Microsoft SQL Server
Customer Solution Case Study
Kordia Boosts Performance by up to 30 Percent and Supports Rapid
Business Growth
Our growth is really astronomical right now. With the new SQL
Server 2012 solution, we have the space and performance we need to
handle that growth.
Hannes Van Zyl, CIO, KordiaBased in New Zealand, Kordia provides
telecommunications services to a growing number of customers. The
company had performance and stability problems with the database
supporting its critical SAP business intelligence (BI) system. To
address that challenge, Kordia implemented a solution based on
Microsoft SQL Server 2012, which has improved performance by up to
30 percent and reduced backup times by 80 percent. The company can
now keep up with rapid business growth and is better positioned to
expand its BI system.
Business Needs
Kordia is a growing telecommunications and media company that
provides network and technology solutions to customers in New
Zealand and Australia. Founded more than 60 years ago in Auckland,
New Zealand, Kordia is one of the countrys leading providers of
television and radio facilities, and it has the third-largest
carrier network in the country.
To get ahead in the marketplace, Kordia relies heavily on
technology. We are in a very competitive industry, and companies
like ours need to use technology in an innovative way to succeed,
says Gavin Martin, Application Development Manager, Kordia. One of
the companys primary technology solutions is a SAP BW business
intelligence (BI) system that is used by the CEO and other
executives to get detailed analytical reports.
But increasingly, the BI system was at the mercy of a database
plagued by performance and stability issues. Our database was not
optimized for a BI environment, Martin says. It lacked compression,
column-store table-partitioning functionality, and other features
that could improve performance. As a result, it would take a Kordia
manager 10 minutes to generate a report that should have taken 10
seconds to run. Our CEO couldnt get the detailed business analysis
he needed fast enough to make business decisions, says Hannes Van
Zyl, CIO, Kordia. That had a major impact on our ability to keep up
with business growth.
In December 2011, Kordia decided to search for a new database
solution to support its BI system and other SAP modules for
finance, purchasing, and materials management.Solution
To find the right solution, Kordia engaged Tango Group, a New
Zealand technology partner that specializes in SAP systems.
Tango, which had worked with Kordia since 2010, suggested that
Kordia migrate its SAP environment to a new database based on
Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Enterprise software. We had used
Microsoft technologies for many years, and so we were excited about
SQL Server, says Martin. It was good to see that advanced features
in SQL Server 2012 such as page compression, backup compression,
and column store and table partitioning are seamlessly integrated
into SAP BW. We knew it would be the right fit for us.
In early 2012, Tango assisted Kordia in migrating its complete
SAP environment to SQL Server 2012, running on the Windows Server
2008 R2 Enterprise operating system. The new solution supports 19
databases. Tango followed the standard SAP System Copy procedure to
migrate the SAP ECC, BI, and EP systems from the UNIX platform to
SQL Server 2012, says Grant McPherson, Head of Technology, Tango
Group.Kordia is taking advantage of data compression in SQL Server
2012, which uses page compression for all the companys data and
indexes. As a result, the SAP ECC and BW environments were
compressed in excess of 50 percent, and the firms total database
size has been reduced from 2 terabytes to 1.5 terabytes. Kordia is
also using backup compression in SQL Server 2012 to reduce backup
times for all databases. More than 800 Kordia employees now use SAP
modules supported by SQL Server 2012. The firm plans to expand the
solution to include SQL Server 2012 Reporting Services.
BenefitsUsing SQL Server 2012, Kordia has achieved up to 30
percent faster performance and an 80 percent reduction in database
backup times. Users have faster access to reports, and the company
can better handle its business growth. The organization can also
expand its BI system.
Boosts Performance by up to 30 Percent
With the help of data compression in SQL Server 2012, Kordia has
reduced processing times by up to 70 percent, cut its database size
to 1.5 terabytes, and increased the effectiveness of database
input-output. With SQL Server 2012 data compression, we have seen
up to 30 percent faster system performance overall, says Van Zyl.
Analytical reports can be created in seconds instead of minutes,
and SAP users are less frustrated.
Reduces Backup Times by 80 Percent SQL Server 2012 backup
compression has greatly reduced the time it takes for Kordia to
back up data from its core SAP systems and move it into the BI
environment. Previously, that overnight process could take seven
hours, says Martin. With SQL Server 2012, it only takes us 90
minutes. It no longer encroaches on our normal business hours,
which was happening more and more.
Supports Rapid Business Growth
Because the new database solution can input and extract customer
data faster than before, Kordia now has quick access to updated
sales and customer data. With SQL Server 2012, our CEO and other
senior leaders have access to near-real-time data, and they can
make faster and stronger operational decisions, says Van Zyl.
Previously, they were limited in their ability to do that, because
of the shortcomings of the system.Those capabilities will help
Kordia expand its business. Our growth is really astronomical right
now. With the new SQL Server 2012 solution, we have the space and
performance we need to handle that growth, says Van Zyl. Along with
the performance improvements weve gained, this solution gives us
what we need to respond to customers faster.
Increases Stability, Helps Kordia Expand BI Environment
The new solutions stability and increased disk space will give
Kordia more confidence in the reliability of its systems. We used
to have several instances each month where the BI system was not
accessible to the business, says Martin. That problem has now been
eliminated.
Improved stability and performance will also assist Kordia as it
expands its BI environment. We were the first company in New
Zealand to migrate its SAP environment to SQL Server 2012, and this
solution will give us an opportunity to do BI on SAP in a way that
was impossible previously, says Van Zyl. Now we can really focus on
expanding our BI system, which will lead our business as we move
into the future. For more information about other Microsoft
customer successes, please visit:
HYPERLINK "http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies"
www.microsoft.com/casestudies
Customer: Kordia
Website: HYPERLINK "http://www.kordia.co.nz"
www.kordia.co.nz
Customer Size: 1,300 employees
Country or Region: New Zealand
Industry: TelecommunicationsCommunications service providers
Partner: Tango Group
Website: HYPERLINK "http://www.tangogroup.co.nz"
www.tangogroup.co.nz
Customer Profile
Kordia is a leading provider of telecommunications services to
customers in New Zealand, Australia, and Southeast Asia. The firm
has 30 offices in New Zealand and Australia.
Solution Spotlight
Improves system performance by up to 30 percent and cuts backup
times by 80 percent.
Helps users create analytical reports in seconds.
Gives Kordia the ability to keep pace with fast business growth
in Australia.
Helps the company expand its BI system to lead the business into
the future.
Software and Services
Microsoft Server Product Portfolio
Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise
Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Enterprise
Partner
Tango Group
This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT
MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.
Document published November 2012