Sun introduced the Sun JavaTM Enterprise System one year ago and changed the enterprise software industry by providing essential enterprise network services all in one product. It is the foundation for building JavaTM technology-based Web applications and services securely with high levels of scalability and availability.

In a one-year retrospective, a Sun feature article offers a customer success story that follows Saskatchewan Telecommunications (SaskTel) through its decision to deploy the Sun Java Enterprise System, and the efficiencies and savings that resulted.

SaskTel knew it needed to upgrade services for its business customers that would provide integrated mail, hosting and desktop management services. After months of vendor and technical evaluations, SaskTel choose the Sun Java Enterprise System for its infrastructure foundation of next generation application services.

There were three key features that convinced SaskTel to select this Sun solution:

• Integrated software: Offers multiple standards-based enterprise network services, that have been preintegrated and pretested as a software system based on a common set of shared components and consistent technologies.

• Predictable systematic approach: Sun's routine development, testing and servicing of the Sun Java Enterprise System simplifies patching, upgrades and overall maintenance.

• Innovative business model: Its per-employee, right-to-use (RTU) license offers customers software, architecture, installation services, training and technical support at a single price. With this business model, Sun will not increase licensing costs by more than five percent annually, eliminating a company's uncertainty about future licensing costs.

"It really came down to simplification of existing licenses," said Don Stockan, director of marketing, MIS. "We were at a point to renew, and it was quite complex to renew our old agreement. This was a very simple way of licensing. The cost difference between doing business with and without the Sun Java Enterprise System was a deciding factor."

The Sun Java Enterprise System's single price with an unlimited right-to-use model made sense for SaskTel. This licensing model engenders three basic benefits:

• New services: With the Sun Java Enterprise System, SaskTel has the necessary infrastructure software it needs for its multitude of services offered to customers.

"We really like the (Sun Java System) Portal Server and the (Sun Java System) Access Manager, both of which are part of the Sun Java Enterprise System," said Stockan. "We hope to leverage the capabilities of both products for various other services. The Portal and Identity Management services will seamlessly integrate with our existing environment, including the mail service infrastructure we're in the process of deploying. Over time, we will be able to leverage these integrated pieces to deliver enhanced functionality and new services to our customers."

• Service enhancements: SaskTel can now schedule infrastructure software upgrades as far as 12 months in advance. Upgrade costs will be reduced since an elaborate testing environment is no longer necessary.

"Due to rapid technology changes, we are constantly evolving our services," said Ron Single, technology manager, MIS. Tim Derzaph, implementation manager for the Sun Java Enterprise System, MIS, continued, "Our projections are that we can save a total of one staff member by simply managing upgrade efforts."

• Business growth: SaskTel can scale its services to serve growing numbers of customers without incurring additional infrastructure software licensing costs. With the Sun Java Enterprise System's predictable pricing model, SaskTel is not required to purchase additional licenses up front in order to avoid future costs.

"One of the things that we are beginning to think about is the content management aspect of the customer-facing portal. If we have lower maintenance costs and a faster time to market, then we can spend more time investigating what we can do with content management. This is just one example of how we can utilize resources that are freed under the Sun Java Enterprise System for other value-added work," said Derzaph. "The Portal and Identity Management services will seamlessly integrate with our existing environment. Over time, we will be able to leverage these integrated pieces to deliver enhanced functionality and new services to our customers."

To read this complete feature story, visit:

http://www.sun.com/2005-0118/feature

For more information on the Sun Java Enterprise System, visit:

http://www.sun.com/software/javaenterprisesystem [...read more...]

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