Challenge

MTG wanted a partner that could help them provide additional services to their IBM i customer base.

Selection Criteria

• A partner as focused on customers as they were
• One who understood the IBM i platform
• An excellent reputation in the industry

Platform

IBM i

Results

Connectria and MTG now offer IBM i remote hosting and administration to complement MTG’s hardware resale business.

Morton Technology Group has been providing quality information technology solutions for more than 25 years bringing industry perspectives and delivering best-of-class solutions. When MTG required a hosting partner with expertise in IBM System i environments, they chose Connectria and haven’t looked back. Learn how MTG and Connectria partner to provide a compelling hosting option for complex technology environments.

The Challenge

The MTG & Connectria relationship began in 2002 when MTG became Connectria’s IBM System i hardware and software vendor. As an IBM hardware reseller and ISV, MTG encountered opportunities where managed hosting became an attractive alternative. An alliance with Connectria was a natural fit, whereby MTG could offer its prospects and customers a hosting option where one was needed. And with their collective expertise in sourcing and managing System i environments, this became a growing business for both MTG and Connectria.

The MTG-Connectria relationship continued through the years and eventually turned into a strategic partnership. In 2008, when a large customer of MTG’s decided to decentralize System i support to its global dealer network, it created an opportunity for MTG and Connectria. One by one, many of the dealers chose MTG/Connectria’s System i hosted solution as opposed to owning, managing, and maintaining the servers on their own.

The Solution

Today, over 20 dealers now use Connectria System i hosting for managed services of servers within Connectria’s data centers or Connectria remote administration and management of dealer-owned and located System i environments. While MTG provides System i engineering, account support, and migration assistance to the dealers, Connectria manages a complex mixture of infrastructure, including Power Systems, Intel machines, and a variety of applications behind the scenes from their data centers. And since Connectria has taken over the hosting for dealers, MTG has seen a dramatic reduction in the number of calls they receive regarding issues. According to Tad Wharram, Partner at MTG, “One client has gone from placing 30 calls a month down to 5, or even none in some cases. Once the environments are established and working for the dealers, it almost becomes hands-free for them.

Connectria is doing all of the work in the background and they are dealing with fewer issues because Connectria is proactively finding all processes and automating upfront, thus decreasing the number of support calls having to be placed on the dealers’ end.”

In addition to the global equipment dealer network, MTG and Connectria support a wide array of hosting customers, however, the System i market has become a special niche.

The Results

During MTG’s search to find a hosting provider, they had to find a partner in which they could prove would get the job done and provide a level of support above their customer’s expectations. Besides Connectria, MTG did evaluate other providers for hosting services; however, Connectria remained the frontrunner throughout the evaluation process and was soon selected for the job. MTG knew they could count on Connectria based on the relationship already in place between them.

Wharram stated that “Connectria’s people are top-notch, you know they are going to be there until things are done. Connectria holds themselves to very high standards.” MTG valued Connectria’s customer-focused attitude, and their willingness to treat environments as their own. This was a contributing factor in selecting Connectria as their partner in providing services, particularly within the System i segments. Another key component in selecting Connectria was the ease of doing business with them. They build customized solutions based on the wants and needs of the end customer and have the technical teams with the skill set and willingness to back it up.

This type of attitude allows the customer to be on board from the start and alleviates some of the pressure often put on the customer. MTG viewed these characteristics as necessary objectives in supporting and exceeding the expectations of their client.