Norwegian Q-Free Selecting NetApp

Proact IT Group AB will be
rolling out a flexible, functional and scalable storage platform for Q-Free ASA.

The contract has a framework of NOK 3 to 5 million, depending on the services
used. Proact was the preferred option thanks to the company’s reputation
and the fact that it offered a scalable and functional solution.

Norwegian company Q-Free, in solutions and products for electronic road pricing and traffic monitoring, is represented in 17 countries, and now dropping a SAN
solution which is out of warranty and capacity in favour of a future-oriented,
functional and scalable HA platform from NetApp, Inc. Proact won the tender on the
basis of the technological value and expertise offered by the company.

"Proact has a reputation
as the most competent player in Norway as far as storage is concerned, and so
the company will be the right partner for the implementation, support and
maintenance of our storage platform. The NetApp model turned out to be the most
scalable option with the widest range of functions. Other similar solutions
that met our needs were much more expensive and more rigid," says
Brage Hoel, Head of IT at Q-Free.

As well as purchasing implementation assistance, Q-Free has also
entered into a five-year maintenance and support agreement. The overall
framework for the investment is in the order of NOK 3 to 5 million, depending
on which services are used.

"Our environment is
complex, with huge numbers of image files passing through the system every
single day. Knowledge is crucial in order to ensure that the storage platform
interacts as effectively as possible with databases and other components in the
infrastructure. This was a hugely important aspect we considered when selecting
our supplier," says Hoel.

The solution will be mirrored across two data halls. Of the new
functions available, Hoel highlights the option of moving workloads in real
time, caching and snapshot technology that will provide better, more rational
restore procedures.

"We are pleased to see
that the office in Trondheim is continuing to win exciting contracts on the
basis of their outstanding expertise and good local reputation. Q-Free is a
global innovator with exciting future prospects. We look forward to supporting them
with good procedures and solutions that will ensure that their information is
stored and managed as efficiently as possible," says Eirik Pedersen, MD at Proact.