CHING HANG INFORMATION CO., LTD.

Developer Helps Customers Deploy Enterprise-Level Applications with Cloud Computing Services

Business Needs:

Since its founding in 1990, CHING HANG INFORMATION CO., LTD. has helped more than 60,000 enterprises with their computerization efforts. With the rise of cloud computing, CHING HANG INFORMATION CO., LTD. noticed that more of its competitors have begun offering cost-efficient and easy-to-introduce cloud computing services to help customers succeed in the marketplace.

To remain competitive, CHING HANG INFORMATION CO., LTD. needed to implement a shared cloud platform suitable for developing cloud services. The company assessed several well-known domestic and international companies. “Our requirements are very clear,” says Rongtai Lin, Director of Research and Development at CHING HANG INFORMATION CO., LTD. “Our cloud services provider should be responsible for every area related to building basic hardware and software infrastructures, including performances, backup, support, and information security so that we can stay focused on our development efforts.”

Compatibility and local support resources are the reasons that we chose Windows Azure as our shared cloud computing platform.

– Lide Liu
General Manager, CHING HANG INFORMATION CO., LTD..

CHING HANG INFORMATION CO., LTD. realized it needed to provide the same kind of support to its customers, especially small and midsized businesses. For example, Machan Group, one of CHING HANG’s customers, specializes in designing, manufacturing, and marketing toolboxes, hand tools, and medical tool carts. Based in central Taiwan, Machan has customers from more than 60 countries, and 95 percent of its revenues come from markets overseas.

Even though Machan attempted to simplify its IT maintenance by installing new software and by outsourcing the hardware maintenance to other vendors, it still encountered difficulties, including server failures that caused downtimes, damaged backup data due to malfunctioning hard drives, and unforeseen human errors. Other challenges included managing rapidly increasing data volume, planning for enhanced server performance, maintaining the latest security technology, and conducting complex off-site IT support.

Solution:

In 2011, CHING HANG INFORMATION CO., LTD. developed a cloud-based Enterprise Information Portal (EIP) solution built on the Windows Azure and SQL Database technology platforms, and augmented by the company’s existing Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 development environment. Within one year of offering its cloud-based EIP solution, CHING HANG INFORMATION CO., LTD. helped 60 customers deploy this system—including Machan Group.

“The reason we did not set up an IT department was that we wanted to utilize IT from the viewpoint of management, not operation,” says Meigui Bi, General Manager of Machan Group. “With cloud computing, we have the potential to expand whenever we need it, and we eliminate the hassle of maintaining an IT infrastructure—both of which support the company’s growth and operation success in the future.”

Bi also points out that the cloud-based EIP system met the company’s management and process rules and regulations, as well as cultural requirements. Currently, the EIP system at Machan processes as many as 4,000 procedural forms per day. Delay of any work assignment can be easily tracked and reminders sent. Lin adds that the adoption of an infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) solution would require software developers to perform setup and maintenance. However, these hassles are avoidable with the platform-as-a-service (PaaS) solution based on Windows Azure.

“Compatibility and local support resources are the reasons that we chose Windows Azure as our shared cloud computing platform,” says Lide Liu, General Manager at CHING HANG INFORMATION CO., LTD. By adopting Windows Azure, CHING HANG INFORMATION CO., LTD. and its customers experience a smooth transition to the cloud and can easily synchronize data. Also, other foreign vendors of shared cloud services in Taiwan do not provide the support and enhanced information security that CHING HANG INFORMATION CO., LTD. receives from Microsoft—the availability of Microsoft technology, marketing, sales, and IT support resources in Taiwan is something that other vendors lack.

Benefits:

By adopting the EIP solution, Machan Group and many other small and midsize customers have been freed from the burden and cost of maintaining their own IT infrastructures, so they can better focus on operations and management of their core businesses.

• Greatly reduces total cost of ownership. For Machan Group, the EIP solution seamlessly integrates with work processes, supporting rapid increase in the volume of data and forms, as well as a nearly paperless mode of operation. In the past, Machan was concerned that the server load capacity was sufficient, and that the infrastructure might not support the company’s growth. Now, with the cloud-based EIP solution from CHING HANG INFORMATION CO., LTD., Machan will not need to purchase, set up, or maintain servers. By paying based on actual usage, Machan and other customers will be able to enjoy a sustained and stable quality of service and performance. They will also be freed from tedious backup and support tasks.

• Enhances international operations. Because representatives from Machan serve customers in 60 countries, there is almost no downtime allowed for its IT system. The adoption of a cloud service helps avoid downtime caused by version updates, scheduled maintenance, or unexpected shutdowns. Machan employees also frequently travel to China. By using cloud services, off-site employees can gain access to company data quickly.

• Expands customer reach. By running the EIP system on Windows Azure, CHING HANG INFORMATION CO., LTD. can stay focused on software development and customer service, while successfully expanding into new markets that—in the past—would have been unreachable by small to midsize enterprises.Because fees are calculated for the EIP system based on the number of users per month, potential customers can try out the complete features for free. Compared to self-built systems where server hardware, operation systems, databases, and annual maintenance contracts have to be purchased in addition to the software itself, requirements for entry into the cloud-based EIP system have been greatly lowered. The lower costs will help CHING HANG INFORMATION CO., LTD. attract more small to midsize enterprises with limited budgets and IT staffs.

• Simplifies IT support. With the burden of infrastructure setup removed from the equation, IT maintenance is simplified. CHING HANG INFORMATION CO., LTD. automatically performs version updates to ensure that every cloud service subscriber uses the same features from the same version. Should an issue arise, technical support is delivered via phone calls—there is no need to send personnel onsite to troubleshoot issues.

• Faster access to overseas markets. CHING HANG INFORMATION CO., LTD. plans to promote its cloud services to overseas markets after firmly establishing operations in Taiwan. It also expects that the worldwide presence of Microsoft operations and Windows Azure data centers will be at the heart of its successful expansion into overseas markets.

Source:

Microsoft Case Study: CHING HANG INFORMATION CO., LTD.