#India #Bengaluru #IT Infrastructure #Hitachi Vantara #Malayala Manorama

Malayala Manorama Upgrades Its IT Infrastructure

In a significant advancement for one of India’s largest media houses, Malayala Manorama has partnered with Hitachi Vantara to enhance its IT infrastructure, ensuring 100% data availability and seamless operations. The collaboration aims to bolster the media giant’s print and broadcast operations, which run 24/7, thereby highlighting the critical need for reliable IT support.

Hitachi Vantara, a subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., specializes in data storage and management, and through this partnership, Malayala Manorama aims to achieve uninterrupted business continuity amidst the rapidly changing digital landscape. With the increasing demands from both print and online media, the importance of a robust IT framework cannot be overstated.

The implementation of Hitachi Vantara’s Virtual Storage Platform (VSP) technology and Advanced Servers is central to this enhancement. By adopting these cutting-edge IT solutions, Malayala Manorama has witnessed a remarkable improvement in various operational aspects. The new storage systems have resulted in a 66% reduction in the physical footprint of the storage arrays, thereby minimizing space, energy, and cooling costs by an impressive 70%.

The Need for Continuous Availability
With the rise of 24-hour news cycles and online streaming platforms, the operations at Malayala Manorama are significantly reliant on total system availability. Any disruption in services, whether due to system outages or broadcasting interruptions, poses severe risks to audience retention and overall media credibility. This collaboration aims to mitigate such risks effectively.

V.V. Jacob, Senior General Manager of IT at Malayala Manorama, emphasized the synergy between both entities, stating, “Hitachi Vantara’s solutions align perfectly with our goals of enhancing efficiency, scalability, and reliability. Their innovative products lead the market in storage technology, and their proactive support made them the ideal partner for our IT transformation.”

The newly established IT architecture encompasses four major data centers and 11 local sites, interconnected by a robust network. This configuration not only facilitates high availability but also enhances operational resilience, allowing for quick responses to any system failures, crucial for maintaining the media outlet’s reputation.

Benefits of the New Infrastructure
The sleek implementation of the new IT infrastructure has resulted in remarkable performance enhancements. Malayala Manorama has successfully transitioned data from outdated systems without facing significant delays, with users experiencing application response times that have dramatically improved, going from several seconds to nearly instantaneous.

Besides performance improvements, the total cost of ownership for the storage systems has also improved considerably, reflecting efficient management of resources across operations. The predictable recovery processes for data lost during any disk failures through three-way data replication between data centers emphasize the focus on minimizing downtime, which is essential for consistent service delivery.

Hemant Tiwari, Managing Director and Vice President of Hitachi Vantara for the India and SAARC region, expressed pride in the collaboration, stating, “Hitachi Vantara is privileged to be a trusted partner for Malayala Manorama’s critical IT infrastructure. We are committed to supporting their mission and providing innovative solutions that support their extensive readership.”

This partnership, including collaboration with Vertex Technosolutions Pvt Ltd, highlights the pursuit of technological advancement and operational efficiency in today’s data-driven society. By leveraging Hitachi Vantara’s advanced storage and server technologies, Malayala Manorama sets a new standard for reliability and efficiency in media operations.

As the world moves towards increased digitization, the collaboration between Malayala Manorama and Hitachi Vantara serves as a model for others in the industry to adopt similar strategies for enhanced operational effectiveness. With ongoing advancements such as the new Virtual Storage Platform One launched by Hitachi Vantara, organizations across all sectors can expect to optimize their IT infrastructure significantly, paving the way for sustainable growth and operational excellence.

For additional details on how Hitachi Vantara’s solutions can revolutionize business operations, visit Hitachi Vantara's website.