SuperPartners uses virtualization to conduct systems testing

Superannuation provider can now do component-based testing piece by piece

Melbourne-based superannuation provider SuperPartners has used service virtualization to conduct systems testing, leading to a reduction in testing times and increased IT productivity.

The organisation partners with not-for-profit industry superannuation funds such as the Construction & Building Industry Super (Cbus). SuperPartners has 6 million members in Australia.

Speaking to Computerworld Australia at CA Expo 2014, SuperPartners channel and integration competency centre senior manager Mark Crawshaw said it has a “complicated IT environment".

“We have a lot of clients that have different needs. In order to build [IT] environments and get changes made was really hard. We also have different websites that are externally hosted,” he said.

In order to make changes to IT environments quicker, the firm implemented a service virtualization tool called CA Lisa in December 2013.

“We are able to do component-based testing piece by piece with [CA] Lisa and we have found a much better success,” said Crawshaw. For example, it can use the tool to model and simulate different systems.

The service virtualization software means SuperPartners has also reduced its reliance on physical servers. It now has only 1,500 hardware servers.

SuperPartners has also developed an investment program for Construction & Building Industry Super members, which will allow them to invest directly on the Australian Securities Exchange.

In August 2014, the organisation went live with a program that allows most of its 6 million members to submit their superannuation contributions electronically.

The federal government is rolling out a e-superannuation initiative, SuperStream, which is moving all superannuation transactions an electronic process. Organisations with more than 20 staff to are required to comply with a set of standards (XBRL ebMS 3.0/AS4i) for the transfer of data from employers to superfunds by 3 November 2014.

Follow Hamish Barwick on Twitter: @HamishBarwick

Follow Computerworld Australia on Twitter: @ComputerworldAU, or take part in the Computerworld conversation on LinkedIn: Computerworld Australia

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