CHEMISTRY

NEW YORK, LINUXWORLD 2003 - Dell, Red Hat and Oracle are helping SITEL, a leading global provider of outsourced customer support services, improve customer satisfaction and reduce information technology costs with Linux-based solutions. SITEL chose Dell(tm) PowerEdge(tm) servers running Red Hat(r) Linux Advanced Server with Oracle9i Database to enable real-time information access in their 17 remote call center locations. SITEL executives said the standards-based solution from Dell and Red Hat was chosen because of the price, performance and flexibility, which led to approximately 70 percent cost-savings over proprietary UNIX systems that also were evaluated. The platform manages more than 1.5 million customer service calls from around the world for SITEL's Fortune 500 customers. The remote "call flow" database servers enable agents to tap into the master database in the company's Omaha, Neb. headquarters for up-to-the-minute information, using SITEL-developed data replication software and the Oracle9i Database to enable better customer service. "Nothing is more critical to SITEL's business than delivering customers the latest information, without interruption in service and at the best possible price," said Scott Clark, director of systems engineering for SITEL. "Dell, Red Hat and Oracle have delivered a solution that has replaced our expensive proprietary UNIX equipment. Our Linux platforms are high-performing, extremely reliable and cost about one-third of the price of our old UNIX systems." Brent Schroeder, director of enterprise Linux engineering at Dell said there is growing acceptance of Dell platforms with Red Hat Linux Advanced Server for critical applications. "Once customers compare the performance and cost of Dell platforms running Red Hat Linux to proprietary UNIX platforms, the choice to go with standards-based technologies is easy. Companies like SITEL are able to provide excellent service and value to customers by deploying flexible, open platforms," he said. "Red Hat is committed to offering customers a combination of value and support to meet their dynamic business needs. The SITEL deployment underscores the dramatic efficiency, availability and cost benefits organizations can experience running Red Hat Linux Advanced Server on Dell systems," said Mark de Visser, vice president of Marketing at Red Hat. "Given these advantages, enterprises are increasingly shifting their computing infrastructures toward standardized hardware running Red Hat solutions." SITEL has deployed more than 20 Dell PowerEdge 2650 servers running Red Hat Linux Advanced Server to support its Oracle9i Database and remote data-replication solution. The systems have single 1.8 GHz Intel(r) Xeon(tm) processors with 3 GB RAM. SITEL also has implemented three Dell PowerVault(tm) tape libraries to back up more than 5 terabytes of data storage. Currently, the Dell and Red Hat Linux platform with Oracle9i Database rank in the company's highest uptime category. Additional information on Dell PowerEdge servers can be found at www.dell.com/poweredge.