Interlink’s Warehouse-LINK® WMS is "server neutral." However, that does not mean that it is not important to select the right server for the job. Before looking at WMS solutions, you need to consider the server/platform/database and what will "serve" your needs with the most cost-efficient return. What is the most important requirement to consider? Is it up-front cost? Yearly maintenance fees? Ease of use? Dependability and uptime? Server power? Number of servers? Location of the server? If you’re like most people, the most important requirement is all of the above.
Uptime or availability is very high on the list of important requirements. Why? Because downtime is so expensive and over days, months and years the downtime costs can be deadly. According to IBM Systems Magazine1, 98% said that average hourly downtime costs exceed $100,000. The article continues with the latest ITIC 2014-2015 reliability poll that states:
"79 percent of corporations now require a minimum of 99.99 percent uptime or better for their mission-critical hardware."
If you are unfamiliar with the IBM Power Systems, you may be asking if 99.99% availability or uptime is possible. The answer is yes!
"Fifty-eight percent of IBM Power Systems servers achieved five nines, or 99.999 percent availability. This is the equivalent of just 5.25 minutes of unplanned per server/per annum downtime, or 44 seconds each month."
So, is the cost of the IBM Power Server and the maintenance fees worth it? To answer this question, you will probably have to evaluate your business goals. Do you want your business to grow? In addition to availability, scalability and server power are extremely important during growth. IBM continues to lead in the market share of application infrastructure and middleware by more than two times the competition, according to Gartner based on 2014 worldwide revenue.2
IBM servers have a well-known reputation for being "work-horses." Interlink’s Warehouse-LINK® has been described as "bullet-proof." When the two work together, warehouse operations are at their peak performance.
To read the full articles quoted:
- http://www.ibmsystemsmag.com/power/businessstrategy/competitiveadvantage/itic-reliability-survey/
- https://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/46705.wss
By: Lynn Granatir (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
