Australian Govlink Issue 2, 2013 | Page 70

66 STAYING HI-TECH ON A LOW BUDGET A benefit analysis for government and enterprise As an investment, technological infrastructure is inherently expensive and problematic. Future obsolescence and product discontinuation are unavoidable truths that hamper governments and enterprise when planning and funding such projects, especially in fast-evolving fields like telecommunications and IT. While ongoing servicing and maintenance is both expensive and time-consuming, it pales in comparison to managing the end-of-life phase where new models are released and support or spares become unobtainable. The minimum-cost approach In an era of increasingly stringent government budgets, cost-efficiency is paramount. As such, when faced with the prohibitive costs of keeping technological infrastructure up to date, governments and commercial enterprises invariably rationalise that replacing their entire systems is the most cost-efficient and future-minded alternative. However, objective cost analyses suggest the opposite – repairing and modernising existing legacy products and services often provides much greater value at much lower cost than replacing them. In short, this means replacing and/or upgrading damaged or broken components individually rather than replacing entire systems. Proactive and reactive measures Given that the ideal way of managing spending on technological infrastructure is by maximising the lifespan of each system, being proactively prepared for potential technical issues is a must. In practice, being prepared for equipment failures is no easy task, especially when spare parts are no longer being manufactured. However, by re-engineering, upgrading and stockpiling components, one can ensure both increased performance and faster turnaround times for repairs and refurbishment. upgrade both the functionality and value of their legacy systems. Duons provides spares management, warehousing, and depot repair services for SMEs, multinationals, manufacturers and large end-user groups in a diverse range of sectors including telecommunications, radio technology and electronics, mining, utilities and defence. Past and present clients include Telstra, Telecom NZ, Honeywell, Boeing, Orange, Telmex, ABB, FERM, ASKO, and many more. Server Room monitoring – Environmental Best Practices Duons is also the sole Australian distributor of the award-winning ServersCheck system, which is in use by many of the world’s preeminent web firms, including social networking sites, search engines and shopping portals. When IT systems fail, fast response is good, but getting there before the systems fail is even better. ServersCheck simultaneously conducts Environmental Monitoring Systems (EMS) and Network Management Systems (NMS), providing an instant warning and notification system for both the hardware and software components of server systems. By continuously monitoring both environment and system status, ServersCheck gives administrators realtime notice when a network system is compromised, minimising downtime and providing accurate diagnoses, facilitating faster problem solving. The benefit to government 1. Cost Duons – A leading national and global provider Every aspect of Duons’ approach is designed to deliver maximum efficiency at minimum outlay, and to preserve the value in deployed technology. Even if a piece of equipment is beyond repair, it still contains many perfectly viable parts. These components can be recombined into a working model, sold to recoup their value, or disposed of in a responsible manner. Specialising in co-designing a process to maintain your complex technologies, Duons provides governments and enterprises with the means to cost-efficiently maintain and Diligent management of spares and repair work results in less downtime, easier diagnostics and repair work that actually increases system capabilities. Govlink Issue 2 2013 2. Reliability and capability Because replacement parts are reengineered to modern standards, the systems into which they are inserted actually improve in functionality and reliability. Duon’s purpose-designed parts, from PCBs to enterprise-grade components, are consistently more reliable than the parts they replace. This means less likelihood of problems recurring, which in turn lowers incurred costs and downtime. 3. Speed Spares management is an integral part of reducing the budgetary impact of equipment failures or breakdowns. With an ample stockpile of custom-engineered replacement parts on hand, it is possible to simply replace entire PCBs or groups of parts without having to waste time on prolonged diagnostics. Under this swap-in swap-out process, the damaged part is then returned to the Duons engineering centre where it is analysed, repaired and/or upgraded accordingly. Then reused, minimising wastage and loss of value. 4. Environmental Replacing entire infrastructure systems is both financially and environmentally costly. Alongside the responsible recycling of unfixable e-waste, the Duons approach to repurposing and upgrading of existing systems has been demonstrated to reduce costs at no perceivable performance trade-off. The onus of leading the way in environmental responsibility lies squarely on the shoulders of government, and keeping infrastructure that is competitively functional both removes the necessity to purchase replacement systems and mitigates the environmental impact of manufacturing and installing it. To secure the future of your infrastructure, contact Duons on 1300 487 255.