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Volvo
Ocean Race
Tough challenge for Volvo IT |
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editor: Anders Wilhelmsson |
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THE VOLVO OCEAN RACE
will present Volvo IT with some demanding challenges in its
role as the official supplier of IT. As far as Mattias
Andersson and Martin Stockbridge are concerned, this will
involve working with IT at the race stop-overs.
They are both accomplished yachtsmen and they know that
planning and the right equipment are vital. After all, they
will be spending more than seven months in coastal towns all
over the world.
“In actual fact, the environment in the stop-overs is the
worst conceivable for computer equipment. Sandy, damp, hot
and high relative humidity,” says Martin Stockbridge, an
IT
technician.
In addition, the conditions at the stop-overs vary –
everything from marquees to newly built offices. So it is
important to be well prepared.
“We have back-up for everything. It’s also important to use
standard equipment, as it is then easy to supplement it from
local dealers,” adds Martin Stockbridge.
At every stop-over, Volvo IT will be installing a local
wireless network with printers and internet connections.
These services will be used by journalists and by the Volvo
employees who are involved with the race.
Volvo IT will also be responsible for data communications
between the officials at the stop-overs and the race
headquarters in the uk. As a result, the race officials at
stop-overs will also have access to MyPlace, ab Volvo’s new
pc environment.
“They will be able to connect up at the office in the uk and
at the stop-overs without noticing any difference. It’s the
same ‘look and feel’ and response time,” says project
manager Mattias Andersson.
Moreover, Volvo IT will be installing computers for visitors
to the stop-overs who want to follow the race on the
internet. Volvo IT is responsible for running www.
volvooceanrace.org which, during the race, will be one of
the websites with the most visitors in the world.
Operational technicians and other specialists in Volvo IT’s
global organisation will be supporting the Volvo Ocean Race
in different ways, but the team at the stop-overs has to be
able to handle virtually everything.
“Everything from being a carpenter to being an IT geek and
network specialist,” says Mattias Andersson with a laugh.
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The route for the Volvo Ocean Race. |
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The Volvo Ocean Race will start in November. Mattias
Andersson (left) and Martin Stockbridge at Volvo IT will
be making sure that IT works at the stop-overs.
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FACTS
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What Volvo IT is doing:
Responsible for running the official race website:
http://www.volvooceanrace.org
Responsible for hardware, software, communication and
IT support for race officials, the press and visitors to
the stop-overs
Responsible for support and managing the race
officials’ pc environment (MyPlace) at race headquarters
in the uk and at the stop-overs
Volvo Ocean Race
Volvo IT is the official supplier of IT
The race is designed to boost the Volvo brand and
improve customer relations
The actual race will start in November in Sanxenxo in
Spain and it will end next June in Göteborg, Sweden
The boats will call at stop-overs in Europe, Africa,
Australia, South America and North America
The race will also include so-called in-port racing
near the coast, which will give spectators a chance to
see the boats at close quarters |
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PLM manages product lifecyclesPark
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Product Lifecycle Management, plm, manages
products throughout their lifecycle. Volvo IT’s
largest customers are to be found in the
automotive industry. |
During the summer, Volvo IT launched its new plm Value
Analysis tool at the European plm Summit Conference in
London.
Product Lifecycle Management, plm, involves creating and
simulating products and managing their lifecycle from
the initial concept to the finished product.
plm Value Analysis is a new and effective way of making
ab Volvo’s knowledge of plm available to other companies
that are involved with product development and
production.
The method helps companies with the implementation of
plm systems. It is based on ab Volvo’s almost 40 years’
experience of plm.
At the present time, Volvo IT has more than 500 plm
specialists. They support ab Volvo’s production of
commercial vehicles, Ford-owned Volvo Car Corporation
and other industrial companies
Volvo IT's largest customers are to be found in the
automotive industry. However, the number of customers in
other sectors has increased in recent years.
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New organisation for infrastructure
and operations
Volvo IT is introducing a new global organisation to
deliver IT infrastructure and IT operations.
The aim is to improve internal efficiency and comply
more effectively with customer requirements.
“We shall now be an organisation that produces and
delivers joint services,” says Miklos Bajzath, head of
this organisation and a member of the executive
management team..
The new organisation combines Volvo IT's current areas
of expertise with new working methods.
“We can make better use of our resources at global level
and create better conditions to standardise our services
and processes,” adds Miklos Bajzath.
In all, some 1,900 people work
in Volvo IT’s global organisation for infrastructure and
operations. |
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New computer centre in Göteborg
ThVolvo IT’s new computer centre is now up and running at
Arendal in Göteborg. This new facility complies with extremely
rigorous security and service level requirements.
“With our new computer centre, we shall be able to handle even
larger volumes in terms of IT operations,” says Miklos Bajzath,
head of Volvo IT's global Infrastructure & Operations
organisation.
Volvo IT's operations centre in Göteborg is one of the largest
in the Nordic countries. However, IT operations require more and
more floor space with the accompanying electricity supplies and
cooling systems. Work therefore began last year on the
construction of the new computer centre.
Most of the new building is under ground and includes emergency
systems for both electricity and cooling. Service and
maintenance can be performed without affecting IT operations.
Parts of IT operations will be gradually transferred from Volvo
IT’s current computer centres to Arendal.
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