asTech® achieves hyperspeed growth and improved uptime in automotive diagnostics using a Flexential hybrid solution including colocation, cloud and disaster recovery services.
Making the Roads Safer for Drivers Nationwide
Flexential Partnership Highlights
- Financial records protected by robust security protocols
- Explosive growth buoyed by highly scalable environment
- Essential compliance requirements achieved through regular audits
The History
Working with Industry Leaders to Ensure Proper Automotive Repair
asTech® began its business of providing vehicle diagnostic solutions and services to the collision repair industry with one clear purpose in mind—to ensure proper repair and calibration of automotive electronic systems, which ultimately helps make the roads safer across the nation.
Headquartered in Plano, Texas, asTech provides remote and in-shop vehicle diagnostic scanning services to small- to medium-sized auto repair shops as well as large businesses and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) partners. Technicians use asTech’s patented Remote Diagnostic Device—a tool that streamlines more than 18 OEM softwares into one—to conduct scans before and after a car is repaired and ultimately resets all vehicles to their original equipment standards. The company also offers mobile services where trained asTech technicians travel on-site to outside repair facilities for up to a week to offer diagnostic expertise. In addition, the company offers calibration services available through free-standing asTech centers.
The Value of a Diagnostic Scan
Across the United States, automotive electronic technicians use asTech’s proprietary, unique device to connect to a vehicle’s onboard diagnostics port and complete a system-wide scan pre and post repair. While auto repair businesses regularly identify and fix visible physical damage to vehicles, they use these diagnostic scans to determine if sensors need to be fixed, replaced or re-calibrated following an accident. Sensors are focused primarily around safety features such as lane assist, automatic emergency braking, blind spot detection and crash detection for air bag deployment.
The Challenge
Growing At Hyper Speed
As asTech grew and the company enabled technicians to scan more cars, the company needed an infrastructure that was not only reliable and redundant but also one that offered physical security and disaster recovery. Large automotive companies as well as locally owned auto repair shops had come to rely upon asTech’s technology and services for their critical diagnostic scanning capabilities.
asTech recognized the need to find a data center and IT hybrid cloud solution that was scalable and quickly deployable to meet their growth needs. In May 2018, asTech maintained its own on-premises equipment but had a potential contract for an outside infrastructure solution on the desk of its newly hired IT vice president, John Sotello. However, Sotello, who possessed a deep knowledge and experience in the IT industry, believed he could explore a more flexible, customizable solution.
After discussions about the solutions Flexential offers that could meet asTech’s current and future business needs, asTech’s executive leadership team toured the Dallas - Plano data center and selected Flexential.
“We were looking for a partner who cares about what we do,” said Sotello. “We chose Flexential not only for their core competencies in establishing our IT infrastructure, but also for the people on their team. We’re in the business of enabling auto industry leaders to properly repair electronic systems, and Flexential is enabling us to deliver on that promise.”
The Solution
Tailored, Hybrid IT Solution Provides Foundation for Delivering Optimal Service and Meeting Expansion Requirements
Colocation – asTech improves the scalability, security and efficiency of its environment by operating active-active workloads out of the Flexential Dallas – Plano and the Las Vegas - North data centers. By implementing this managed IT environment through Flexential, asTech has the ability to leverage geo-load balancing and provide optimal service to end users using its devices. Flexential colocation also allows asTech to seamlessly scale its environment, which has grown from five cabinets to more than 40 to support its fast growth.
Cloud – Utilizing Flexential hybrid cloud services, asTech achieves the flexibility to customize its environment to best meet its evolving needs. Its cloud deployments out of Dallas – Richardson and Amsterdam allow the company to meet global expectations and eliminate the time and cost of hardware management.
Security – asTech leverages Flexential best-in-class security protocols and firewall services to protects its data and applications. With 24/7 monitoring, multiple security layers and a compliant environment, Flexential protects asTech’s most critical assets.
Disaster recovery – asTech subscribes to the Flexential Recovery Cloud, a Disaster Recovery-as-a-Service (DRaaS) solution, from the Denver – Cornell data center. Offering a flexible environment, around-the-clock expert support and near real-time replication, the Recovery Cloud defends against disaster and keeps asTech’s data safe.
The Results
Enhanced Uptime, Reliability and Burstable Capacity Support Company Growth
asTech began the migration process with Flexential in 2018, which required substantial physical infrastructure movement and precise coordination between the companies to complete. As a Flexential customer, asTech sees the benefits of finding the right infrastructure partner and working with a world-class employee support team, including enhanced uptime capabilities, reliable stability of the platform and
burstable capacity.
Since starting the partnership with Flexential, asTech has experienced growth of 200% in its OEM tool capacity and a 50% improvement in uptime as well as the time required to stand-up OEM tools.
asTech continues to experience exponential growth by serving as the source of safety to automotive repair professionals, particularly as car electronics become more advanced. Through its partnership with Flexential, asTech has seen measurable improvements in uptime and growth.
“Flexential offered us the space, power and ability to grow at a meteoric pace over the past two years. We have increased our tool capacity volume by more than 200% and have improved our uptime by 50%. The data that lives on the Flexential infrastructure is critical to our business of saving lives through proper vehicle diagnostics.”