GCI partners with SHI to enhance their IT infrastructure and reduce complexity.

Video Transcript: SHI and GCI: Pioneering IT excellence in Alaska

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of SHI is reliability.

My name is James Schorr and I’m senior director of Cloud Platform. Basically, my team builds and supports the infrastructure for all of our IT assets. I think I initially was only aware of SHI as a VAR, and then I came to an EBC and learned that SHI does quite a bit of other things besides being a VAR. That helped me branch out into asking for various consulting engagements from SHI.

I've been working with Jim and Tyler at SHI, they’re account executives with SHI, for quite some time, and I always felt like they looked out for our needs and made sure that we're well aware of what is out there, what the options are.

One of the most important projects SHI has helped us with was around our Dell Cluster Lifecycle Management. We were trying to standardize how we approached that lifecycle. Tyler Smith, our account executive, really made a big difference there, keeping us on track, making sure we didn't overspend, and making sure our orders for process quickly. Our future goals for our data center are to make sure that we have abundant capacity to not only handle on-premise workloads, but to start spreading out more into hybrid cloud.

SHI keeps its finger on the pulse of the trends that are going on in the industry, and I think that when we approach SHI for advice, we’re given good, unbiased advice that is not colored by the latest fad.


Customer profile

GCI is Alaska's largest telecommunications company, providing high-speed connectivity to 97% of Alaskans.

Solution

SHI helped GCI replace compute nodes predictably, offering expert guidance on licensing, capacity, and density needs.

Cloud  |  Communications  |  Data Center  |  Information Technology & Professional Services  |  Infrastructure  |  Next-Gen Infrastructure

Partners

Dell

    Outcomes

    a handshake

    Trust

    GCI trusts SHI to complete projects on time and on budget.

    Arrow splitting outward icon

    Planning

    SHI helped GCI plan and organize server node renewals to make the process more predictable.

    Person with checkmark icon

    Peace of mind

    GCI can focus on their core business operations instead of worrying about complex IT renewals.

    SHI helps GCI reduce complexity and make their hardware renewals more predictable.

    Challenge:

    GCI Communication Corp. (GCI) is a telecommunications corporation operating in Alaska. Founded in 1979, GCI has grown to become Alaska's largest and most advanced network provider, offering cable television service, Internet access, wireline networking, and cellular phone service. GCI's network reaches 97% of Alaskans and provides high-speed internet to 80% of the population.

    GCI faced significant challenges with their IT infrastructure, particularly in ensuring reliable compute, storage, and cloud services. Their experience with some vendors had been lacking, with equipment not arriving on time or being shipped to the wrong state. These challenges had a huge impact on their operations and necessitated a reliable partner to help manage their server renewals and navigate the vendor landscape efficiently. GCI chose to partner with SHI.

    Solution:

    GCI teamed up with SHI and Dell to create a plan for replacing compute nodes in a more predictable way. This partnership required a deep understanding of licensing, capacity, and density needs. SHI and Dell provided expert advice and guidance, helping GCI navigate these complexities. The goal was to avoid the financial surprises of renewing many server nodes every few years. Instead, they aimed for a steady pace of replacing a set number of nodes each year.

    Outcome:

    With SHI's support, GCI was able to standardize their approach to Dell cluster lifecycle management, ensuring server purchases were planned properly to avoid support issues. Working exclusively with SHI eliminated the issues GCI had experienced with other vendors, streamlining procurement and deployment.

    Partnering with SHI enabled GCI to expand their services across Alaska, even in remote areas, by ensuring their IT infrastructure was strong and dependable. This collaboration gave GCI the confidence that their IT needs were being handled efficiently, allowing them to focus on their core business operations.

    “SHI has given us some really good unbiased advice. I've always felt as though they're looking out for our best interest. They take the time and understand the problem that we're trying to deal with and they come back with good solid guidance.”

    - James Schorr – Senior Director of Cloud Platform, GCI

    Partners

    Dell logo

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