06 June 2006
Bahrain's Ministry of Social Development has become the first ministry in the Kingdom and in the Middle East to base its entire information-technology infrastructure on open-source technology. A phased deployment of the new Linux environment is in line with the government's strategic open-source initiative and is being managed by Gulf Business Machines (GBM), IBM's sole distributors, excluding selected IBM products and services in the GCC with the exception of Saudi Arabia.
Acquiring the world-renowned Linux operating system will involve the deployment of sophisticated IBM servers utilising the latest IBM blade technology and its relevant open-source tools. Maha Al Mandeel, ministry assistant undersecretary of human and finance resources, said being the first to embrace open-source technology completely, the ministry will gain a number of advantages and benefits.
"In addition to featuring the lowest total cost of ownership, the implementation of this IBM solution and the deployment of the new environment will be swift an result in numerous benefits including simplified IT management, the ability for modular scalability when we require it, high availability and security of our systems and, of course, improved space efficiency," he said.
"This is a very significant and strategic decision from the ministry, and the decision to move to open-source software reduces the burden on governments to have to depend on proprietary solutions leading to higher costs and less choices," said Abdulla Ishaq, general manager, Bahrain Business Machines, GBM's operation in Bahrain.
"The ministry will also be able to take advantage of advanced management tools such as IBM director software, enabling the IBM blade centre solution and its dynamic capabilities to be comprehensively managed. And with GBM's 24/7 support line, the ministry would reduce down time to the minimum available in the industry."
Bahrain's Ministry of Social Development has become the first ministry in the Kingdom and in the Middle East to base its entire information-technology infrastructure on open-source technology. A phased deployment of the new Linux environment is in line with the government's strategic open-source initiative and is being managed by Gulf Business Machines (GBM), IBM's sole distributors, excluding selected IBM products and services in the GCC with the exception of Saudi Arabia.
Acquiring the world-renowned Linux operating system will involve the deployment of sophisticated IBM servers utilising the latest IBM blade technology and its relevant open-source tools. Maha Al Mandeel, ministry assistant undersecretary of human and finance resources, said being the first to embrace open-source technology completely, the ministry will gain a number of advantages and benefits.
"In addition to featuring the lowest total cost of ownership, the implementation of this IBM solution and the deployment of the new environment will be swift an result in numerous benefits including simplified IT management, the ability for modular scalability when we require it, high availability and security of our systems and, of course, improved space efficiency," he said.
"This is a very significant and strategic decision from the ministry, and the decision to move to open-source software reduces the burden on governments to have to depend on proprietary solutions leading to higher costs and less choices," said Abdulla Ishaq, general manager, Bahrain Business Machines, GBM's operation in Bahrain.
"The ministry will also be able to take advantage of advanced management tools such as IBM director software, enabling the IBM blade centre solution and its dynamic capabilities to be comprehensively managed. And with GBM's 24/7 support line, the ministry would reduce down time to the minimum available in the industry."
© Bahrain Tribune 2006
