The SSII then available network Frame Relay

The objective set out by Frédéric Callard is clear: "We want to reduce the number of our telecoms providers to three or four for voice and data." The head networks and telecoms of Cegedim (1), European leader in the production, dissemination and exploitation of data and services related to medical information and CRM activities (2), was even a specific idea in mind: "Call if possible more widely in the European Interoute operator which has a network expanded across Europe." Satisfied a first collaboration with Interoute (3), the SSII specializing in the health sector appreciate the flexibility and reactivity of the operator who gives her a great latitude to install its own equipment. The latter should respond to the call for tenders to be launched this year for the settlements in the Eastern Europe Group.

Budget ISD: 30 M

Euro (s), including 5 MEuro (s) in Telecom

This approach of streamlining fits in line with the reorganization of activities computer and telecoms group. In early 2005, a Directorate of information (DSI) structured systems is put in place after the arrival of Didier Fleury who takes direction (see box below). In 2005, the budget of the ISD represented 6 of the turnover of the groupwhich has reached EUR 501,3 million last year. Which represents a little more than 30 million euros, of which EUR 5 million for telecommunications. However, the bulk of this budget is attributable to the activity of development of the software on behalf of its customers (4). Flow mediated on the data of Cegedim network essentially relate to the e-mail and the Internet, as well as to some Central applications related to the management of human resources and developed in-house for the most part. These applications are hosted in both major centers of the Group located in Boulogne where the head office (5) data. "There is not yet critical application itself, said Frédéric Callard, but this may change with the development of VoIP (6)" We began this deployment on a few settlements and moving progressively to adapt. "Cegedim appealed to Equant to its international network of data from 1993 and 1994, a collaboration which continued until 2002. The SSII then available network Frame Relay. From 2002, we are more interested in the all-Internet solutions offered by alternative operators. Gradually, we have equipped our subsidiaries to access Internet and have connected them to Headquarters via type IP VPN access (7). "MCI has quickly become the main provider of Cegedim Internet access, while Colt became its supplier of leased (8) international bonds. The passage from one to the other of these situations do not operated brutally. "Until in 2004, we have worked both with Equant, Colt and MCI, indeed indicates Frédéric Callard. For the international AT & T operates some links and we sometimes use local (in Slovakia for example) operators when our usual partners are not present. "In France, for its data, Cegedim works also with France Telecom, and, for a little more than a year, with Interoute. "Late 2004 - early 2005, we wanted change to Boulogne, where our Internet access is provided by France Telecom and MCI, through Via Networks (9), on the main site where converge most global flows of the group." "Interoute then proposed us a different approach to four times lower than the cost of Via Networks", said Frédéric Callard.

Dark fibre and offer "unmanaged".

Cegedim is thus appeal to Interoute since early 2005 and it will then ask him to install a fiber to connect two of its locations to Boulogne. "Interoute rented us a dark fibre on which we do what we want with our own active equipment (10)," said the head networks and telecoms. "Interoute has an extensive network in Europe and has an extended offer which could suit us in certain situations." In addition, he has the ability to provide Internet in all the countries (11). Our goal is to buy bandwidth IP at the global level through an "unmanaged" offer (12) allows us to get ourselves our own IP - Sec VPN network. The SPLM (13), which is generally in place operated networks of operators, is not now useful for us. Its advantages in terms of securing flows do not concern us in effect since we encryptons signals. "As the QoS (14), did we now need, since we have not really critical applications such as the real time stream or the flow of ERP (15) for example, which require services"différenciantes"classes", still indicates Frédéric Callard. "Interoute is not only cheaper but also seems very reactive, which to us very important to the extent we must be able to quickly add sites based on our needs."

