Computerworld Hong Kong - enterpriseinnovation.net

Ricoh Helps Shaw Studios Build 10G Fiber Optic BackboneNetwork with One-Stop IT ServicesHong Kong’s film industry owes itslong-standing success to continuousimprovement in the quality of production.The newly completed Shaw Studiosin Tseung Kwan O, covering an area of523,000 square feet, comprises an administrationbuilding, theatre, post productionbuilding, exhibition hall and five studios.The various buildings are connected by a10G fiber optic backbone network designedto support transfer of large image files inthe future as well as provide a reliable andexpandable infrastructure platform.Ricoh offers competitive options“We moved into the Tseung Kwan O studiosin late 2009 and needed to build a largecampus network to meet the demands infuture film production projects,” said ChrisLeung, IT Manager of Shaw Studios. Thislarge-scale infrastructure project wouldalso involve the deployment of firewalls,core switches, storage systems, desktopcomputers and security systems. Leunghad met with a number of IT solution providersand he finally decided Ricoh is themost suitable among all.According to Leung, a comprehensiveplan is crucial to projects, hence, he carefullyevaluated the proposals from differentservice providers and finalized Ricoh offersa wide range of options and great flexibility,and also lower overall costs.In this digital era, advanced IT facilities and networkinfrastructure have become crucial to the success of thefilm industry. In late 2009, Shaw Studios, located on WanPo Road in Tseung Kwan O, entered into partnershipwith Ricoh, an IT solutions provider, invested over 6million HKD in building a world leading 10G fiber opticbackbone network and cutting-edge IT infrastructurefacilities. The Improvements in operational efficiency andeffectiveness are far better than expected.Ricoh constructed a 10G fiber optic backbonenetwork connecting the seven buildingsin Shaw Studios to provide amplebandwidth for data transfer and networkservices. Leung said, “As film productionbecomes digitalized, we are frequentlytransferring files as large as 2,000-3,000G.We need stable and reliable network servicesso that we don’t get any jittering in thevideos during transfer.” Leung was pleasedwith Ricoh’s network design and solutions,it is cost savings, flexibility and ease oftransfer in equipment procurement. Fur-www.cw.com.hkthermore, Ricoh do well in energy-savingand environmentally protection, the moreefficient resource consumption is achievedthrough monitoring network usage and adjustingnetwork resources according to demand.Ricoh built the infrastructure on Brocade’sbrand new 10Gbps Fiber Channel overEthernet (FCoE) network utilizing a threelayerdesign, the core network, distributednetwork and network security. Ricoh alsopurchased desktop computers, workstations,Macintosh computers, IBM serversand storage blades for Shaw Studios. Interms of security, the network is protectedby firewalls and file encryption. Meanwhileadjustable broadband usage help facilitatemonitoring of network traffic costs.Highly efficient and reliable networkgenerates more incomeAs a matter of fact, apart from film production,Shaw Studios provides music CDproductions, advertisement productions,dubbing and mixing and multi-media postproductionservices. This diversified rangeof business areas require an extensiveamount of IT services. At the same time,the company hosts a wide range of commercialactivities in its premises, such aslarge-scale product launch events and exhibitions.Leung said, “When a customerrents a venue in our premises, they naturallyrequire such IT facilities as wire internetconnection and video conferencing. The ITinfrastructure Ricoh has designed for usenables re-deployment of broadband usage,allowing us to deliver 100% customersatisfaction.”Thoughtful after-sale services help buildmutual trustThis is not the first time that Chris Leunghas worked with Ricoh. When he was thehead of the IT department at a TV station,he purchased IT solutions from a numberof service providers, including Ricoh. Apleasant working relationship meant thetwo sides have developed mutual trust.Leung highly appreciates Ricoh’s sincere,thoughtful and conscientious customer service:“When we ran into problems with thesystem and needed support, Ricoh was thefirst to respond. Whether it was softwaremaintenance or hardware replacement,Ricoh’s service team handled our requestsswiftly. This is what I appreciate most aboutRicoh.”Fulfilling the needs of large file transferChris Leung satisfied with the infrastructureproject, which can support 2,000 networkusers at one time. He emphasizedthat the top priority of the IT departmentwas to serve fellow employees and thenewly-completed IT infrastructure improvesthe efficiency of network usage throughwireless and wired internet connections,email services, webpage services, FTP andremote access. It is even equipped with aDNS server to differentiate the mainframesof the internal and external networks, hencehigher the efficiency of the network.Last but not least, he points out thatShaw Studios’ industry leading 10G fiberoptic backbone network should suffice forthe next few years, whereas equipmentupgrade and network expansion could beeasily carried out if future business expansioncalls for more network support.April 2011 Computerworld Hong Kong 7Brought to you by Ricoh