gen-i Installs State Of Art Citrix System

AUCKLAND, September 5, 2001– Internet integrator, gen-i today announced the completion of a nationwide thin client project for State Insurance.

The 1400-user, Citrix based solution has been designed by gen-i to meet future requirements, streamline operations, deliver a responsive helpdesk solution, reduce total cost of ownership and realise the functional benefits of a thin client environment.

One of the key requirements of the project was the ability to provide secure, failover systems that could be remotely managed. The system was designed with 30% additional capacity, to allow for maintenance to be carried out while still maintaining 24 x 7 availability. The robustness of the gen-i implemented Citrix solution has been successfully demonstrated since it was commissioned.

The time taken to deploy new applications has also been dramatically reduced. Installing applications on all the company’s PCs used to take up to four months while installing on the server farm - housing 30 servers - takes only four weeks, giving State Insurance increased productivity and efficiency.

Of the 1400 users, 95 per cent now operate in a thin client environment with the rest using a hybrid model, which allows them to run the few specialist applications.

Around 1000 of the company’s PCs were three years old and nearing the end of their useful life. Moving to thin client extended the life of these machines and gave them additional functionality.

State’s desktops used NT4 and Office and the thin client project delivered Windows 2000 and Office 2000, via Citrix MetaFrame. In addition, State’s more recently-purchased PCs were also configured as thin client devices, to maximise the benefits of thin client throughout the organisation.

The Citrix solution provided State with improved centralised support services, reduced its need to upgrade desktops and improved its business continuity solution.

gen-i's specialist expertise is in deploying best practise full thin client infrastructures for enterprise-size customers.
ENDS

About gen-i
gen-i limited is the first and largest New Zealand-based Australasian Internet integrator, focused on designing, building, implementing and supporting e-business solutions and systems for large corporate customers. With over 500 people, gen-i extends customer support worldwide – both online and through a network of service partners.
gen-i is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cullen Investments Limited. gen-i's blue chip clients include Air New Zealand Ansett Group, Department of Corrections, Department of Internal Affairs, LINZ, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, New Zealand Dairy Board, Simpson Grierson Law and WestpacTrust.

For more information please visit www.gen-i.co.nz

About State Insurance
State Insurance is the largest fire and general insurer in New Zealand with a market share of 21 percent. It is also a leading provider of commercial insurance.
State Insurance has 1400 staff and underwrites around 1,500,000 policies for more than 700,000 customers. It has a flexible range of products and services available through a large nationwide network of sales centres and agencies. In 2000, State Insurance received more than 235,000 claims and paid out over $214 million.

© Scoop Media