Social Video Start-up Keek Leverages Dell Solutions

Keek, Inc., a new social media platform,
enables users to share 36 second video updates, and offers more than 200,000 new
users registering daily and four million videos monthly.

In the social media space, speed,
ease-of-use and 24×7 availability are critical. By using a
Dell, Inc.‘s platform and open-source technologies
including CentOS Linux, Nginx and MongoDB, Keek is able to maximize performance
while minimizing costs associated with space, energy and manpower requirements.

By design, Keek’s systems and applications are scalable to accommodate the
continued influx of new users and increased volume of user-generated video.
Using Dell’s scalable architecture, Keek is able to add additional server power
and storage resources as required with no downtime, service disruption or
compatibility issues.

To minimize both cabling and hardware
footprint, Keek selected Dell PowerEdge M1000e blade enclosures and PowerEdge servers. Half M620 blade servers with Xeon
processors handle the heavy lifting, while M610 blades carry out load balancing
and other less CPU-intensive tasks. M910 blade servers host Keek’s
databases, and PowerConnect M8024 10GbE switches provide
core network connectivity and support real-time video streams from the server.

Uptime and performance are critical to
Keek’s continued success and user satisfaction. Keek hosts all its users’
videos and data on EqualLogic PS6500E iSCSI SANs connected to the servers
with PowerConnect 6248 switches, and uses FS7500 unified storage
solution for NAS. This virtualized storage architecture
spreads the load and facilitates a 20-fold faster throughput for optimized
performance, which in turn makes for a better, faster user experience.

The virtualized environment and remote
access cards (iDRAC7) that are integrated in Dell’s 12th generation servers are
compatible with Linux and allow Keek’s IT team to manage servers remotely,
deploying new software, updating systems and trouble-shooting problems directly
from head office, minimizing the need for additional IT support staff.

Keek financed its new IT solution through
Dell Financial Services. By offsetting costs over a longer period of time, Keek
is able to best leverage its working capital – a key consideration for a
VC-funded start up.

"We
picked Dell for a number of reasons. We wanted an end-to-end hardware platform
from a single vendor – one who could offer total reliability, hardware
consistency and a clear product road map. We also needed flexible financing
options so we could offset the upfront costs of our IT infrastructure over a
longer period of time. Dell was able to deliver on all fronts. They have a
clear road map of consistent, compatible solutions, so it will be easy to
integrate new hardware into our current configuration in years to come. Their
track record for product excellence and reliability is second to none, and
being able to finance our entire infrastructure through Dell Financial Services
made all the difference," said Isaac Raichyk, CEO, Keek.

"Keek is a start-up operating in an exciting
social media space. Its growth has been nothing short of phenomenal. It was
clear from the get-go that they needed a highly-scalable solution capable of
growing with them as their business continues to expand. Dell was able to
provide the one-stop-shop they were looking for with the right blend of
customizable server, storage and networking solutions. We look forward to a
long and fruitful relationship as they continue to grow their user base and as
‘keek’, like ‘tweet’, enters the common vernacular," said David
Miketinac, VP and GM, SMB, Dell Canada.