Case Study: Comtrex

Failure is not an option

The introduction of hand-held terminals for paying restaurant bills was one of those quiet technological revolutions that just seemed to slot into modern daily life, and is now taken for granted. Other innovative developments have included restaurant reservations systems, stock control, and Chip & Pin payment. 

Seamless service, at-the-table efficiency, and scrupulous back-office financial control, are an integral part of the package that Comtrex offers its customers, as is the hardware; delivering the levels of functionality and intelligence now deemed indispensable by a large proportion of the catering trade. Customers place a high degree of reliance on Comtrex to run critical systems offering robust business continuity.

Numerous types of transactions, in over a thousand restaurants, can only function by virtue of Comtrex solutions humming in the background. System design, service and support are key to ensuring these transactions happen smoothly and efficiently. 

Nearing the end of 2008, Comtrex acquired Redpepper Solutions, a partner which provided additional Enterprise functionality that integrated into Comtrex EPOS. Kcom had a long-standing relationship with Redpepper Solutions, but still had to satisfy rigorous selection criteria when the two companies came together. Kcom demonstrated that its solutions could help take a growing organisation well into the next phase of success, providing the robust systems infrastructure and service levels needed.

The challenge lay primarily in the increase in scale. Comtrex had to be able to accommodate the expanded business's existing and future demand. 

Understanding the requirements

Step one was collaboration with Comtrex to establish the requirements expected of a hosting solution. The solution had to be provided within strict budget and technical guidelines:

"Kcom were challenged with coming up with new ideas to do the same job better and more efficiently."
Trevor Saldanha, IT Manager, Comtrex

Kcom is a leading managed communications services provider with proven hosting capabilities; owning and managing six data centres nationwide. It has a track record of addressing operational needs, containing costs and, most importantly, putting the customer at the heart of everything it does. Kcom provides the capabilities that are expected from a large provider, but with the same levels of tailored service provided by a smaller supplier.

Kcom's hosting solution for Comtrex provided the framework for their business expansion. Above all other considerations, Comtrex needed to be reassured that availability and performance of its applications would not be affected, and business continuity would not be an issue. 

"Comtrex needed a 24x7 managed, high performance and monitored Enterprise hosting solution to suit our own needs as well as those of our customers. This is exactly what Kcom provided, at a cost lower than our expectations. We now retain more profit and have more time to focus on both customer and internal needs, which all play significant roles in growing the business successfully. Our business to business relationship has never been more important."
Trevor Saldanha – IT Manager, Comtrex Systems Corporation UK. 

Managed Hosting

The servers, the mission critical hardware home to Comtrex's own applications and data, are located at a highly resilient, state-of-the-art data centre, where the Kcom Network Operations Centre is also based. These servers are monitored on a round-the-clock basis with on-the-spot intervention should it be required.

It's about more than providing a robust environment; it's about delivering a service that provides peace of mind; reassurance that Comtrex will never let its customers down.

Such confidence derives from Kcom's comprehensive 24/7/365 service and support, which includes managing the firewalls, anti-virus and anti-spam systems, speed, hardware and storage space, and disaster recovery procedures.

In terms of capacity management, for Comtrex's high-volume web-based applications, up-time is maximised by a multiple server environment, spreading the task; if one server fails then the others switch in. This provides redundancy and a high level of availability.

Full transparency gives Comtrex total control at all times; issues can be escalated direct to the highest level of technical support at Kcom and a monthly service review gives detailed analysis of up-time. In addition, the provision of named points of contact means that Comtrex can liaise with the relevant people within Kcom at any time; qualified individuals who understand their requirements. 

So, diners across the country continue to be delighted as Comtrex fulfils its promises to the restaurant trade, safe in the knowledge that its systems infrastructure is in capable hands. More than that, however, it is an extremely cost-effective service. Due to the success of the Comtrex and Kcom collaboration, Kcom is now investigating solutions to house future projects. These will include transitioning the infrastructure to a virtualised environment in order to further reduce costs and maximise profitability.