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iq implements filenet at liberty group
Date : 4/22/2003 This development, believed to be the first in Africa, is expected to revolutionize document processes at the insurance giant, and contribute to a more efficient and streamlined business. In late 2002, Liberty consultant for Group Architecture Services, Peter Sklair identified several areas for improvement to the business’s document storage system. While Sklair found the Optical Storage Array (OSAR) technology adequate for storing documents, he felt the company could benefit from some system enhancements. As a South African ValueNET Partner for FileNet, The IQ Business Group suggested that Liberty consider the brand new MSAR technology, which is inherent to the FileNet solution. This next generation storage technology, effectively updates the OSAR system. Business development manager for the Content Management division of The IQ Business Group, Steven Lauter says that where writing documents optically was a breakthrough for storage, magnetic storage revolutionizes the way in which they can be used. According to Sklair, the benefits of MSAR technology for Liberty are vast. “The magnetic storage technology has reduced the cost of storage. The speed of committal, retrieval and backup is also much faster,” he says. “Ease of data access is one of its greatest advantages. Previously, using OSAR technology only, when a document was stored offline it had to first be uploaded from optical disc before it could be transmitted--a process which took about 50 seconds to complete. Now using MSAR technology, users can access documents within five seconds, enabling employees to increase their performance and provide better customer service,” he adds. Using MSAR, the risk of losing documents en route to an offsite storage centre is eliminated, and the flexibility in managing the recovery of information in the event of a disaster is greatly improved. Reliability is also greatly increased, as the system does not operate mechanically, and information is written to more than one disk. Storing information using the magnetic disks is more cost effective than optical storage, since they're cheaper and re-usable,” Sklair says. Commenting on the impact of the new system at the Liberty Group, Sklair says the smooth transition testifies to its success: "Users are happy with the fact that they can access archived documents ten times faster. And in general, the greater performance, decreased costs and ability to cope with Liberty 's volume requirements, make the new system perfect for the Group's needs." Testimony to the solution’s success is that Liberty wants much of its data already stored only on optical disc, to be converted to MSAR for easier access. Lauter believes the outstanding performance of the MSAR technology in the application of document storage, will see its rapid adoption in all industries with a high volume of documentation, particularly in the insurance, banking, utilities and government sectors. “The MSAR concept has put The IQ Business Group in a position with FileNet to extend the benefits that clients receive from the imaging technology. This is possible through the constant re-innovation of the solution which results in a streamlined, more efficient and price effective product,” concludes Lauter.
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