Newcastle-based Regional IT has solved a huge problem for international award-winning architecture firm dwp|suters.
Much of dwp|suters’ work involves collaboration across 15 locations throughout Australia, Asia and the Middle East using 3D modelling software. But massive and unwieldy files were making it difficult to transmit project data from one team to the next. As a result, employees often spent hours every day synchronising data to ensure every team in every office had access to the same information.
To find a solution, dwp|suters spoke to the experts at Regional IT and they offered a solution using Citrix technology, which can handle the complexity of the 3D imagery. Citrix software also has a unique capability to enable workers to view graphics-intensive files on their virtual desktops in high definition.
The Extreme3D desktop-as-a-service platform includes a combination of Citrix XenApp for on-demand application delivery and Citrix XenServer for easy hypervisor management. dwp|suters architects and interior designers now have on-demand access to files from the cloud, with all data secured and monitored by Regional IT.
“We understood their dilemma right from the start,” Regional IT director Dan Wright said. “But we knew the Citrix technology well enough to offer it as the perfect solution. At Regional IT we make a point of understanding all the capabilities of the products we sell as well as intuitive ways of using it.”
The solution enables dwp|suters’ employees to collaborate on their projects from any location, on any device, even on their home computers or personal tablets.
“It got to the point where a simple collaboration between teams in Melbourne and Brisbane would be a no-go, all because the data was too difficult to share,” Kent Chalmers, dwp|suters national IT manager said.
“To make matters worse, we occasionally lost entire days worth of work due to synchronisation errors. When you have multiple architects and designers working on a project at hundreds of dollars per hour, that’s a major loss.”
Regional IT eliminated dwp|suters’ need for a $280,000 hardware upgrade.
With the Citrix-based solution, dwp|suters no longer suffers from accidental data loss due to faulty synchronisation. Easier collaboration between architects and designers means dwp|suters can activate the full power of its collective workforce. Before deploying a hosted desktop solution, dwp|suters had a significant footprint on three continents. Now the company is poised to engage on a truly global scale.
Regional IT remains firmly based in Newcastle, knowing it can offer world-class solutions to international firms.
