TCTA cuts IT support costs by 60%

With a dramatic increase in user data creating a management nightmare, TCTA required an endpoint user data management solution that put IT in control over all aspects of its rapidly expanding data footprint . . . They did so by deploying CIBECS.

Background

The Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA) is a state-owned entity that works to finance and implement bulk raw water infrastructure in the Southern African region. With huge engineering projects involving many parties and highly sensitive data, critical to guarantee sustained water security, the company was in dire need to adequately manage and protect mission critical information located on its users’ endpoint devices.

“Prior to Cibecs we made use of script-based-backups,” says Nikesh Maharaj, Network and Infrastructure Specialist at TCTA. “It proved to be a complicated, labor intensive method of managing user data.”

The problem

“Our user data increased by 1200 percent over the space of three years,” says Maharaj.  In order to successfully manage such a dramatic increase in data (and the additional future increases expected), TCTA decided to find a solution that would allow central management of user data, whilst optimizing use of its limited bandwidth and storage infrastructure.

Before Cibecs’ implementation at TCTA, the company had to be content with slow data recovery,  which weighed heavily on IT resources. The script-based-backups  in use at the time also offered little by way of management reporting, a necessary requirement for IT in order to prove the organization’s business continuity preparedness.

Simple, Secure, Control – since 2008.

By introducing Cibecs towards the end of 2008, TCTA was able to cut data recovery time by several hours per incident – often representing a real time and support cost saving of between 500 and 1000%.

“It’s not just the post-installation cost saving that impressed us,” says Maharaj. “The actual roll-out of Cibecs was quick and simple – with guidance provided by Cibecs’ on-site IT support.” Nikesh further states that users have largely been oblivious to the Cibecs agent running on their PCs.

He goes on to list some of the Cibecs features he most favors:

• Simplicity: (data restores are quick and easy to do)

• Bandwidth and Storage use: Cibecs optimizes use, which aids IT in meeting its budgetary obligations while delivering improved network up-time.

• Data Security: Cibecs’ data encryption safeguards data, while central reporting indicates exactly who did what, when and why.

• Central Control: Allows IT to enforce TCTAs data backup policy

• PSTs: “With Cibecs we have all PSTs safe and easily accessible when we need to dig up old email – something we’ve had to do on several occasions,” says Maharaj.

Conclusion: “Cibecs is an indispensable asset.”

“In short Cibecs has helped us dramatically reduce IT support (both in real cost and time needed) to endpoint users, while delivering an effective and simple way to manage our rapidly increasing user data footprint.

Its added benefits, such as aiding us in proving regulatory compliance in terms of data security and overall business continuity preparedness, make Cibecs an indispensible asset to TCTA.”