Mutual and Federal improves business functionality with AVeS

After a rigorous selection process, financial services company, Mutual and Federal, turned to AVeS to assist it in deploying Microsoft System Center and its bespoke solution Orchestrator in its help desk. These technologies had to help reduce the overheads of its technology spend, while at the same time streamlining its business processes and improving productivity.

AVeS understood the benefits of the single-licensing infrastructure in using System Center Service Manager to combine System Center Operations Manager, Systems Center Configurations Manager and System Center Virtual Machine Manager, into a single application stack. Hereby, AVeS proved to be the logical choice for Mutual and Federal.

By making use of a centralised managed database (CMDB), AVeS was able to interact with on-site staff and create relationships between configuration and work items. These improvements allowed administrators and help desk staff to action calls and see the direct relationships between users and their allocated assets.

"The key driver for any service desk should be the removal of complexity as well as the provision of an adaptable solution that helps lower overhead cost throughout the business. Through the implementation of the Orchestrator system, Mutual and Federal's staff are now able to complete tasks by generating automated request offerings instead of manually inputting these," explains Charl Ueckermann, Managing Director of AVeS.

"The automated request offerings have made Mutual and Federal's release of tasks to management for approval absolutely effortless."

With the additional integration of System Center Operations Manager, AVeS has enabled Mutual and Federal to maximise both the default proactive response strategy offered by the product and its IT automation potential. If problems are encountered in product use, the associated call will be logged immediately to ensure that the required SLA agreement is met and the appropriate staff will be allocated through automatic call forwarding and escalation.

"The automation aspect of this deployment truly provides a wonderful insight into future Microsoft's thinking," explains Ueckermann. "It's a massive step in the right direction as the vendor seems to be positively positioning itself by allowing organisations to offer on-demand IT services, remove administrative complication, as well as allow its users and management staff to make informed decisions to what applications they want and need to use."