GlassHouse Technologies, the global leader in vendor-independent storage services, today announced that Camelot Group plc, the UK’s lottery operator, selected GlassHouse to radically overhaul its storage infrastructure and also create the storage at Camelot’s new disaster recovery (DR) datacenter. GlassHouse planned the infrastructures and designed processes to strategically and safely manage the large amounts of sensitive customer data generated by the rapidly increasing sales of lottery products through interactive channels.
Camelot Interactive was created in early 2002 as part of the second licence to operate The UK National Lottery, granted to Camelot by the National Lottery Commission (NLC). Under the license, Camelot proposed providing three new channels of ticket sales, via Internet, text and interactive TV. In November 2005, Camelot saw sales of tickets over its interactive platforms reach £3.3 million a week, an increase of 150 percent from the £1.3million for the same period in 2004. Camelot now operates the most successful interactive lottery in the world.
Following an internal review of its storage infrastructure in early 2005, Camelot approached GlassHouse to provide an enterprise storage strategy and architecture review, covering technical strategy, the sales database, DR options and requirements for a proposed new SAP enterprise resource planning (ERP) back-office system. NLC regulations require all database and transactional data related to interactive lottery purchases to be stored and be immediately accessible by Camelot.
“GlassHouse has been involved with Camelot since the original interactive operation was formed, and the flexibility and long-term cost savings foresight of the relationship has been critical,” said Daniel West, UNIX systems & applications manager, Camelot. “GlassHouse, as specific storage services specialists, applied its experience to understand the unique requirements we face when dealing with a regulatory body focused entirely on us. By writing tailored support programs for our individual needs, GlassHouse provided us with an environment that allowed us to fully test our systems without interrupting the running of a national institution.”
GlassHouse designed and implemented an upgrade of Camelot’s storage area network (SAN), storage, tape and backup environment to accommodate the new Camelot SAP-based ERP system. The upgrade introduced a new IBM DS6000 storage array, and a pair of new 140-port McData 6140 Directors. As the business systems expand, this infrastructure will allow the asset maximization of legacy ESS servers, for non-critical systems.
GlassHouse recently completed the design and implementation of the SAN and storage component of Camelot’s new DR data center, re-using the SAN equipment from the primary datacenter and implementing a second IBM DS6000 storage array. This second remote data center allows Camelot to surpass the strict data recovery and back-up requirements of the NLC and provide a scalable storage capability to ensure storage compliance beyond 2009.
“Camelot is in a truly unique position, being so tightly scrutinized by a regulatory body focused solely on ensuring it is fully compliant, while still pursuing innovation and excellence in its operation of the National Lottery,” said Jason Rabbetts, managing director, GlassHouse Technologies. “The fact that they have continually returned to us for storage consultation and implementation advice over the last four years is validation of our independence and expertise in what can be a confusing and perplexing market. This is a trend that is growing as customers seek assistance to both visualize and implement critical storage solutions.”
About Camelot Group plc:
- Camelot Group plc is the operator of The National Lottery® and is committed to raising money for the Good Causes designated by Parliament. Camelot is not responsible for distributing or awarding these funds.
- To date, over £18 billion has been raised for Good Causes by The National Lottery, and more than 220,000 individual awards have been made across the UK – the biggest program of civic and social regeneration since the 19th Century. The National Lottery has given away over £26 billion in prizes and created more than 1,800 millionaires or multi-millionaires since launch in 1994.
- Camelot runs one of the most cost-efficient lotteries in the world, with around five percent of total revenue taken in operating costs. At 40 percent of total sales (28 percent to Good Causes and 12 percent in lottery duty to the Government), Camelot returns a higher proportion of lottery revenue back to society than any other lottery operator in the world. National Lottery retailers receive five percent of total revenue in commission, and 50 percent of sales are paid out to players in prizes.
- Camelot is committed to the highest standards in player protection and social responsibility in both the retail and interactive environments. The National Lottery Web site, Sky Active and Play By Text services have been accredited by GamCare, the UK’s national center for information, advice and practical help regarding the social impact of gambling – while Camelot’s approach to game design, test purchasing and retailer vigilance campaigns ensures player protection at retail. Camelot has been ranked among the top 30 UK companies in Business in the Community’s 2005 Corporate Responsibility Index, becoming a sector leader in the leisure category.
- For further information on Camelot, The National Lottery and its games, please visit the following websites: www.camelotgroup.co.uk and www.national-lottery.co.uk
- Players of all National Lottery games must be aged 16 or over.
About GlassHouse Technologies:
GlassHouse is the leading provider of independent services that help organizations solve the business problems of enterprise storage. From strategy through implementation, operations and customer support, GlassHouse partners with clients to achieve predictability and manageability in storage operations, enabling cost control, risk mitigation and increased service levels. GlassHouse clients include UBS, Exxon Mobil, Virgin Mobile, The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America and Allianz Life. More information about GlassHouse is available at www.glasshouse.com.
