Ymor specializes in application performance management in the Benelux market, aiming to improve performance and increase the quality of IT infrastructures. Innovative performance measurement methodologies and technologies have been developed by specialists and consultants to help organizations with highly complex IT infrastructures. Ymor prides itself on delivering the software, hardware and consultancy to measure everything, including web, SAP, Citrix, mobile, and voice-based applications. IT quality cannot be measured with technical indicators alone and can only be objectively secured and improved by working closely with the end-user. Ymor’s 60 highly skilled professionals adopt this strategy very effectively with clients who represent the top 100 companies in The Netherlands.
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To provide a comprehensive service, Ymor needs a robust performance testing tool. In the past, it has used a variety of products. But, as technology advances so quickly, it found the performance testing tool was lagging behind, as Martin van den Berge, Managing Director of Ymor, explains: “We have to stay ahead of our customers when it comes to technology. Our clients expect us to take on performance management for their full application portfolio, so the tools need to support a wide range of platforms and technologies.”
Following a Proof of Concept to performance test a client’s Citrix application, Silk Performer™ came out as the top runner. Providing a stable platform and wide protocol support is of utmost importance for a service provider like Ymor. Combined with a flexible license structure designed to accommodate Ymor’s business model, Silk Performer, Silk Central™ and Mobile Central™ were chosen. Van den Berge comments on the license flexibility: “It is very useful for us to be able to check Silk licenses in and out of the main license server. We often work at our client’s sites, so it’s not always possible to connect to the license server remotely due to firewall restrictions. Therefore, to physically take a license along to a customer without any further administration or authorization is really helpful to us. It couldn’t be done with our previous solution.”
Silk Performer is used at the center of Ymor’s performance testing service with over 60 engineers working with clients on performance test requirements. Performance testing in a safe environment ensures the application can manage the new environment without loss of availability or performance. Van den Berge illustrates this: “One of our clients is a major Dutch railway organization. Every month they issue a new journey planner, which is thoroughly tested with Silk Performer to ensure its performance once released.”
All test results and scripts are saved within Silk Central. This is mainly used internally to enable effective client reporting and to provide a central repository for all testing activities. Silk Central provides central control and collaboration. Having all test scripts in one place encourages test reuse so that resources are deployed more efficiently. Silk Mobile is used to validate an application’s performance on a mobile device, as van den Berge explains: “Another one of our clients is a major media and communications provider. When they were in the process of launching a TV application, we were engaged with Silk Mobile to measure the performance and availability of media streaming apps for all targeted mobile platforms, providing real added value and confidence.”
Ymor has experienced rapid growth and must be prepared for continued business expansion. Van den Berge is pleased with the decision to implement Silk: “We made a strategic decision with a three-year agreement. We’ve now been working with the Silk tools for well over a year. The stability of the environment has really impressed us – it’s never failed. Our engineers enjoy working with Silk Performer and were up and running quickly. Our experience with Silk Central and Silk Mobile has been more recent but is already showing great promise in what we can deliver back to our clients. As a market leader, it was vitally important for us to engage with a vendor who will continue to develop its technology, enabling us to stay ahead of our clients. Every six months we receive new Silk product releases, which fill us with confidence that Micro Focus is as committed to technical innovation and excellence as we are.
