ALICIA ROACHFORD, sales manager, Office Solutions with RBS, engages Karl Branch, IT manager of Barbados Port Inc.

OPERATIONS at the island's lone seaport, the Bridgetown Port, have been significantly improved – thanks to the recent installation of a state-of-the-art mainframe [computer] by leading information technology solutions provider Regional Business Systems (RBS).

The new Libra 300 is an open mainframe system from the industry-leading Unisys ClearPath series, which boasts significant improvements in both speed and reliability over its predecessors.

According to Barbados Port Inc. officials, the move to the new system was necessary to handle the sheer volume of data being routed through the Bridgetown facility.

"Over the past five years, we have noticed a significant increase in the number of transactions and the amount of data that we have had to process," Karl Branch, the port's information technology manager, explained.

"As a result, we recognised the need to improve our ability to effectively and efficiently manage this information; this new system really allows us to do that, with no disruption to our clients and users."

Branch said the system was "significantly faster and offers greater operational flexibility than its predecessor. It facilitates all of our previous applications and will improve the port's ability to satisfy the increasing information demands of our clients." (PR)