ADPC is showcasing its brand new IT services during GITEX Technology Week 2012
As a silver sponsor, the company is participating in the e-government sector at the five-day event, expected to draw thousands of participants from 144 countries.
ADPC is best known for developing high-profile megaprojects Khalifa Port and Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (Kizad). Its IT unit caters to more than 600 people who use its vast internal network. The business service has proved so commercially successful that the IT department is currently marketing its skills and services to other companies based at Khalifa Port or Kizad.
Some of ADPC’s clients for its cutting edge IT services include United Arab Shipping, Emirates Aluminium (EMAL), Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority and the Critical National Infrastructure Authority (CNIA).
Dr Saif Al Ketbi, Vice President, IT, ADPC said: “We offer an unbeatable package. The latest technology and unmatched service levels, combined with the most competitive prices, make our product very attractive to businesses and government departments in Abu Dhabi. In fact, it’s available to everyone.”
ADPC has concentrated on selling its IT services to stakeholders and customers at the Taweelah megaproject where Khalifa Port and Kizad comprise 51 square kilometres. Khalifa Port began commercial activities in September this year, and Kizad has attracted nearly 50 customers, as it evolves into one of the largest industrial zones in the world. Its anchor tenant, Emirates Aluminium, already runs the world’s largest one-site greenfield aluminium smelter.
ADPC has set up a highly successful on-line e-Pass system which ensures fast access to Khalifa Port facilities; the fully integrated and automated Gate Management Systems support the seamless flow of imported and exported containers; and a high tech monitoring system to control customers’ assets at the Port and Kizad.
Some of its key services include eBusiness Notification System (which sends alerts to privileged customers via email and text messages about vessel arrivals, berth allocation, average turn-around time, and other vessel traffic services information); Cloud Services; Software as a Service (SaaS), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Rack Space in the Tier 3 Data Centre.
ADPC’s IT department has won praise for reducing its carbon footprint in the Emirate, by providing a fully-fledged server virtualisation project. It transformed servers to a virtual environment, saving costs and boosting performance. Other recent accomplishments include building a full IT infrastructure for Musaffah and Sila Ports in order to connect them to the wider ADPC network. The entity is currently working on connecting the remaining ports. With the help of VMware, ADPC is now in the process of implementing a cost-effective disaster recovery (DR) strategy based on VMware Site Recovery Manager and EMC Clariion SAN replication technologies.
Last year, Kizad announced the launch of its innovative Customer Online Portal dedicated to its customers. A log-in section provides Kizad customers with access to some 300 services such as concluding lease agreements, company licensing and registration, visa and residency services, and so on. The portal also allows Kizad customers to track the status of all their applications and service requests via a secure, efficient and effective communications channel. Additional online services will be launched over the coming months.
Khalifa Port will soon benefit from the latest IT developments which include the Khalifa Port Data Centre (KPDC), redesigned by ADPC IT to meet the latest international standards and aim for the Tier 4 Data Centre Certification. It provides a capacity of up to 150 Racks with different load capacities. It also supports Cloud Computing Infrastructure and ensures virtualization of all solutions provided.