Hitachi Redefines Data Mobility for Kremsmüller Industrieanlagenbau KG

Kremsmüller is not only diverse in its locations, but it is also varied and versatile in its operations: From pipeline construction to special container construction to hardware and software engineering services, the group combines a wide variety of services under one brand. Quality and safety are always paramount.

Kremsmüller also maintains these high standards with regard to its data organization. For over 50 years, Kremsmüller has been a reliable partner for custom, individual solutions, and they expect the same quality from their data storage solutions.

A company encompassing this range of diversity and acting from numerous sites in Europe and beyond is naturally faced with a continuously growing amount of data. For this reason, a comprehensive, new storage approach was established in 2012. The infrastructure comprises two Hitachi Unified Storage 150 systems, each with 80TB capacity, and Hitachi Content Platform (HCP). It also includes Hitachi Command Director, Hitachi Data Discovery Suite (for Microsoft® SharePoint®), and Hitachi Application Protector software. The results of this initial solution included significantly improved performance and capacity, better accessibility and preparation for future company growth.

The Challenge: Share Corporate Data Internationally

“The demands made on modern IT environments that guarantee access to company data from any location, at any time, have risen dramatically within a few years,” says Gregor Kremsmüller, CMO and executive board member of Kremsmüller Industrieanlagenbau KG. The challenge was to share business data securely. High data mobility is necessary to transfer data between branches (Romania, Russia, Abu Dhabi, Turkey), suppliers and customers.

Recognizing that data mobility is a critical success factor for business, Kremsmüller opted to continue its successful cooperation with Hitachi to construct the solution.

The Solution: Hitachi Content Platform Anywhere

“We knew that pure cloud solutions harbor risks, as the data is usually stored in different physical locations. We therefore made a very conscious decision to use the HCP Anywhere solution, since all data is stored within the company on the existing HCP 300, which acts as a foundation,” says Kremsmüller. The HCP Anywhere solution was the logical extension for reflecting all modern business requirements and equipping ourselves for the future.” It was not necessary to create additional capacity, since the existing HCP 300 platform owned by the Kremsmüller group provided ample archiving capacity.

The Benefits: All Modern Data Usage Requirements Convincingly Fulfilled

“Using Hitachi Content Platform Anywhere, we can share large amounts of data with our customers, partners and suppliers easily and securely, anytime, anyplace and on any device,” affirms Kremsmüller.

The new solution for the Kremsmüller group has improved processes and increased productivity across various departments and has given the entire organization a significant boost. Being able to access data from anywhere and on any device optimally supports employee mobility and improves cooperation with customers and partners. Overflowing email servers are a thing of the past, since links are now sent instead of attachments.

“Even after this short period, we have noticed significant effects in increased employee productivity, time saved by constant access to data, and easy exchange of information with suppliers and customers,” says Kremsmüller. “A further essential factor is, of course, the absolute guaranteed security of the company’s data,” he adds.

HCP Anywhere: A Safe Investment in the Future for Kremsmüller

HCP Anywhere solves a series of problems that affect many companies:

• Data that is not monitored and controlled by company IT.
• Inefficient capacity utilization that is caused by substantial content duplication.
• Poor employee productivity due to inefficient storage.
• High cost of storage, backup and data management.

“Using HCP Anywhere has created various degrees of benefit,” says Kremsmüller. “Better cooperation and productivity, secure and monitored file sharing inside and outside the company, independent registration options for users without requiring training, avoidance of the security, protection and performance risks posed by cloud solutions, and much more. Our immediate task is to spread the solution throughout the company and make it available to everyone,” he concludes.