When its database administrator left, the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) had a choice: hire a replacement or get a piece of technology to do the job. In pursuing the latter course the company has signed a major deal with Dublin-based IT firm Version 1 to use the company’s ProWatch technology to cut down on the expensive search for hard-to-find database administrators (DBAs).
The HSA is the national body in Ireland with responsibility for securing health and safety at work. It is a state-sponsored body and reports to the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. It operates from seven offices nationwide: the HQ in Dublin and offices in Athlone, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Sligo and Waterford.
“When our internal database administrator left, rather than hire a replacement, we signed up for ProWatch. It was a cost-effective and innovative way for us to obtain valuable DBA experience quickly and saved us the time-consuming task of recruiting someone,” said Andrew Allen, information communications manager, HSA.
ProWatch is designed for companies that do not have staff levels to justify an onsite IT department or database administrator. Rather than wait until problems arise, ProWatch ensures the system is fully optimised and ready to give its best at all times.
Version 1’s ProWatch solution offers companies complete database and application monitoring and support across multiple technologies. There are a number of options to the basic package that can be tailored to meet customer needs including onsite support, monitoring, maintenance, installations and upgrades. Version 1 will support the HAS’s back-end database, which contains all records of reported accidents, inspection visits and complaints.
“ProWatch is an ideal solution for companies that have difficulty in attracting and retaining DBAs. We are receiving a lot of interest from organisations which only have a part-time DBA requirement. Part-time DBAs can end up spending a lot of their time on non-DBA tasks, which are costly for organisations and frustrating for the DBAs. ProWatch is a good fit for such situations,” said Kevin Jones, consulting director, Version 1.
By John Kennedy
