Key Information Systems Receives IBM Authorization for Business Partner Innovation Center

A major value-added resource for solution demonstration, evaluation, testing, staging, preloading and data protection, supported by a virtual Business Partner Innovation Center on Key’s web site.

Woodland Hills, CA – October 17, 2006 – Key Information Systems (www.keyinfo.com), a leading IT systems integrator with status as an IBM Premier Business Partner and Microsoft Certified Partner, announced formal authorization from IBM for its state-of-the-art, value-added Business Partner Innovation Center at the company’s new Woodland Hills, CA headquarters. The Center is a strategic, value-added resource available to Key’s clients and other organizations for evaluating potential IT solutions and ensuring successful installation of the selected solution components.

According to IBM, qualified Business Partner Innovation Centers are operated by systems integration companies that achieve On Demand Business Firm Accreditation as well as other product and solution certifications, meet demonstration requirements, and invest in a physical facility for customer events and demos. Key’s Center is used to showcase industry-leading solutions and new technologies tailored to client needs and is highly regarded as being on the technological forefront of IBM solutions for On Demand Business.

An IBM Premier Business Partner since 2000, Key Information Systems has made significant investments in its Business Partner Innovation Center, which has now been formally authorized by IBM based on meeting rigorous requirements including minimum data center size and aesthetics, specific hardware and software resources for system demonstrations, trained and certified staffing, and commitment to specific strategic initiatives and solution specialties. At the Center, Key provides all the needed hardware, software and technical expertise in a single environment to help users evaluate and select the right solutions configured to fit their needs – then preload, test and stage solutions to ensure a smooth and successful installation.

The Center offers these critical capabilities to organizations making significant hardware and software decisions to strengthen their IT infrastructure:

Through Demonstration/Evaluation and Proof of Concept testing with sample workloads, each client is provided with the opportunity to assess a wide range of options to choose the optimum set for their specific requirements. Benchmarking software is available for measuring the impact on IT resources for solutions and configurations being evaluated. Staging and Preloading services then permit safe and complete integration testing within the environment of the Key Business Partner Innovation Center before IT resources are delivered to the client. Key has developed a formal process for staging the development of complex integrated solutions to ensure their effectiveness and prepare them for quick installation on the client’s premises.

Key offers three levels of Managed Continuity Services at the Center. Dedicated servers and communications equipment at the Center protect all critical applications against downtime.

Workrooms with conference phones are located near the Center’s equipment room. These meeting and working facilities enable Key’s clients and visitors to make efficient use of the Center’s IT resources to achieve their objectives and put the resources through their paces.

A broad range of hardware, software and solution resources are available at the Center:

In addition to the physical IBM-authorized Business Partner Innovation Center at Key’s headquarters, the company has also implemented a companion set of in-depth resources on its web site as a virtual Business Partner Innovation Center. These resources cover a wide range of valuable information related to aspects of IT optimization including storage, high availability, clustering, fault tolerance, backup/recovery, data archiving, replication, shared disk, virtualization, and tools. They include white papers, data sheets, briefings, technology and solution overviews, and case histories.

“In today’s technology environment, it takes much more than just delivering the pieces to achieve IT objectives,” emphasized Pete Elliot, Director of Marketing for Key Information Systems. “That’s why we have made the investment in a robust Innovation Center to provide the kind of value-added resources that ensure the right solution is developed from the start and that the installation is successful. All this means time and money for our clients.”

For more information on Key’s Business Partner Innovation Center, contact Pete Elliot at pelliot@keyinfo.com or 818-737-2804.

About Key Information Systems, Inc.
Key Information Systems is an IT systems integrator and solutions provider with specialization in corporate infrastructure, business continuity and storage. An IBM Premier Business Partner and Microsoft Certified Partner, the company also represents IT vendors such as Brocade, Novell and VMware. Key’s high-availability, fault-tolerant solutions are backed by a complete range of professional services including education, critical assessment, installation, maintenance and financing. The company has been listed as one of Inc. magazine’s Fastest Growing Privately Held Companies in Los Angeles and has received Leadership and Beacon Awards for excellence from IBM. Corporate headquarters are in Woodland Hills, CA, with additional offices in San Francisco, Newport Beach and Phoenix, AZ. A Business Partner Innovation Center is maintained at the Woodland Hills location. For more information, contact Key Information Systems, 27100 Oxnard St., Suite 250, Woodland Hills, CA 91367, 877-442-3249, info@keyinfo.com, www.keyinfo.com.