Despite predictions that the number of Internet users will exceed two billion this year, more than 1.6 billion people globally still read a hardcopy newspaper each day, and publishing houses must ensure that they can cope with continued demand while leveraging their revenue opportunities, expected to be worth $120 billion per year.
To take advantage of these opportunities, Brussels-based media group, De Persgroep, has tied up with Brocade to deploy Europe’s first Ethernet fabric switching solution so it can continue to deliver hard-hitting news to its 9.4 million daily readers and online visitors.
The new Brocade network infrastructure will also help De Persgroep manage out-of-control data growth. Since 2007, De Persgroep’s operations have grown exponentially and, today, the network supports more than 1,000 servers, 3,500 users and 325 terabytes of data — a 650 percent increase in data traffic in just four years.
Leveraging Brocade VCS technology, Brocade VDX 6720 Data Center Switches provide the foundation for data center Ethernet fabrics revolutionizing the design of Layer 2 networks and providing an intelligent base for cloud-optimized networking.
The Brocade VDX 6720 is designed to improve network utilization, maximize application availability, increase scalability and dramatically simplify network architectures in highly virtualized data centers.
De Persgroep faces a monumental challenge each day in terms of processing editorial content, images and advertising copy, while ensuring that print production is executed on time. In addition to supporting these mission-critical applications, the network must also provide the backbone for ancillary departments such as customer service and subscriptions, which means that the smallest network disruption can impact a wide range of functions.
Over the years, we have seen our print-media business perform well, but that has placed pressure on the network. Journalists have to write and file copy from wherever they may be, which means that application availability and performance are paramount. If content cannot get through, we lose business. So the network is the heart and lungs of our operation”, said Wim Vanhoof, ICT Infrastructure Manager at De Persgroep.
A total of 72 Brocade VDX 6720 switches were deployed across the fabric-based architecture, creating a single logical chassis with a single distributed control plane across multiple racks of servers. This design has provided compelling reductions in capital and operating costs, while simplifying virtual machine (VM) migration. The deployment is already delivering the desired performance and resilience for De Persgroep.
Through our Ethernet fabric solutions, we are delivering a platform that is unparalleled in today’s market. For De Persgroep, the imperative was to provide scalability and flexibility so that it had the opportunity to grow in whichever direction proved most valuable to it as a business”, said Alberto Soto, vice president EMEA at Brocade.
By enabling the virtualized data center and providing a platform for cloud migration, Ethernet fabrics help ensure ‘always-on’ availability and simplified network management, which in turn increases end-user productivity while reducing operational costs. Thanks to the Brocade VDX 6720, De Persgroep is now able to face the challenges of the constantly evolving market, safe in the knowledge that it has an environment that is built for the future”, Soto added.
By TelecomLead.com Team
