Sigma becomes one of the first to implement new HyperConverged technology

An opportunity to build HyperConverged clusters in Windows Server (WS) 2016 is a compact and price-efficient solution from Microsoft that many companies have been looking forward to. Sigma Technology has implemented the new technology with support from Hewlett Packard Enterprise and became one of the first consulting companies in Sweden to make use of it.

The more compact and cost-effective new solution in WS 2016 is the storage technology called Storage Spaces Direct (S2D). It is based on storing data internally on the server instead of using a traditional Storage Area Network (SAN). S2D ensures significant savings by eliminating the need to buy and maintain hardware for a traditional SAN.

Andreas Lamkén, CTO of Sigma Technology, is responsible for IT infrastructure, design, planning, and in-house project development. When Microsoft announced the new WS 2016 last year, Andreas did not hesitate to begin testing and trying out new clustering technologies at work:

"What we are building now is a virtualization cluster according to the hyper-converged concept, which means that virtualization nodes and storage nodes are merged into one so that both services are running on the same hardware. This, in turn, gives us a higher efficiency of the hardware and a simplified management.

"S2D and Hyper-V 2016 provide us with a very good performance, availability, and are much more compact than traditional solutions. We have already put the new technology in production. Hewlett Packard Enterprise has been our partner for many years and we are very pleased with prompt delivery and commitment we get from them. We received demo equipment for WS 2016 in a very short term, and Carl Nordström, our contact at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, has helped us with anything extra that we needed."

"Sigma Technology has really shown what we want to see in our partners and customers, curiosity and interest in new technologies that helps them to deal with end users. It has been a great pleasure working with the team from Sigma and we wish them all the luck in the future," said Carl Nordström, Hewlett-Packard Enterprise.

The launch of the new Windows Server 2016 was announced at the MS Ignite Conference in Atlanta at the end of September, where Andreas was one of 25 000 visitors.

"It is very exciting to get to attend such major events and to meet all those who are responsible for the development at Microsoft. We got a very good insight into how we can streamline our IT further. We have also recently visited the HPE Discover Conference in London, which has given us a good update on their latest solutions and further strengthened our cooperation."

"It is very inspiring to see companies such as Sigma, which immediately see and utilize new opportunities that come with new technology. With Windows Server 2016, they have been among the first to take advantage of a new storage technology from Microsoft for their virtualization platform and I am very happy to hear that it gave Sigma a far more effective solution," says Anders Wendt, Business Area Manager of Cloud & Enterprise at Microsoft.

Sigma Technology is a technology consulting company specializing in product information, embedded and software design, as well as, offshore development. The company has 500 employees and operates in 13 cities in Sweden and 5 countries globally. At the same time, Sigma Technology has a small IT department of three people, one of whom is responsible for IT infrastructure, security, and driving the technology development. Andreas Lamkén has been working at Sigma for 12 years and knows how to be technology-driven and work efficiently.

When asking Andreas how he manages to make such implementations himself, he answers:

"The secret is that you have to work a lot on keeping a very good structure and order in the IT environment. It needs to be consistent and strictly followed by the entire company. We are very precise on following fixed routines and having a clear setup. Then it is equally important to work on automating and simplifying everyday workload. For example, at Sigma Technology we have developed our internal systems ourselves to suit our needs, and we manage information centrally and efficiently."

After a brief reflection, he adds, "It is important to try to keep IT infrastructure quite clear and easy for colleagues to use. Then they all become more productive and the company becomes more successful in its processes."

Read the interview with our CTO Andreas Lamkén in the Sweden's leading tech news resource Tech World from IDG.se: http://techworld.idg.se/2.2524/1.674369/virtualiserad-lagring

About Sigma Technology Group

Sigma Technology is part of Sigma and is a global supplier of product information, embedded and software design, and offshore development. We are experts with a passion for technology and information, and take pride in delivering quality and constantly improving our deliveries. Our philosophy is 'Local Drive - Global Strength', therefore we have offices worldwide to be close to our customers.
Sigma is owned by Danir AB and has about 3 100 employees in 11 countries. For more information, visit http://sigmatechnology.se/.