HP ProLiant ML370 G5 Special Rack Server AH622A プリント

As the company surveyed organizations in these areas,
it found that many faced similar infrastructure challenges.
Before they could introduce new services, they needed
to consolidate and upgrade legacy servers, increase
performance, be able to scale more easily, and reduce
power, space, and cooling requirements.

Bigger is better
The most efficient next step, Red.es concluded, would be
to purchase and make available a general purpose
computing platform containing the most powerful
technology available.  It would include many component
options so that different kinds of organizations, from local
governments to schools, from hospitals to court houses,
could adapt it to differing needs.

Because Red.es could buy the solution in bulk on behalf
of a large number of Spanish organizations, it would be
more affordable.

Flexibility was key. It’s not acceptable, in a nation known
as one of the most decentralized in Europe, to impose
solutions from the top down. Spain’s 52 provinces are
grouped into 17 autonomous communities. Each
community has its own separate parliament, and develops
and administers its own version of programs such as
healthcare and education.

These communities share information and technology.
They look to the central government in Madrid to
recommend and set technology standards and offer some
services which they can customize. Fulfilling these needs
is Red.es

Whose technology?
In 2006, Red.es sent a request for proposal (RFP)
to major technology vendors. Twelve responses came
back, and the vendors behind the top three proposals
were invited to bring their solutions to a proof-of-
concept in Madrid. They were Fujitsu Siemens,
Spain-based Iecisa, and HP.

“We had 12 different responses to our RFQ.  Almost
everyone in the industry competed because it was such
a big deal.”
– Mariano Tejedor Moreno, Head of Engineering and
   Laboratory, Red.es