SUSE Linux Review: ITV selected a number of Novell solutions as key components of its new infrastructure including SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, Novell Open Enterprise Server, a Novell identity and access management solution, and Novell ZENworks.

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For a large broadcasting company on the air at all times, reliable system support is essential. ITV consolidated its disparate infrastructure with SUSE® Linux Enterprise Server for greater performance and reliability, while significantly reducing costs.

Overview

ITV is the largest commercial broadcaster in the UK, watched by nearly 45 million people each week. With the largest programming budget in Europe, ITV shows nearly 6,000 hours of original programming each year.

Challenge

ITV was formed several years ago as the result of a merger between Carlton TV and Granada. As a result, the company had a variety of platforms, including 50 different UNIX* systems, which were expensive and difficult to maintain. Updates for a range of legacy software and hardware were either costly or non-existent.

The IT staff was struggling to simplify and standardize its diverse environment and maintain consistent uptime. A major goal for ITV was to consolidate and simplify its infrastructure for 6,000 users across 90 locations in the UK, U.S., Germany and Australia.

Solution

ITV selected a number of Novell solutions as key components of its new infrastructure including SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, Novell® Open Enterprise Server, a Novell identity and access management solution, and Novell ZENworks®.

"We chose SUSE Linux Enterprise Server because it offered the best overall package of support, a stable distribution of Linux and a long-term relationship with a trusted partner," said Nick Leake, Director of Operations and Infrastructure at ITV. "The Novell direction around Linux is second to none. We found that the combination of training, managed software releases and support was superior to what we could get elsewhere."

ITV began migrating all of its UNIX data center systems to SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, replacing expensive servers with low-cost, Intel-based hardware. The company runs many of its mission-critical applications on Linux*, including many UNIX and Oracle* systems, with significantly better uptime to keep business applications available at all times.