The first company in the world to make a 'green' cement product wanted to grow its busienss and deliver products that make a difference to the environment.

So when it came time to reassess database technologies it turned to IBM and migrated its Oracle database running on HP Servers to an integrated and optimized DB2 on IBM Power System.

And they did it in one weekend.

Efficiencies and cost savings were substantial. The new DB2 systems reduced required storage space by approximately 35%, translating into significant cost savings by not having to buy unnecessary hardware.

"My number one priority is to continue to grow my business and deliver products that make a difference and not to worry about the technology and hidden costs," said Dev Govender, CIO at cement maker AfriSam.

"We see IBM's workload optimized systems eliminating the concern of IT and allowing companies to shift their focus more on how they can transform their business through information."