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GATESHEAD: Following a detailed review their global ICT infrastructure needs, the OBC Group has awarded a contract worth £1.2m to IT Professional Services (ITPS), the Gateshead-based information technology solutions and support provider. The contract covers the design, development, installation and the provision of support over the next 5 years of an upgraded ICT infrastructure to service OBC’s entire global network.

With 20 offices distributed across its UK, European and US operations, and numerous business partners spread across the globe, it’s easy to understand how critical OBC’s ICT operations are to the successful development of its global business.

The OBC Group’s principle activities are acting as general port agents as well as international forwarders. OBC Shipping Limited is one of the U.K.’s leading ship service organisations, with offices in Stockton on Tees, and is very well known as having specialised skills as tanker agents and providers of logistical services to the offshore construction industry. The Group has also established an enviable reputation as liner agents and cargo brokers for a number of international shipping lines and also acts as a Business Travel agent.

The decision to completely upgrade this infrastructure is driven by a desire to maintain OBC’s competitive edge, as OBC’s Hans Barto explains:

 “We have developed a very close working relationship with ITPS over the last five years and we have been very impressed with their technical resources and the quality of support that they have provided to us.

“That is why we have decided to award this contract, which is crucial to our continuing development as a global business, to ITPS.”

Some five years ago, the OBC Group took the decision to implement an Application Server Provision (ASP) driven IT model, using server-based computing technologies. This was undertaken by ITPS as a critical part of OBC Group’s strategy of providing access to its ITC infrastructure to staff and business partners wherever they may be located.

“We designed an infrastructure to support a central data-centre that was located here in Gateshead,” said ITPS Managing Director Garry Sheriff. “Access to the network was made available via PCs, lap-tops and thin-client terminals which delivered data with the Martini effect – a consistently high level of performance, anywhere, anytime.

“We are now supplying a totally bespoke solution, where OBC owns the hardware. All communications are being upgraded using a high bandwidth IP VPN (Internet Protocol Virtual Private Network) with connectivity being provided by NTL:Telewest.

“In addition to providing global 24/7 support over the next 5 years, ITPS will be responsible for implementing all change controls, under the direction of OBC’s IT Manager,” added Garry.

Migration to the new system, which has already started, will converge voice with data across the network, helping to reduce communications costs.

ITPS is also undertaking work on behalf of OBC to provide the Group with a full resilience and business continuity facility, using VMWare, which virtualises the existing resource.

For further information on ITPS, contact Lisa Richardson on 0191 442 8300 or visit www.it-ps.com.

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