Metro de Quito Keeps Citizens Moving

Lenovo servers powered by 2nd Gen Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors support a new mass transportation system.

At a Glance:

  • Empresa Pública Metropolitana Metro de Quito (EPMMQ) is undertaking the largest mobility project in Quito’s history.

  • EPMMQ analyzed the market for potential IT infrastructure solutions, with a particular emphasis on technical functionality and cost-efficiency. As a result of this assessment, the organization selected a hyperconverged infrastructure based on Lenovo and Nutanix solutions, featuring 2nd Gen Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors.

author-image

Oleh

Background

Empresa Pública Metropolitana Metro de Quito (EPMMQ) is undertaking the largest mobility project in Quito’s history, transforming movement around the city. Line 1 of the Quito Metro is expected to transport 400,000 passengers per day, enabling them to travel up to 22 kilometers (13.7 miles) in just 34 minutes.

The new public transport service will decrease traffic congestion and pollution, enhance citizen experiences, and reduce travel times across the city. It is also expected to benefit the economy, by lessening reliance on fuel imports and promoting urban development. To realize these goals, EPMMQ works behind the scenes to maximize returns on the public funds invested in the project.

Challenge

As the Quito Metro neared completion, EPMMQ engaged in a campaign to help citizens better understand the service, so that they can use it to its full potential once it is ready. To ensure a successful launch, the organization was aiming to free up time for its employees to focus on this primary objective.

EMMQ initiated a technological refresh, seeking to simplify its IT infrastructure and lighten the administrative load on its IT team. The organization began searching for the ideal solution to power its mission-critical business applications.

Why Lenovo? Innovative and Future-Proof

EPMMQ undertook an analysis of the market for potential IT infrastructure solutions, with a particular emphasis on technical functionality and cost-efficiency. As a result of this assessment, the organization selected a hyperconverged infrastructure based on Lenovo and Nutanix solutions, featuring 2nd Gen Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors.

Henry Lopez, Chief Technology Officer at EPMMQ recalls, “We knew that we wanted a hyperconverged solution, because the key decision-makers had positive experiences with this technology dating back a few years. The Lenovo offering is the right one for EPMMQ because it combines state-of-the-art innovation with ease of management.”

Christian Leoni, Project Leader at EPMMQ, adds: “Another key deciding factor was the fact that the Lenovo ThinkAgile HX platform is fully compatible with SAP HANA. We are planning to move our SAP application landscape from Microsoft SQL Server to the SAP HANA in-memory database in the near future, so needed a platform certified to support these workloads. The Lenovo ThinkAgile HX Series includes appliances specifically certified for SAP HANA, which put our mind at ease regarding future expansion.”

It’s essential that every investment we make produces lasting benefits. We were looking for an infrastructure with a clear implementation path for SAP HANA in the future. —Henry Lopez, chief technology officer, Empresa Pública Metropolitana Metro de Quito

Smooth Journey to High Performance

EPMMQ procured the Lenovo ThinkAgile HX solution through distributor Adistec, and engaged Lenovo Channel Partner Taurustech to assist with the implementation. In the face of disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic, the teams were able to pull together to complete the deployment within pre-agreed timelines.

Fabian Darquea, Contract Administrator at EPMMQ, recalls, “Even though the project happened while lockdowns were in force, Adistec and Taurustech both provided the support we needed to avoid any downtime.”

EPMMQ migrated an all-in-one hyperconverged infrastructure solution based on three Lenovo ThinkAgileHX5520 appliances. As part of the project, the organization consolidated multiple hypervisors using Nutanix Acropolis. EPMMQ also gained a single point of control for all virtualized infrastructure resources via Nutanix Prism.

Our project with Taurustech, Adistec, and Lenovo technology is a true success story. We rolled out a robust solution in time to allow our employees to work remotely throughout the pandemic. If any link in the chain had broken, it wouldn’t have been possible—but we all collaborated exceptionally well. —Fabian Darquea, contract administrator, Empresa Pública Metropolitana Metro de Quito

Results

With the Lenovo ThinkAgile HX platform, EPMMQ gained the high-availability, high-performance IT infrastructure required to support non-stop operations. With greater visibility of IT resources, the organization can identify potential issues in advance, and take proactive measures to ensure they do not affect services.

By deploying the Lenovo solution, EPMMQ succeeded in simplifying IT management, freeing up time to divert to innovation. The organization can switch gears to its strategy of communicating the benefits of the Quito Metro to the city’s citizens.

Looking to the future, EPMMQ has the agile IT infrastructure it needs to bring essential public transport services to Quito for years to come. The Quito Metro will enable people to travel across the city in just 34 minutes. As well as saving time for individual citizens, the new public transport service will increase the city’s productivity. By connecting the historical city center with outer areas and suburbs, the Quito Metro will support urban expansion and development.

When EPMMQ adopts SAP HANA in the future, it has a pre-certified, pre-integrated platform ready to go, and can seamlessly expand its infrastructure with Lenovo ThinkAgile HX Certified Nodes for SAP HANA. Scaling up the Lenovo ThinkAgile HX platform is straightforward and cost-effective, minimizing obstacles to growth.

  • 1,500-person capacity per train; 400,000 people expected to use the service daily
  • Simplified IT management frees up time for innovation
  • 34 minutes to travel across Quito
  • Lays foundation for future move to SAP HANA
  • 24/7 operations supported by high-availability IT infrastructure
  • Straightforward scaling future-proofs the platform

Thanks to the Lenovo ThinkAgile HX platform—powered by high-performance 2nd Gen Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors—and the integrated management tools, we always know what’s going on with our IT infrastructure. As a result, we can make decisions and find solutions faster, allowing our end users to work productively without interruption. —Christian Leoni, project leader, Empresa Pública Metropolitana Metro de Quito