Fresh2U
- Rob Fleischmann, Accountant |
| THE BUSINESS |
| Based at Melbourne Markets, Fresh2U is working when most of
us are sleeping.Based on the orders collected the previous day,
Fresh2U staff have ordered the fruit and vegetables by 4am and
then packed them in trucks by 6am so that the customers can
collect their orders in time for lunch. The whole process is
tightly managed by a Pick database running as a terminal emulator
on top of a Redhat Linux server. |
|
| THE CHALLENGE |
| Fresh2U was accessing the Pick database via 'dumb terminals'
and yet increasingly needed access to Microsoft Office. "We
had to leave our desks to use the one computer with Windows
on it. It was very frustrating especially when a number of staff
needed to use it at the same time", says Mr Fleischmann,
Fresh2U's accountant. As well, Fresh2U faxed out quotes to their
clients every Monday afternoon. It was tying up one of the staff
all day to complete the process and sometime the wrong quote
was sent to the wrong customer. Fresh2U wanted some way for
the pick system to automatically generate the quotes and fax
them out. |
|
| THE SOLUTION |
Network Overdrive advised Mr Fleischmann
that a Linux-based server with the Win4Lin (www.win4lin.com)
application could deliver Microsoft to each desktop when they
needed it without paying exorbitant costs in license fees. It
would also mean that they could access the pick emulation with
a graphical interface at the same time.
Each staff would using a disk-less workstation to access the
Linux server.Ê This technology is based on software released
by The Linux Terminal Server Project (www.ltsp.org).
By sticking with Linux it was also efficient to set-up the automatic
fax solutions for the staff using efax and internet gateway
for email and surfing. |
|
| BENEFITS |
Enormous amount of time is
saved by making all applications available to each staff desktop
and by automating tedious tasks like broadcasting faxes.
The robustness of the solution was enhanced by removing all
hard drives from the workstations and centralising all data
on the Linux application server. A simple backup script ensured
that no data could be lost.
Thousands of dollars were saved by not needing to buy Microsoft
licenses for an operating system and office for each staff
and by utilising low-end Pentiums. The re-training of staff
to using Linux graphical system was not great due to their
experience using "Green-Screens" for their core
business.
It was important to Fresh2U that solution that would offer
the stability and reliability of a Linux server. Mr Fleischmann
says, "This business can not afford any downtimes. While
we needed the extra features, the knowledge that the system
is reliable gives us peace of mind"
|
|
| IN SUMMARY |
| The combination of the Linux Terminal
Server Project and Win4Lin provides Fresh2U with the reliable,
easy-to-use Linux system it needs without the fear and high
costs of Windows crashing. |
|
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