TORONTO, September 12, 2006 – Messaging service provider Ceryx, announced today that Allstate Insurance Company of Canada, has outsourced their messaging systems to Ceryx. Allstate Canada migrated to Microsoft Exchange 2003 replacing their internal Microsoft Exchange 5.5 system with a secure, redundant and dedicated system, managed by Ceryx.
Challenged with the increasing demands their e-mail system put on its IT resources, Allstate Canada looked for ways to focus their resources on improving operational effectiveness. It recognized its Exchange 5.5 server needed to be upgraded. However, an internal mail system upgrade would require new hardware expenses, staff training and further IT resources. In the process of planning an upgrade, Allstate Canada felt it was a perfect opportunity to evaluate outsourcing their mail system to a vendor who specializes in e-mail.
�We needed to alleviate current and future resource issues and requirements needed to manage an Exchange environment,� said Juha Tuominen, IT Project Manager for Allstate Insurance Company of Canada. �We needed to get the IT team focus back to supporting Allstate Canada�s core business, insurance.�
Allstate Canada conducted a detailed evaluation of services providers and chose Ceryx as the best fit for its needs. Ceryx met their requirements for a secure, reliable and redundant system with their hardened architecture for managed Exchange 2003 services which also includes migration services, 24/7 customer support and advanced antivirus and antispam.
�We recognized the advantages to working with Ceryx right away,� said Tuominen. �They are focused on messaging and collaboration. They have a high-quality service at a reasonable price, and exceptional expertise. We see Ceryx as a long term partner for Allstate Canada.� By choosing Ceryx Managed Exchange, Allstate Canada will shorten its time to benefit, reduce the upgrade risks by using messaging experts, improve service levels and support, and communication and collaboration for all their employees.
�Organizations such as Allstate Canada are demonstrating that messaging outsourcing is not just for small and medium-sized businesses,� said Gus Harsfai, President and CEO of Ceryx. �Allstate is part of a growing trend of larger organizations that recognize the benefits of outsourcing its e-mail systems. They are seeking experienced service providers, like Ceryx, that can provide fully-managed, highly available, redundant, secure, enterprise-class messaging and collaboration services.�
Ceryx Managed Exchange provides a rapidly deployed, scalable, enterprise-class Exchange solution to large enterprise customers. Similar to Ceryx Hosted Exchange, Managed Exchange is a full-service solution that includes 24/7 end-user support, e-mail security with an advanced anti-virus and anti-spam and sophisticated quarantine management. Ceryx works closely with Managed Exchange clients to architect a secure, redundant and dedicated environment and to ensure a well-planned migration to our high availability service.
Allstate Insurance Company of Canada is a leading provider of personal home and automobile insurance products, serving the needs of Canadians for over 50 years. Allstate provides customer choice of service through its Good Hands� Network of personal agent advisors located in hundreds of communities across the country, The Customer Contact Centre and Internet at www.allstate.ca.
About Ceryx
Ceryx helps businesses achieve e-mail reliability by bringing together operational experience, advanced infrastructure, and proprietary research and product development with leading messaging and collaboration solutions. With operations in Toronto and New York, as well as Tier 4 redundant data centres in both cities, Ceryx’s team of senior messaging professionals have met Fortune 500 companies’ messaging needs across North America for more than 17 years. Ceryx offers clients a suite of messaging services that include hosted and managed email systems, business continuity messaging, and e-mail security. Visit www.ceryx.com for more information.
