ABS selects Expand and VMware

Peter Dinham
Tuesday, 23 June 2009 15:22

Business IT - Technology

Leveraging existing virtual infrastructure in the datacentre, Expand’s WAN optimisation technology is deployed as a “virtual image”. Buckham adds.
According to Expand Networks, by delivering the “most advanced levels of VMware integration”, the ABS can use VMware’s suite of services to deploy, manage, maintain and assure the Expand Accelerator Image within the existing virtualised infrastructure.”

And, VMware Australian and New Zealand managing director, Paul Harapin, says the ABS deployment will deliver the “significant benefits of virtualisation including reduced capital and operating costs.”

Harapin says the virtual accelerator will extend user capacity on the ABS’ existing infrastructure, assuring the VDI experience for its employees and stretching existing network and hardware investments.

According to Harapin, in trials with 45 users in the ABS’ Perth office, the government department achieved data traffic levels of approximately 54MB through the 18MB WAN. 

And, according to Steve O’Brien, VP of Expand Networks Asia Pacific, a common frustration for many organisations starting down the virtualisation path is that “once they get to rolling out VDI, they hit a roadblock as their WAN struggles to cope with the application load.”

“Many of these companies are hesitant to bring in new hardware to optimise the data traffic because it goes against their virtual infrastructure plans. 

“Our Virtual Accelerator, which is effectively an accelerator ‘image’, avoids the need for additional hardware, while still providing all the benefits of an Expand solution including application acceleration and QoS,” O’Brien says, adding that “the best part is that before a physical appliance can be boxed and labelled for shipment, a virtual appliance can be installed, configured and actively optimising traffic.”