Middleware Experience
In terms of Maxima’s experience of middleware technologies, Maxima have been engaged as middleware technology specialists for over 5 years at Network Rail. In that time, Maxima has designed and built a full HA solution for an Oracle Application Server 10.1.2 OC4J cluster with a full HA build for Oracle AS Identity Management and Oracle Internet Directory version 10.1.2. These were at a later time upgraded/patched to versions Oracle AS OC4J 10.1.3 and Oracle AS IDM 10.1.4. The Metadata Repository for the Oracle AS infrastructure (OID and SSO) has been installed on an Oracle RAC database with two instances. Network connections between these use the SSL protocol and certificates. Maxima has designed the network layout for internal and external access for the Oracle Portals and Web Applications. NWR projects exclusively use Maxima’s expertise on setting up SSO and external access to web applications. Other technologies used in this set-up include Netegrity Siteminder and IdentityMinder from CA for authentication and authorization, an External Services Gateway with Reverse Proxies, ACE modules for load balancing, Firewall and hardware SSL modules. These were all set-up and configured by Maxima and are still under our support.
In 2008, Maxima have been responsible for the implementation of Oracle’s OID product for identity management, integrated with Microsoft Active Director at Atradius, a leading credit risk organisation. This was despite the company already having trained staff in Oracle’s Application Server.
Maxima have been responsible for a major Oracle Portal Upgrade at ITV.
Maxima have implemented and upgraded Oracle Discoverer (with versions ranging from 4i to 10G) at several sites, as well as constructing a number of reports for various clients around the Oracle e-Business Suite. This extends to increasing use of Oracle BI publisher.
In the area of records and document management, Maxima can provide consultancy in content management solutions from Stellent (now owned from Oracle), Microsoft’s Sharepoint and Documentum.
In December 2007, Maxima Group acquired Eclectic, a specialist firm of Business Intelligence practitioners with offices in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Reading and London. From these offices Eclectic service clients throughout the UK & Ireland, employing approximately 50 full time Business Intelligence and Information Technology consultants. Eclectic are an Oracle Certified Advantage Partner, one of only 7 for Oracle Technology in the UK and Ireland and the only Oracle Certified Advantage Partner specialising in Business Intelligence
A relevant case study from the public sector to illustrate Eclectic’s ability to deliver substantial cost savings from the implementation of Oracle Business Intelligence solutions in conjunction with use of Oracle e-Business Suite comes from Lambeth Council. The result of this project was to cut the efforts to prepare monthly accounts by 50%.
As a result of Eclectic’s successful integration into the company, Maxima can now provide specialist consultancy in all aspects of project delivery related to the deployment of Oracle’s Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition (OBIEE).
