Date published: 01.09.08 - not release date

Retail giant Kingfisher Group to use Aperture VISTA to manage expansion of prime data centre

Stamford, CT - June 9, 2008 - Aperture VISTA, the leading software for managing the physical infrastructure of data centres, will be used by Kingfisher IT Services (KITS) to manage a major expansion of its prime data centre in the UK. The data centre serves Kingfisher’s retail companies including B&Q, Castorama, Brico Depot, and Screwfix. Under the expansion plans its floor space will be doubled to 6,000 square feet.

Aperture VISTA’s workflow has enabled KITS to introduce proper installation procedures and ensure they are followed. VISTA software is integrated with remote power management software which allows KITS to measure the power consumption of cabinets. By interfacing with Sensorian software, Aperture VISTA also empowers KITS to control cabinet access and to unlock them remotely.

Neil Cotmore, lead data centre infrastructure analyst at KITS, said: “Having tighter control was central to our plans to open the UK data centre in 2003 and will play an important part in its expansion in March 2008. The process control has improved the quality and consistency of our installs. Before using Aperture VISTA, all our data was in spreadsheets. Aperture VISTA gives us a visual interface which makes it easy to search for and locate our equipment as well as making it much more intuitive.”

He adds: “We’ve seen such an improvement in the UK through using Aperture VISTA that we are now beginning to populate our data centres in France with it.”

Bill Clifford, Chief Executive Officer of Aperture, said: “Before organisations can expand their IT infrastructure, they must ensure they have absolute control over their equipment and the processes that affect it. The business never sleeps, and the data centre can’t afford to be caught napping either. Any transition to a new infrastructure must be seamless and error-free. Aperture VISTA has already helped KITS to improve the quality of its installations, and will prove critical as the company embarks on a major expansion.”

He adds: “Floor space is just part of the capacity equation today: using Aperture VISTA, KITS will be able to ensure that it has the right mix of equipment, power, cooling and space wherever it is needed.”

About Kingfisher

Kingfisher plc is Europe’s leading home improvement retail group and the third largest in the world, with 780 stores in nine countries in Europe and Asia. Its main retail brands are B&Q, Castorama, Brico Dépôt and Screwfix. Kingfisher also has a 21% interest in, and strategic alliance with, Hornbach, Germany’s leading DIY Warehouse retailer, with over 120 stores in Germany and eight other European countries

For more info, please go to: www.kingfisher.co.uk

About Aperture

Aperture is the leading global provider of software for managing the physical infrastructure of data centres. Aperture’s solutions reduce operational risk and improve efficiency through the planning and management of data centre resources and real-time monitoring of the environment. Aperture delivers the best practice processes that enable organisations to take control of an increasingly complex physical infrastructure including equipment, space, power, cooling, network and storage.

With over 20 years of experience, Aperture provides organisations with the information required to optimise their data centre operations, delivering better services at the lowest cost. Aperture’s customers include the world’s largest companies, half of which are Fortune 1000 and Global 500 organisations.

For more info, please go to: http://www.aperture.com

# # #

Aperture is a trademark of Aperture Technologies, Inc. All other trademarks and company names mentioned are the property of their respective owners. Copyright © 2007 Aperture Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved.

For further details please contact:

Ellie Turner / Melanie Antonucci
Prompt Communications on behalf of Aperture
Tel: +44 (0)20 8996 1647 / Out of hours: +44 (0)7780 660080
Email: eturner@prompt-communications.com/ mantonucci@prompt-communications.com