FLIR Systems

FLIR Systems is the global leader in the design and manufacture of infrared cameras, night vision and thermal imaging systems. The company’s products play a pivotal role in a wide range of industrial, commercial and Government activities, across more than 60 countries.

FLIR has been supplying thermography and night vision equipment to science, industry, law enforcement and the military for over 50 years and boasts the largest installed infrared camera base in the world.

The Challenge

ISG technology has supported FLIR’s UK infrastructure since 2004. A critical part of this role is regularly reviewing FLIR’s back office systems to ensure its infrastructure is sufficient to support the company’s ongoing technology requirements.

In 2008 ISG recommended an infrastructure refresh, aware that FLIR’s existing servers were inadequate for future growth. Rather than upgrading the servers however, ISG’s expert technicians realised the company would benefit from virtualisation technology.

While server virtualisation has become standard infrastructure in most large and mid-sized companies, for SMEs the implementation costs can sometimes be too prohibitive to justify.

The first challenge was to prove to FLIR that it was a suitable candidate for this technology and more importantly, to demonstrate the potential for fast return on investment.

To this end, ISG conducted a Virtualisation Readiness Assessment (VRA).

Solutions Delivered

Analysis of the VRA report revealed that FLIR’s servers were severely under-used and over 60 per cent were suitable for virtualisation.

ISG’s technicians used this data to quantify the benefits of the technology. The team then implemented a two node VMware ESX cluster attached to an IP-based storage network.

Accounting for the ongoing cost of running and maintaining the new servers, ISG demonstrated a return on FLIR’s investment within 24 months. In addition, operational benefits included greater flexibility, more reliable backups and improved disaster recovery. As a result, FLIR can now respond to changing IT requirements more quickly and cost-effectively.

Deploying a new server was once expensive and time consuming. Now, the process can be completed within hours and without the expense of new hardware.

Furthermore, because the virtual server stores information on a single file, the company has access to a copy of the server. This portability lends itself to the disk based backup and SAN storage methods implemented by ISG.

It also facilitates FLIR in conducting more efficient backups and has helped to formulate a comprehensive and cost-effective disaster recovery strategy. In the event of a situation, these single files can be easily restored, bringing the entire server back into full operation.

Indeed, virtualisation has made a valuable enhancement to FLIR’s IT operations. The successful completion and ongoing delivery of its network is just one example of how the company has benefited from ISG’s proactive support through the longstanding supply of its services.

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