As you read this, a ship is transporting a Dell KACE K1000 Management Appliance and a Dell KACE K2000 Deployment Appliance from Miami to Port-au-Prince to take part in an infrastructure re-building project. Still ravaged from January’s devastating earthquake, Haiti’s physical infrastructure is a shell of its former self, and its technical infrastructure is even worse. Beginning in April, Dell will be known for more than enabling business success, Dell’s credentials can now include international earthquake disaster support as well.
ATCO Structures & Logistics, an international logistics support company, was brought in to create three administration bases around the Haitian capital to house temporary government agencies and help bring them back online and in working order. Previously, ATCO and Dell have partnered to run similar successful projects in war torn areas such as Afghanistan. But, according to the project lead for Haiti, Bob Crane, the project has a much different feel to it.
“In the wartime regions you can accept the surroundings as they are manmade. In Haiti, you see just how devastating Mother Nature can be, and we have absolutely no control over that.” – Bob Crane, ATCO.
ATCO is tasked with creating three physical hurricane-proof structures complete with the cable, switches and hardware necessary to power 500 computer end-points and Dell peripherals such as printers, scanners, photocopiers and USB external drives. Local Haitian Internet Service Providers will provide the bandwidth for Internet access. Once each of the three shelters and computer systems are up and running, computer imaging and ongoing systems management will be necessary. The ATCO team looked to Dell KACE as a technology partner to provide the needed systems management product that would be ready to fly in two weeks and provision the 500 machines immediately.
Within six months Haitian IT personnel will take over control of the technology tools. The Dell KACE award-winning all-in-one appliance based systems management model is perfect for the special needs of this important international relief project. The solution also needed to be self-sufficient as the camps will not provision for server infrastructure.
The Dell KACE appliances automate traditionally manual tasks for the team including inventory, configuration management, OS deployment, software and security updates, help desk, remote access and remote imaging — with actionable data available within hours. The ATCO team, with Dell KACE support, is confident the project will quickly provide IT system infrastructure for three critical government agencies.
If you want to see how this support is delivered via a single easy to use appliance, join a daily live demonstration hosted by a Dell KACE expert.