Orange Keeps its Mainframe Software Costs Under Control

Company Profile

Orange is a global B2C and B2B multi-service telco provider offering a wide range of connectivity, content, and financial services in many countries. Worldwide, the company also offers its corporate clients support through the process of digital transformation. Orange has 130,000 employees worldwide and a revenue of €43.47 billion in 2023.

Background

At Orange, the mainframe consists of two z14s totaling 751 MSU and manages the production of 35 applications. It currently hosts the customer repository for the Home offerings (ADSL, fiber). This represents millions of customers connected through Orange’s various sales channels. The mainframe also handles billions of euros in billing.

Project Objectives

In order to optimize the budget of this infrastructure, in 2019 Orange initiated a cost control project. "Orange’s strategy for the mainframe is to increase the platform’s profitability," says Stéphane Rousset, Mainframe Manager. "Our objectives were threefold: control costs, increase flexibility and boost the overall efficiency of the platform.".

In particular, this project is focused on controlling software costs. "To absorb the annual increase in software costs, we used to rely on fixed capping limits, the GCL." explains Karine Le Boulanger, Systems Engineer. "Every year, we would lower the limit, but this system was no longer viable. By continuing to do so, we were exposing ourselves to performance risks and a reduction in quality for our internal customers.".

The decision to purchase a solution was based on two imperatives. Orange wanted a profitable project with a quick return on investment. They were also looking for an easy-to-use, low-maintenance solution.

Project Implementation

In September 2019, Orange opted to begin a Proof Of Concept (POC) with the solution Zetaly Automated Capacity (ZAC) that met both criteria. "As members of Guide Share France, we were able to get feedback from other ZAC customers," relates Stéphane Rousset. "The high level of satisfaction from existing users convinced us to try the solution.".

With the help of a Zetaly expert, the POC was operational within just 2 days and ran over one month in October. "We appreciated the quality of the POC," shares Karine Le Boulanger. "Firstly, we were impressed with the ease and speed of the installation. Secondly, we were able to run the product in active mode on one of our z14, under real conditions.".

The positive effects of the product are immediate and measurable. "Even when applying a safety margin, which is necessary for this type of test, we found that we no longer had any batch delays," recalls Stéphane Rousset. "We used to get bottlenecks. Currently, capping periods are better managed and more intelligently.".

After the purchasing process in January 2020, Orange rolled out the solution on the second z14. After delivering half-day on-site training, the Zetaly team continues to support them through regular communications. "We are delighted by Zetaly’s responsiveness and listening skills" recounts Karine Le Boulanger.

Development Opportunities

Orange is currently negotiating with IBM with a view to entering into a Country Multiplex Pricing contract. Thus, the next step will be to activate the CMP mode of Zetaly Automated Capacity. By pooling resources at this level of sysplex, ZAC will further streamline software costs.