“A new server was too expensive, our 9406 was too slow and we still needed Disaster Recovery. We needed a way to meet all our needs.”
“We are very happy that we joined Cloud400. If anybody is asking me, I would 100% approve Cloud400 and recommend it.”
Background
Located in Secaucus, New Jersey, Sander Sales imports and distributes a full line of bedding products from comforter sets to complete bed-in-a-bag selections. Sander’s bed linens are sold in department stores such as Macy’s, Sears and Wal-Mart and through a variety of online retailers.
Sander Sales has supported their operation with an IBM 9406-170 V5R3 with up to 20 users. Sander relies on customized CAMS for purchasing, order processing and inventory and uses Extol for EDI.
Slowing 9406-170 Plus Need for DR
Sander’s IT Director, Leon Teitelbaum, had been thinking about updating the 9406-170 to a newer POWER i server with a high availability solution.
Leon describes Sander’s situation this way. “Our 9406 was running slow and we figured that we needed to replace our system. It’s 16- year old technology. We were concerned about parts reliability. We thought about adding another system with Vision iTera High Availability to failover to our current 9406-170 for backup, but we figured the 9406 is not going to make it so we looked into buying another server.
“A new server was too expensive, the 9406 was too slow and we still needed Disaster Recovery. We needed a way to meet all our needs.”
Unexpected Occurs – Hurricane Sandy
Leon says, “The straw that broke the camel’s back was Hurricane Sandy. There was no power, no electricity. We were so vulnerable for a week or so.
“The main problem was the electricity outage. We’re in Secaucus, New Jersey. It isn’t a big huge city, but there were power outages everywhere … metro New York, Long Island. Everything was dark. That woke us up; it was time to do something.
“We realized that we really shouldn’t be having these types of issues any longer. Nature does strike from time to time and we should make sure that we are not affected. We can’t be down for that much time.”
Time To Review Options
“We began reviewing our options. Maybe we could get a generator? Then we figured, let’s see if there’s something else — like a cloud hosting solution.
“We started looking into it, and yes, there are some companies that do virtual hosting of AS400 systems. The first couple weeks it seemed a little far-fetched. But after more review, AS400 on a cloud seemed to be a real possibility, something that is very likely.”
Investigation Leads To Cloud
“At first we worried that the AS400 could not be on a cloud and that we may have to go to another platform, something PC based. But we started investigating cloud hosting for the AS400 and found several companies.”
Some Pricing Way Too High
“We compared several cloud providers. One of the companies I contacted had prices more like a Fortune 500 company with a huge amount of data flow. Their prices weren’t aligned with what we could spend per month.”
Cloud400™ Just Made Sense
“I found Source Data Products’ Cloud400 online. I started looking over their website, watching the videos and reading the testimonies. I liked what I saw. Cloud400 sounded like something very, very positive. After much review, Cloud400 was the best choice.”
Secure Cloud Solution Required
“The thing that I fear most is data security. I have all kinds of concerns … what happens if somebody hacks in, is our data being put into the wrong hands? Until now our data was at our company site but I still worried. Our major concern is the security of our data when it is in the cloud.
“Source Data assured me my data was safe. Bob Losey explained that using point to point encryption with all the variables of IP addresses, individual passwords, user profiles, different algorithms, etc., makes unauthorized access to data in the cloud nearly impossible.”
Easy Setup And Testing Of Cloud400
“The price and testimonies aligned with our needs. We were comfortable with the data security. Plus with the free trial period, it made perfect sense. We contacted Source Data Products and got the process started.
“The Cloud400 setup went so smooth. The professional staff of experts was nice, knowledgeable and friendly and that made it even better.
“I was very happy there was a 60-day trial period so there are no worries if it doesn’t work out, nothing happens. I have a threshold of 2 months to see how it is and get my feet wet with it because remote access to our system via the internet was so new to us.”
Cloud400 Team: Top Notch Professionals
“To be honest, I am very pleased with the people at Source Data Products. The professionalism and technical know-how and communication is top notch —from top to bottom. Communication is number one to us. If I have a problem, I call and somebody is picking up the phone. I can email and get a reply. We’re in the loop and the problem is being solved.”
Speed, Reliability And Flexibility
“Our system is so fast now. The speed is a great benefit that we enjoy and of course, the flexibility. Making sure that we are not down anymore and knowing we have back-ups. If we have no electricity here at our office, I can always log in from home and still run reports if needed. I am happy.”
Leon Teitelbaum Recommends Cloud400 100%
“Here we are, right now, very happy that we joined Cloud400. If anybody is asking me, I would 100% approve Cloud400 and recommend it.
“They have the right people in the right place, and work to gain trust with people. The communication is perfect.”