Datacraft support service extended to Thai chip firm
Datacraft, an IT solutions and services company, has signed an agreement to help a leading provider of micro-controllers and analogue semiconductors, Microchip Technology, keep its network for its Asian production lines running smoothly.
The chip-maker is making use of Datacraft's "Uptime powered by Cisco Services" to support and maintain its Thai network. Originally designed for local connectivity, the network in Thailand is now linked to its corporate network in the US and also controls the production line in Thailand. Microchip is relying on Datacraft to minimise the likelihood and impact of unplanned network downtime that could halt production and have a serious impact on order fulfilment. Uptime is a collaborative service developed by the Datacraft-Cisco Global Services Alliance. By signing up for Uptime, Datacraft says, Microchip will benefit from the use of Cisco's technical assistance centre, as well as Datacraft's service-level agreements and local language help desk support. With the support of this service, Microchip can enjoy quality online and on-site engineering support to minimise network downtime, with resulting business continuity. "We have had a strong relationship with Datacraft since 2001 and are confident of their expertise and ability to deliver. Uptime, powered by Cisco Services, allows us to increase our operating efficiency at a time when reducing costs and refocusing on our core business are essential to succeed in a highly competitive environment," said Kitti Thara, principal engineer at Microchip Technology. This latest contract for the newly launched Uptime follows an in-depth search and evaluation exercise by Microchip to identify the most qualified Cisco Certified Gold partners for the job, said Somchart Kahna, general manager of Datacraft Thailand. Microchip's bottom line was to ensure that its business was able to continue functioning 24 hours a day even if there was a problem with network equipment. They chose Uptime partly because of Datacraft's six-year track record and the benefits offered by its global services alliance with Cisco, Somchart said. "This is a significant evolution in our global services alliance," said Tatchapol Poshyanonoda, managing director of Cisco Thailand. In addition to traditional break-fix support such as troubleshooting and incident restoration within agreed upon service levels, Datacraft is providing consultancy and full 24-hour coverage as well as critical hardware spare parts. As part of the service-level agreement, Datacraft will respond to customer issues within four hours.
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