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2005

THUS secures business continuity for SMG’s business-critical corporate systems

THUS plc today announced it will be supplying media group, SMG, with a fully resilient, diverse high-speed network, providing primary backup for its storage area network (SAN). The network will be routed between the company’s headquarters and the THUS collocation facility, enabling business continuity for SMG’s business-critical corporate systems.

SMG is a successful media company, delivering information and entertainment services across the UK. SMG’s core business is in the broadcast and advertising sectors; its brands include Scottish TV, Grampian TV, Virgin Radio, Primesight and Pearl & Dean. The nature of SMG’s corporate systems means that any network downtime has a serious impact on its business performance. SMG required an off-site backup facility for its new SAN and core business systems that would provide business continuity and be flexible enough to grow with SMG as more new technologies are adopted in the future.

Tracey Gourlay, Project Director at SMG, said: “We set THUS very short timescales for delivery but they worked quickly to understand the demands of our business and meet our objectives. In addition, THUS proved its networking knowledge of our industry, demonstrating past experience and developing a networking solution that was right for our business.”

The network is based on a dedicated fibre and Ethernet ring and has been designed to route traffic via SMG’s existing headquarters in the Glasgow city centre and additionally cater for it’s new headquarters on the south-side of Glasgow, which is due for completion in summer 2006. The solution will enable a simple and seamless upgrade path to the new facility. The THUS collocation facility is located far enough away to provide ample protection and backup for the business in the event of any network downtime, yet close enough for ease of access by SMG staff needing to make upgrades and configuration changes to the network. The fibre ring and collocation facility are fully scalable and will allow SMG to make network upgrades in the future.

“When providing critical network solutions it is imperative that a supplier understands its customer’s business inside out,” said Phil Male, Chief Operating Officer of THUS plc. “THUS is a mature player in the media industry and has developed a unique depth of experience with a number of leading players. This experience has enabled us to develop a flexible solution for SMG that will provide increased business continuity for SMG’s SAN.”