OKI Electric Industry (TOKYO:6703) today announced it has enhanced operational monitoring of the Group's core system(*1) using the server monitoring appliance(*2), "DressUP Cockpit V3". Using this solution, OKI can, without the need for exclusive agents, achieve a monitoring service level equivalent to conventional 24/7 monitoring, while at the same time reducing annual surveillance operation costs by 80 per cent.

For more than four years, OKI has focused on reducing the total cost of ownership(*3) of the Group's core system by using virtualization technology to unify servers. As a result, it has succeeded in reducing its approximate 3,400 servers by 50 per cent.

As part of this approach, OKI has switched to a monitoring structure, which allows existing levels of system monitoring, for the 315 servers forming OKI Group's core system, to be maintained without the need for agent supervisors. In the past, monitoring these servers required eight full-time agents(*4) working in four shifts 24/7 throughout the year. The introduction of the new monitoring structure has enabled the cost of maintaining the tools required for system monitoring and the human resources required for operation, to be significantly reduced. The company's projected annual system monitoring costs of 115 million yen have been cut to 25 million yen.

"In the future, OKI will continue to work on reducing system operation costs," said Sei Yano, OKI's Executive Vice President, overseeing IT infrastructure within the group. "Based on what we have already achieved, we believe 'DressUP Cockpit V3' will have a key role to play in meeting this ongoing goal. We plan to proactively market this system in Japan, to a wide range of businesses including companies that require complex and high-level of system monitoring and services that manage operational monitoring."

As part of this enhanced monitoring structure, OKI's server monitoring appliance, "DressUP Cockpit V3" will automate operations and reduce the need for operational labor, directly notifying each system maintenance worker when system problems are identified. In addition, the solution will optimize what has happened and pinpoint the department to be notified as well as the best communications route. The thorough monitoring of operational systems will reduce costs while helping to alleviate the burden on individual system maintenance workers.

About DressUP CockPit

"DressUP Cockpit" is an appliance that integrates all the requisite functions for monitoring servers/network equipments onto one server without requiring the use of agents. OKI has marketed the product since 2004. It has been used primarily for monitoring the operational sub-systems of small to mid-size businesses like financial institutions. Addressing the need to monitor OKI's large-scale system, the company recently launched Version 3 (V3) whose functions, such as enabling users to set display items and notification method to match their operation style, have been enhanced. The solution enables both conventional small to mid-sized systems and also large-scale systems to be monitored, ensuring a significant reduction in operational costs.

[Glossary]

*1 Core system: A company's information system used to process those operations essential to perform business such as production control, sales/inventory control and finance.

*2 Appliance: This is an exclusive apparatus which has been customized for specific usage. Normally, it is sold as a case with specific software embedded on the server operating system.

*3 Total cost of ownership: This covers total costs required for implementing, maintaining and managing computer systems.

*4 Agent: An agent monitors the system. It is the exclusive software installed onto the server to be monitored.

About Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.

Founded in 1881, Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd. is Japan's first telecommunications manufacturer, with its headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. OKI provides top-quality products, technologies and solutions to its customers through its info-telecom system business and printer business. All businesses function as a collective force to create exciting new products and technologies that satisfy a spectrum of customer needs in various markets. Visit OKI's global web site at http://www.oki.com/.