CUSTOMER STORY

Sii Technologies GmbH enables digital transformation and improves collaboration with Dell Technologies virtualization technologies and flexible payment solutions through Dell Financial Services**

To provide virtualised CAD applications and boost collaboration with national and international customers, Sii Technologies GmbH needed a reliable and secure private cloud platform including a smooth financial solution.

• Enable transformation into a managed services provider
• Improve collaboration between Sii engineers
• Optimise cash flow by spreading payments over time

International system and development service provider Sii technologies is divided into five areas: Digital Services, Engineering, Systems & Modules, Precision Parts and HR Services. Its customer base includes all kinds of different industries. Sii technologies is part of the Sii Group, an engineering- and IT-consultancy firm with 9,000 employees in 18 countries, renowned worldwide. As the company grew, it wanted to provide virtualised computer-aided design (CAD) applications through Digital Beehive, a solution that enables Sii Technologies engineers to virtually work on various sites using the same performant platform. To support this project, Sii Technologies needed a high performance and secure virtualised platform. The company also sought to improve collaboration between its engineers. “It was difficult to transfer data back and forth internally,” says Sascha Einloft, Senior IT Manager at Sii Technologies. Additionally, Sii Technologies needed to find an efficient way to sell Digital Beehive to customers.

Sii Technologies chose to optimise Digital Beehive with a mix of Dell EMC servers, VMware virtualisation software, and Dell EMC storage and data protection technologies. “Storage and compute were so scalable with the Dell Technologies solution,” says Einloft. “This level of scalability was not available from any competitors out there.” Financial solutions from Dell Financial Services enabled the customer to optimise its cashflow.

Sii Technologies deployed the latest generation of Dell EMC PowerEdge servers and Dell EMC Unity 550f All-Flash storage arrays to initially support 40 virtual workspaces. The solution also includes Dell EMC Data Domain DD6300 data protection technology, as well as VMware virtualisation software to support CAD and simulation software. Sii Technologies then expanded the infrastructure to support a total of 180 digital workspaces. All hardware was financed by Dell Financial Services. The Dell Financial Services solution enabled the customer to spread the payments over time, and the cost savings over the lifecycle of the equipment meant that a superior storage solution was in budget. Sii also purchased Dell EMC ProSupport Plus with its solution.

Sii Technologies also began a partnership with Dell Technologies OEM and IOT solutions, which helps the company build and support Digital Beehive globally. “We needed a strong reliable OEM partner with a similar vision, innovation and technology leadership as us. Dell Technologies is such a partner,” says Einloft.

By working with Dell Technologies OEM and IOT solutions, Sii Technologies can position itself as a provider of managed services on the market and through that extend its portfolio. “We can focus on our core competence and don’t have to build the service and support for our customers’ hardware in-house. That way we kill two birds with one stone: we save investment costs and at the same time always have Dell Technologies by our side with their know-how and strong brand—that strengthens our professionality,” says Einloft.

Sii Technologies engineers can now work together more easily no matter where they’re located. “Collaboration across sites in countries has much improved since virtualising our desktops using Dell Technologies solutions,” says Einloft. Additionally, the company can now provision a standardised virtual workspace within 30 minutes, compared to a day for setting up a physical workstation. Sii Technologies also reduces software updating and patching times by up to 10 percent.

As Sii Technologies grows, it will continue to partner with Dell Technologies. “What I really value about Dell Technologies is the partnership approach,” says Einloft. “We are on the same page when it comes to technology and digital transformation.”