Customer Success: 1800Radiator

Two years ago, Radiator Express Warehouse (1800Radiator), a fast-growing automotive-parts distributor, began franchising. While initial growth was slow and the company had time to add infrastructure
and build servers, in the last year, its business skyrocketed. The company has grown to more than 130 franchise locations at a rate of three new openings per week. “Before we knew it,” says CTO Mike Carvalho, “our computer room was almost at maximum power capacity, our computer racks were full, our switches were all used, and our air conditioning was on continuously. Rather than spend thousands
on new power systems, racks, and air conditioning, we chose to leverage VMware’s product line to allow our company to keep pace with our growth.”
To maintain its high service levels, 1800Radiator turned to VMware and partner AccessFlow. Using virtualization technology, the company was able to take 31 physical servers out of production—the benefits from which extended beyond the combined savings of a nearly $6,000 PG&E rebate check and 25-percent reduction in power and cooling costs. “It was worth it to me just for the peace of mind in being able to support and grow my business. VMware HA and DRS, for example, provide automatic redundancy and resource management
such that we can maintain maximum uptime—simply and affordably.”