Platform

IBM AIX

Sybase, an SAP company, provides internet banking solutions to corporate, small business, and retail consumer markets. With more than 200 of the world’s leading financial institutions as its customers, chances are when you log in to your banking site, you’re using a Sybase product. When Sybase decided to investigate alternative providers to host its solutions, they chose Connectria. Discover the challenges that Sybase faced and how Connectria’s custom hosting services helped Sybase meet them head-on.

The Challenge

Sybase’s Financial Fusion provides solutions to some of the world’s most recognizable banks. When one of its largest banking customers required hosting services, Sybase turned to one of the largest global hosting providers with expectations of premium service and support. Their experience with this hosting provider, however, was disappointing. Each change order and request was accompanied by vendor charges, costs and profitability were hard to maintain, and uptime was never a certainty. As a result, this very important client with high visibility began to investigate competitive alternatives to Sybase.

In an effort to retain their client, Sybase began their own search for alternative hosting providers. Several requirements of the new hosting provider were prominent:

• Experience hosting and managing multiple, complex technology platforms such as Windows, Linux, Solaris and IBM AIX

• Able to address dynamic, unique requirements of Sybase and its clients

• Superior uptime and customer support

• Exceptional security, capable of withstanding audits from Sybase and the largest banks in the world

• Reasonable and predictable pricing

After a wide search, Sybase narrowed the field to a few hosting providers, including its large incumbent as well as Connectria Hosting.

The Solution

During their search, Sybase noticed a common theme among most hosting providers. Each had its own packaged solution and standard Service License Agreement (SLA) with little to no deviation. And should you deviate from the standard, it would come with a cost and an extended timeline.

Connectria was different. Their whole approach appeared to be aligned with that of Sybase. Providing a plain, one-track option was not what Connectria presented. Connectria understood the quality assurance needs of Sybase’s customer base and was willing to deliver a custom hosting solution with flexibility. After giving Connectria multiple scenarios to test how they would handle certain situations, Sybase quickly realized that Connectria was willing to change their SLAs to meet Sybase’s needs. Sybase conducted an on-site tour of Connectria and met with its employees. Connectria remained upfront and transparent with their costs throughout the process, which was a key factor in Sybase’s decision in selecting Connectria as their hosting provider. Sybase saw Connectria as a lean and efficient company, with all its resources deployed correctly.

The Results

Today, Connectria not only hosts the production environment for Sybase Financial Fusion, but also another product line from a subdivision of the company, as well as the Financial Fusion’s internal operations and development.

According to Tony Dmitrich, Sybase Director of Professional Services, “Connectria participates in our relationships with our clients as if they are totally vested, and that’s what we’d expect.”

“We now include hosting services as part of each proposal and Connectria is always willing and able to respond to questions in an effort to facilitate business—and they don’t charge extra for it! On top of that they’ll take potential and existing customers to their site and make them feel comfortable. After all, this is transactional data and the overall level of service and security is crucial to the banks. Connectria is totally transparent in what they do. We couldn’t be any happier with Connectria.”