SANZ INC.

Storage Consulting & Storage Management

SANZ is a storage consulting and integration firm focused exclusively on the design, deployment and support of intelligent data management. By utilizing a unique Tiered StorageTM Model, SANZ is able to deliver solutions that dramatically reduce corporations` storage management expenditures while improving overall service levels. SANZ represents the largest concentration of storage expertise and experience in the industry.

SANZ provides simple, scalable, service level and policy driven storage solutions for Fortune 2000, Government, and other data-driven organizations. Our value is our ability to save you time and to eliminate the inherent risks associated with storage projects. We put the people, processes, methods and services together.

With a national sales presence and an impressive list of Fortune 2000 and Federal Government clients, SANZ has earned a reputation for exemplary client service, intelligent systems design, rapid implementation and unsurpassed industry knowledge. We`re one of the leading providers of end-to-end data-storage and -management solutions to companies of all sizes.

Methodology
 
StorTrust Process
SANZ enables clients to capitalize on the new technologies to drive efficiencies and gain control of corporate assets. As a process-oriented organization, SANZ has developed a unique StorTrustTM methodology to deliver solutions that dramatically reduce corporations` storage management expenditures while improving overall service levels.

SANZ`s approach to storage management extends well beyond a simple data inventory. Instead, the StorTrust process will assess the data`s worth, evaluate existing storage resources, leverage those resources, and develop a strategy that transforms information storage into a quantifiable information asset. Strategies are developed by working closely with clients, understanding their specific needs, problems, and system inefficiencies. SANZ evaluates and ``cost-classifies`` the data, assigning it to one of four storage tiers, depending on the critically of data and its usage. The first tier stores data that requires the fastest performance and highest level of protection. While the fourth tier, houses the least critical data and is therefore generally the least expensive storage medium.

The StorTrust process provides the following advantages

• Reduction in storage expenditures
• Simplification of backup and recovery processes
• Increased user and system administrator productivity
• Increased executive understanding and control of organization`s data

Competency Center
With over $4 million in equipment and software spread across the nation in five Interoperability Labs, SANZ continues to be on the cutting edge of technology. We test the latest hardware and software from leading manufacturers, recreate client issues to diagnose problems, train our engineers in a hands-on setting, pre-stage equipment and provide product and/or technology demonstrations for our clients. SANZ Engineers gain valuable skills and knowledge so our clients can rest assured that our engineers are experienced in implementing even the most complex and technologically advanced solutions.

Our labs have the ability to support almost every customer configuration.

EarthWhere-Spatial Imagery

For organizations and individuals needing application productivity gains, cost-effective scalability and simplified data management, SANZ has become the trusted storage advisor to assist in solving storage related business problems. SANZ sets the standards in storage management effectiveness and simplicity.

SANZ solutions allow some of the most successful organizations in the world to gain competitive advantage, improve profitability, reduce complexity, and increase efficiencies to lower the Total Cost of managing information assets.

EarthWhere

Smarter about Geospatial Storage

SANZ saw a need for a fully integrated data management and distribution solution in the geospatial community, and developed EarthWhere™ - the first spatial data provisioning system that stores, manages, processes and delivers customized spatial imagery.

With EarthWhere™, you get real-time access to all of your data in the format, projection and datum required by your application. So your people work more efficiently, make better decisions, and answer their questions on time.

• Consolidate your spatial archives with EarthWhere`s Smart Storage Management
• and optimize your storage costs while maintaining capacity, reliability and performance
• Deliver on-demand custom spatial imagery to users in minutes directly to their desktop
• Enhance your desktop GIS applications — ESRI, Intergraph, MapInfo, and ERDAS — with real-time access to project-specific data

The Challenge

There are two main problems that limit the effectiveness of spatial imagery: Complex and expensive data management and storage, and an expanding user base with unique data requirements that leads to a growing combination of custom datasets.

Complex and expensive data management and storage

• Spatial imagery is stored in large files. The cost of traditional storage infrastructure often prohibits the consolidation of these assets.
• Images are stored as datasets with associated geometry files and metadata in tiles dictated by file structure limitations; users often need multiple tiles and all of the associated data to use in their applications
• Distribution using traditional file copies and FTP is inefficient in resources and network bandwidth
• Duplicate copies of the data are used throughout the enterprise, which leads to data currency issues — the end users may not have the most recent data stored on their workstation.
• Data can be stored in various locations on various types of media; access becomes limited when the data are difficult and time consuming to retrieve.
• Lack of a central catalog leaves expensive data assets underutilized.
• Creating and managing the associated metadata is a separate, resource intensive operation with a wide variety of requirements.

An expanding user base with unique data requirements leads to a growing combination of custom datasets

• As the breadth of applications grows, users will find new and unique ways to use existing datasets to answer their questions.
• Users need special tools and special skills to generate the data specific to their requirements from the various source data currently available; the native files are seldom used as initially acquired.
• There are complex, time consuming repetitive image processing tasks that occur each time a user utilizes imagery.
• Most organizations try to ``normalize`` data in generic formats that can serve the majority of user requirements. This normalization tends to lessen the effectiveness of the data for unique projects and leads to considerable and often unnecessary processing time.
• Users often need multiple files from multiple sources to answer their questions.
• Users require information that is limited to their specific AOI (Area of Interest; a polygon which defines a project area) and often must manage more data than they require.

