Global zip maker builds portal on Linux Infrastructure

US-based zip manufacturer YKK, the world’s largest, says it expects to minimise the cost and complexity of its new e-business infrastructure, aimed at improving customer service, by going for IBM’s eServer iSeries Linux-based offering with partner eOne Group’s web portal application. Based in Macon, Georgia, it has 12 manufacturing facilities producing 1,500 zip styles in 427 standard colours and as many specials. The portal will allow customers to check inventory, securely place orders, track and review order status and history, and access a variety of links including an online product catalogue. Going for the Linux eServer makes sense as it’s aimed at SMEs – on price point and in terms of being easy and quick to manage and deploy via its installation wizard. It also has IBM’s partitioning technology which lets you consolidate Linux and Windows servers in up to 15 Linux partitions on a single physical server. It’s intended for infrastructure applications such as firewalls, web serving, file and print serving, and mail serving. YKK is using SuSE Linux Enterprise Edition 7. “Our new customer service portal is a first for YKK, so it was critical that we made the right choice for our customers,” says Sara Carnell, director of operations. “We explored several options before going with the e-business solution from IBM and eOne Group. [It] gives us the scalable, flexible and secure web site we need, and it also was very affordable.”