Voice: "FT", MCI and Completel

Thus, Cegedim, who wants to reduce the number of its Telecoms providers must launch this year a call for tenders for the European zone of the East, a zone for which Interoute is approached but why Cegedim does however not to appeal to another operator. Capacity ranging from 2 to 10 Mbits/s depending on the sites are planned. Classic fixed telephony is managed at the level

each subsidiary, independent on the subject. "Our settlements are most of the time call to the operator of the country where they are located, except in cases where Colt is well established and is then preferred to another operator." "However, in France, where are the headquarters of the Group and the core of our settlements, the situation is more complex and a new call for tenders is expected", summarizes Frédéric Callard. Fixed telephony is thus managed by ISD while mobile fleet is supported by the General services (16). "Moreover, we deploy progressively VoIP.", he added. For classical telephony, Cegedim appealed to Boulogne to two major suppliers: France Telecom and MCI (telephony outgoing classic with MCI, overflow on France Telecom). On the majority of the other French sites, the voice was entrusted to Completel. VoIP is in place on eight boulonnais sites of the software. It passes through links leased type interLAN France Telecom, as well as held by Cegedim in own fiber. "Our goal is to get to the VoIP ten additional sites during 2007, says Frédéric Callard. The eighteen major French sites connected, we will remain then expand VoIP across our French agencies, or some 30 additional sites, and, in the aftermath, across our global network, all being provided to horizon 2008.

VoIP could be generalized

In the meantime this generalization of VoIP, phone system classic which Cegedim is used for the France will be called into question. Indeed, the current contract on Boulogne with MCI, rescued by France Télécom, translates an action France Telecom for overflow for 60 percent of communications. "We are consulting with currently to have, before the summer, more than a provider that will ensure 100 of the traffic." "We want at the same time streamline our telephony architecture, whose flat refurbishment will be used in the development of the specifications of a new tender concerning incoming and outgoing, telephony in the re-entry," adds the head networks and telecoms of Cegedim. The proposals for Colt, Completel, France Telecom, MCI, Cegetel and other operators are expected.

(1) - Cegedim was created in 1969 and employs today 4 400 people including 1,600 international. Cegedim provides services to pharmaceutical companies for the management of medical data.

(2) - Customer Relationship Management (CRM).

(3) - Interoute is today present in 18 countries in Europe, with a network of fibre-optic 23 500 km, as well as in the United States.

(4) - More than half of the budget amounts to development activity, which explains this high ratio.

(5) - Cegedim also has a centre of data in Toulouse, and another in London.

(6) - Voice over IP (VoIP).

(7) - Virtual Private Network (VPN).

(8) - Initial perimeter has been defined in the contract signed with Colt, relating to the access close European sites. With MCI, the contracts are rather signed site by site.

(9) - Interoute later purchase Via Networks.

(10)-"The dark fibre solution is interesting, said Frédéric Callard, once to connect sites are remote to a maximum of 50 km."

(11) - Cegedim total 53 sites in the world, 45 of which are in Europe. Outside Europe, the group is present in the United States, to the Mexico, in Brazil, North Africa, Korea, to the Japan in China...

(12) - Cegedim must install its equipment of terminals and its routers. In the case of black fibre, must be increasingly installed equipment that will move the wavelength in optical fibre.

(13) - Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS).

(14) - Quality of service (QoS).

(15) - Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP).

(16) - Cegedim works with Coriolis proposed Orange subscriptions.

BOX .

A DSI structured

Prior to 2005, information technology and telecommunications of Cegedim were supported by three different poles: systems, networks, and development. The new direction of information systems (DSI) is composed of four poles: developments, entity to develop software for the customers of the software; the Operations Directorate, under the responsibility of Olivier Scarcetto; quality-safety management, led by Eric Soudy; the Office of technical studies, led by Pascal Richard. Didier Fleury directly related to the branch (1).

250 People

The DSI is indeed recognized today as a centerpiece that will allow the Group of services to pharmaceutical and medical data management achieve its objectives. Head of networks and Telecom, Frédéric Callard is attached to the Directorate of operations which includes three other divisions - management applications, mainframe and open systems (2) - and which account it only 100 collaborators on the 250 total ISD (3). Almost all of this workforce is based in Boulogne where the headquarters of the group. Few development teams are the exception and are installed on remote sites (Lyon), and certain entities that remained independent after their redemption by Cegedim (4).

Jean-1 - Claude Labrune, President-Director General and Pierre Marucchi, Director-General. -2-Unix and Windows System. -3-Must be added on average 25 providers either 10 of the workforce. -4-This situation however with vocation to be reduced.