For most users, developing accurate datasets specific to their mission or project requirements is a complex and time consuming process that often takes days or weeks.

SANZ Compliance Solutions

Recent changes in regulatory requirements have forced new demands on IT and storage planners to accommodate changing expectations and legal standards for compliance. In addition to managing other aspects of mushrooming storage requirements, storage planners now have to accommodate the special needs of industry and general business compliance.

Compliance is more than storage. It is the convergence of policy, procedures, practices, processes and information. Every company has many types of records that need to be managed in special ways in order to comply with the regulations that dictate record handling.

In order to master a compliance-responsive storage architecture, companies need a clear understanding of the regulatory requirements and their implications.

SANZ Compliance Services provide structured analysis for regulatory requirements and insightful support in the design and implementation of storage solutions that are mindful of compliance requirements.

Our services include

Compliance Profiling

Regulatory compliance is a many faceted, complex business requirement. Often, sudden changes in regulatory requirements or increased enforcement cause companies to react with narrowly focused ``point solutions`` that wreck havoc with an orderly IT environment. Compliance Profiling provides IT planners and strategists with a global perspective of their compliance requirements and the related functionality necessary to support a wide spectrum of compliance requirements. The results are lower costs in responding to specific compliance applications and faster turn around when new demands arise.
 

Compliant Storage Infrastructure Planning and Design

Compliant Storage is a unique storage environment. It may focus on a narrow set of applications within an enterprise or it may be a ubiquitous part of an enterprise wide deployment. Its characteristics go beyond the functionality of conventional storage infrastructure and are dictated by requirements beyond issues of continuity and recovery. SANZ Compliance Services approaches the design of storage infrastructures with an expanded risk management perspective. In addition to business continuity and information availability, SANZ Compliance Solutions focus on assisting our clients in effectively mitigating both regulatory and litigation liability as a feature of the storage infrastructure.

Regulatory Assessment

Regulatory Assessment differs from Compliance Profiling in its granularity. The deliverable of a Regulatory Assessment is a comprehensive description of specific regulatory requirements and the storage solutions recommended to meet or exceed those requirements. Compliance Profiling prepares the foundation for addressing the specific requirements identified in Regulatory Assessments.
 

Integrated Compliance Planning

As the regulators expand their information access requirements and retention standards, the scope of the applications of compliant storage extends wider and wider. Integrated Compliance Planning analyzes the various requirements across applications and recommends an integrated approach to managing the disparate data forms. The objective is to provide maximum response to regulatory requirements at minimum costs.
  

Email Compliant Solutions

In recent months Email Compliance has been a critical compliance requirement that many companies still fail to solve adequately. Often, such failures result from an inadequate understanding of the storage implications of email retention regulations and the diversity of email regulations that flourish within a company. All too often, an email solution is put into place to address one problem, only to learn there are many more requirements. SANZ Compliance Services take a comprehensive risk management approach to ensure that the solution that is recommended satisfies all the performance requirements.
 

Compliant Records Management

Many companies still have a chaotic architecture for records management. Many more, have no architecture at all. Myriad documents are scattered across servers, desktop and laptop systems. The unstructured nature of working papers and documents not only increases costs exponentially, but also it increases enterprise liability. Bringing order and structure to these records not only reduces storage costs substantially, it also helps reduce risk to the enterprise.
 

Annual Compliance Reviews

More and more, regulators are requiring that companies not only bring their information into compliance-but that they keep them in compliance as well. Some regulations, such as SEC Rules 38(6) and 206(4) for Investment Advisors and Investment Companies clearly specify this requirement. SANZ Compliance Services use a structured methodology to maximize the completeness of these reviews while minimizing the costs.
 

Compliance Policy and Procedure Development

Storage infrastructure is only a part of a complete compliance solution. In addition to the data and information handling systems, the policies and procedures complete the response to regulatory requirements. SANZ Compliance Services work with our clients on policies and procedures that are easy to maintain and are consistent with the storage solutions that are implemented. This element is a critical part of a compliance solution.
 

End-to-End Integrated Compliancy Implementation

Because of unique the blend of compliance expertise, storage knowledge, multiple hardware and software solution options and project management skills, SANZ is positioned to provide complete end-to-end compliance project leadership. This is further enhanced by our Compliance Coaching Methodology that enables customers to take full advantage of our knowledge, expertise, methodology and templates while maximizing the use of internal resources.
  

Sarbanes-Oxley

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 has introduced new dimensions to business records handling requirements. Often perceived as a financially focused, executive targeted set of standards, Sarbanes-Oxley in fact has far reaching implications that impact the management of all company records and a company`s relationship with all US government agencies. More importantly, the personal penalties of multimillion dollar fines and long term imprisonment apply to all people responsible for ensuring the integrity, preservation, availability and accessibility of all company records. IT managers are particularly at risk because of their close proximity and direct responsibility for the protection of record integrity.