants, and aviation fuel.

BUSINESS CHALLENGE

The increasing demand of users, a heterogeneous environment, need of data security and time consuming existing technologies cou pled with an unprecedented growth of the company required our client to implement an advanced technology solution by consolidating and stand ardizing IT services to enhance the service quality, optimize operational costs and quick resolution offerings in achieving high level of c ustomer satisfaction.

SOLUTION

The solution designed on IBM’s Tivoli portfolio of products catered the requirement of our client in achieving their IT critical needs. Implementation of Tivoli modules by i 3 Software with user training and post implementation support rendered them high level of quality and business assurance.

BUSINESS BENEFITS

1. 24x7 end to end monitoring of infrastructural environment became easy and efficient.
2. Exceptional performance in fault management.
3. Automated incident and problem management with high speed and accuracy.
4. High level of Data Storage and Security.
5. Streamlining workflows by process automation and managing service level agreement ensured qualitative service delivery.
6. Absolute monitoring of applications by tracking and visualization capability allowed quickly and easily isolates all problems for faster problem resolutions.

End to End Enterprise Management Solution effectively managing most Complex & Secure Environment

One of the Largest Security Depositories in India

COMPANY OVERVIEW

Our client is the first and the largest central securities depository in India which handles more than 3/4th of the securities held and settled in dematerialized form in India through its nationwide network of electronic system infrastructure.

BUSINESS CHALLENGE

As a service provider to the financial industry, our client had a greater challenge in monitoring and providing visibility to a ll the transactions, web application servers (WAS), hosting servers, resource utilization i.e. CPU & memory and generating automated notification to und ertake immediate action in resolving the problems. The company also looked for a solution in distribution of the applications, patch management and lifecycle management of existing inventories for maximizing the service availability and reducing operational costs without compromising security.

SOLUTION

IBM’s Tivoli portfolio of products yielded a complete monitoring and management solution in meeting their business needs. i 3 Software with its wide experience and expertise across multiple industrial domains implemented Tivoli solution for Fault Management , Network Monitoring, Systems and application Performance monitoring, Work Load Management, Service Level Management , Patch Management and Identity and Access Management.

BUSINESS BENEFITS

1. Availability and performance of web servers using Tivoli module became quick, easy and less time consuming than the earlier scr ipt monitoring solutions.
2. Applications and hosting servers delivered higher speed through better tracking. Performance value is now measured on a single console and future data analysis can easily be predicted.
3. Automated alert notification to the service operators are sent via email and SMS.
4. Existing paper work process in notification, escalation, approvals or any other updates are made simpler via automated email no tifications and digital approvals.
5. Faster deployment of application saved time and helped in reducing the labor cost.
6. Automated service level agreement validation, proactive analysis & planning and reporting tools helped in reducing cost and imp roving staff productivity.
7. Simplified password management, protected information with strong authentication.
8. Implemented policy-based identity and access governance solution that helped automate lifecycle management of user roles, ident ities and access rights.

Service Assurance Solution - Improved Customer Satisfaction

One of the Largest Telecom Service Providers in India

COMPANY OVERVIEW

Our client serves over 85 million customers in more than 450,000 towns and villages across India in the Telecommunication domai n encompassing Mobile services, Wireless Desktop Phones, Public Booth Telephony and Wireline Services.

BUSINESS CHALLENGE

Our client faced a huge challenge in infrastructural management and delivering service quality for their customers in India. IP network discovery, consolidated operation management, faults & incident management for their operations and quality & reliability of service for t heir customers in meeting the immediate business needs to increase operational efficiency and ensure competitive pricing while continuing to deli ver high-quality services.

SOLUTION

IBM’s Tivoli enterprise management suite of products envisaged an impeccable solution for our client to meet all their complex business requirements in a fully-fledged way. i 3 Software with their wide domain experience & expertise in the implementation area of Tivoli successfully deployed the products at Mumbai & Hyderabad locations and subsequently delivered training and support service to the users at all levels with an objective to impart product and process understanding.

BUSINESS BENEFITS

1. Comprehensive visibility of the infrastructural environment by discovering all the assets, a topological view of the network de vices and monitoring the complex network on a single dashboard, which in turn has improved the operational efficiency and reduced cost.
2. Quicker diagnosing the problems reduced cost and the time incurred for repair.
3. Interactive desktop views, less operator knowledge requirements, notifications, higher availability of resources, round the clo ck management and quick automated resolution made a great breakthrough in the productivity.
4. Monitoring end to end infrastructure status and health environment resulted in a higher quality and reliability of service thus enhancing customer satisfaction and improving the productivity.
5. Ability to spot service affecting problems before they occur and rapidly identifying the root cause of issues when they do occu r helped improve service quality.
6. Greater flexibility to manage future network growth.

Using Smart Devices and Analytics to Make Wellness Measurable and Fun

THE MISSION

Ebix Consulting was contacted by a client to develop an application that would analyze fitness data from an individual’s wearable smart device. An application to capture and transfer an individual’s health data and a dashboard that would compare it to healthy standards would need to be created.

With help from Ebix’s Data Analytics team, the client prepared fitness dashboards. The client captured data from the device using Ebix’s integration services. The application allowed health stakeholders to assess their member’s healthy choices and offer discounts. Members who met their goals received discounts on premiums and prizes for achieving them. Participation was 100% voluntary.

THE CUSTOMER

As the application is proprietary, the Ebix client’s name is not shared. However, “customers” are wellness stakeholders who care and invest in people’s health, fitness and wellbeing. Health and fitness organizations, employers, hospitals and insurance companies benefit when their populations are healthy and productive. Ultimately, healthcare costs are reduced for individuals and organizations.

THE CHALLENGE

The old “honor” system allowing individuals to report on their wellness activities was flawed. Some people, desiring to save on premiums, exaggerated results. How could an organization obtain true data while respecting a member’s privacy and right to report? How could they reward people for achieving their goals and initiate fun, healthy competition amongst teams and peers? How could results be tracked and measured?

THE SOLUTION

The client gave free smart watches to members opting to participate in the program. Beginning and ending fitness scores, like resting heart rate, recovery heart rate and body mass index were recorded. The scores were used to determine the individual’s health status at the start. The organization periodically monitored and compared scores. Ebix’s data analytics expertise was used for comparative analysis.

An automated email notification framework was established to notify participants of their goal status. For instance, if they were close to their goal date, but not meeting their goal score, it would send a notification encouraging them to reach their target. A congratulatory message was sent when they reached their goal.

THE OUTCOME

Participants’ goals became measurable. Data was tracked and members could see how they were improving or where they needed improvement. Individuals became accountable. Experiences could be shared. Healthy competition was realized as people could choose to compete against one another, in teams or simply improve their scores at their own pace. The client offered prizes and discounts for achieving goals. Wellness became measurable and fun!