VAR500 Roundup: ACS, HP Enterprise Services, CACI Get To Work

VAR500 companies nailed down contracts with the government, addressed CeBit, and implemented environmental solutions this week. Following is a roundup of activity at the largest solution providers in North America.

Affiliated Computer Services (2009 VAR500 rank: #23), a division of Xerox, has unveiled a new state-of-the-art flagship data center that simultaneously lowers carbon emissions and reduces energy costs. The new $3 million, 4,500-square-foot facility, in Telford, England, was designed and built by IBM. ACS estimates potential energy cost savings could be up to 70 percent.



"This new data facility's innovative design makes good environmental sense as well as sound commercial sense," said ACS CEO Lynn Blodgett (left), during the opening of the facility. "By making environmentally conscious decisions, we can make informed business decisions to ensure our clients are more competitive."



The new facility expands ACS' current data center capabilities in Telford, which now total 14,000 square feet. ACS deployed nLyte Software to provide its Data Centre Performance Management solutions. Automation and monitoring tools are from Nimsoft and network connectivity is by the Convergence Group.

Speaking at CeBIT this week, Andy Mulholland, global CTO of Capgemini (2009 VAR500 rank #7), discussed a Gartner survey of 1,500 companies that indicates the goals of business leaders and IT departments are generally not in sync. He also discussed the relevance of innovation in expanding a company's market.

"Business models are changing due to IT, but it is important that IT managers and chief executives are in communication about how they approach the changes that the IT world is creating, especially in the cloud," he said.

During his address, Mulholland (left), added that new opportunities, particularly within cloud computing, have allowed many companies to view IT as a way to increase sales, by expanding market opportunity.

HP Enterprise Services (2009 VAR500 rank #4) will implement an Apriso solution at General Motors to expand visibility into and control over battery manufacturing and supply chain operations. Apriso's FlexNet system will help GM expand control of production and product quality at its new Chevrolet Volt battery assembly plant. The Volt plug-in car is scheduled for production this year.



GM hopes the implementation will promote continuous improvement and provide flexibility for product design changes and marketplace responsiveness.



"Now more than ever, manufacturers have a critical need for real-time quality issue notification and visualization of problems," said Mark Collins (left), vice president, General Motors business, HP Enterprise Services. "With industry-leading expertise in manufacturing operations, HP can employ modular, scalable solutions to increase flexibility, making global manufacturers like GM more nimble."



HP also has implemented Apriso's FlexNet at other GM manufacturing plants in the United States and China, with further implementations planned during the next 24 months.

The U.S. Navy selected CACI International (2009 VAR500 rank #57) to support a command-and-control program migration to strengthen tactical data efficiencies.



CACI International will support the migration of the U.S. Navy's legacy command and control systems. The contract could be worth up to $588 million. CACI will provide its enterprise information technology and network services methodology to provide an easier, more efficient method of providing tactical data to all users.



CACI is a long-time partner of the Navy, providing it with solutions that include software development, enterprise resource planning, network engineering, software testing and certification, and training.



"Enhancing the Navy's IT and network capabilities will play an important role in upgrading command and control operations to better serve the needs of our operating forces as they carry out their missions around the world," said CACI president and CEO Paul Cofoni (left), in a statement.

Ciber (2009 VAR500 rank #83) has launched a secure online system for the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to help streamline air pollution emissions reporting, database management and pollution control planning.



The Emissions Inventory Tracking (EMIT) system will help Connecticut businesses and industries to comply with the federal Clean Air Act. Previously, DEP got paper-based emissions reports, which were transferred to an electronic database. The EMIT system automates many of the manual, paper-based data collection processes.



"By automating an antiquated, paper-based process for collecting information, we are enabling businesses and industries to streamline reporting that is required under the federal Clean Air Act," said DEP Commissioner Amey Marrella in a statement. "The system will also provide DEP staff with instant access to the information needed to ensure compliance with the requirements of emissions permits, which helps protect the quality of the air we breathe."