Macro 4 Archiving Supports SAP Solutions

Macro 4, part of the UNICOM Group of Companies, announced the launch of its Data Archiving Packaged Service, a quick-to-implement, entry-level data archiving service aimed at enabling faster upgrades of SAP software solutions, by reducing the volume of data that needs to be migrated.
 
“Many SAP customers are in the process of upgrading to the latest version of SAP ERP 6.0 software,” said Lynda Kershaw, marketing manager at Macro 4. “As SAP’s software is often a business-critical system, upgrades need to be completed as fast as possible, with minimal downtime and disruption. Our new service, which combines Macro 4 archiving software with specialist consultancy services, aims to get archiving projects live as quickly as possible, by moving older, static data off the SAP database and into a separate archive. With less data to migrate, upgrades are typically completed 25-30 per cent faster.”
 
By reducing the volume of data held within the live SAP database, archiving also cuts the processing workload, reducing response times and enabling faster batch operations. Similarly, disaster recovery is improved, as there is less data to back up and restore.
 
Macro 4’s solution maintains archived information in a compressed form on a secure, low cost storage server, from where users are able to access it as normal through the SAP software application.

Storage cost savings can be significant, as Kershaw explains: “Saving a single terabyte of disk space through archiving could reduce your storage costs by as much as £150,000. This figure takes into account administrative overheads such as personnel, training and storage management systems, which collectively make up around 75 per cent of total storage costs.”
 
The new data archiving offering is part of SAP’s Packaged Services Programme in the U.K. and Ireland, which is designed to provide easy-to-implement, off-the-shelf solutions to address clearly defined business problems.
 
“SAP recommends archiving before upgrading, making the process quicker,” said Geoff Watts, head of Business Development (Consulting) at SAP U.K. & Ireland. “The removal of redundant data will also help ensure that systems run more efficiently. As many of our customers will be upgrading to SAP ERP 6.0 over the next 12 months, we expect to see great demand for the Data Archiving Packaged Service.”
 
Customers will be offered an initial database ‘health check’ to determine their potential for using archiving to free up database capacity. Consultancy advice is provided as part of the packaged service to help customers decide which SAP applications are the best candidates for archiving.  Assistance is also provided with implementing and configuring the Macro 4 archiving software and staff training.
 
The package is designed to be implemented for a single SAP application and can be expanded to include further applications.
 
“The Data Archiving Packaged Service is the perfect choice for organisations that want a fast, low-risk data archiving solution. In a matter of weeks they can offload redundant data, get their system working more efficiently and expedite their next SAP upgrade,” added Kershaw.