{"id":28976,"date":"2022-06-17T10:40:27","date_gmt":"2022-06-17T08:40:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/?post_type=blog_post&#038;p=28976"},"modified":"2024-02-07T18:08:36","modified_gmt":"2024-02-07T17:08:36","slug":"an-internalized-it-is-key-to-icalps-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/fr\/an-internalized-it-is-key-to-icalps-success\/","title":{"rendered":"Internalized IT? A key to IC&rsquo;Alps success"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><strong>Discover how our Internalized IT Department is a key factor in IC&rsquo;Alps success<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>To focus on one\u2019s core business and strategic activities, startups may sometime overlook or simply outsource their Information Technology (IT) department at incorporation. This strategy may yield some immediate benefits but decision makers sometimes realize that their infrastructure:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Did not grow at the same pace as their business<\/li>\n<li>Did not adapt to their business\u2019 nature and evolutions<\/li>\n<li>Does not allow for swift QMS certification process<\/li>\n<li>Is the reason for lost opportunities with potentially strategic partners or public agencies<\/li>\n<li>And does not allow for optimal preparedness against external factors.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Incorporated in 2018, IC\u2019Alps is a startup by definition. Being a young and dynamic business active in the field of high-tech also meant that IT-related matters would be carefully planned ahead. The aim was to prepare the ground for efficient problem-solving and future evolutions.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, the idea of an internalized Department and scalable IT infrastructure was immediately identified as strategic for the company\u2019s activities and future growth. Because IC\u2019Alps customer\u2019s needs are various in scale, nature and sensitivity, the company must be able to adapt quickly.<\/p>\n<p>Likewise, the company may intervene on many different steps of a custom Integrated Circuit (IC) design: feasibility study, design, layout, implementation, characterization, industrialization or production.<\/p>\n<p>All these factors, including being agile when facing external contingencies, pushed the need for <strong>confidentiality<\/strong>, <strong>performance<\/strong>, <strong>preparedness<\/strong> and <strong>scalability<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-29118 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/IT-Blog-1024x575.jpg\" alt=\"IT - A key to IC'Alps Success\" width=\"800\" height=\"449\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/IT-Blog-1024x575.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/IT-Blog-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/IT-Blog-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/IT-Blog-1536x863.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/IT-Blog.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Confidentiality and Security<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Asking a prime contractor like IC\u2019Alps to develop the next-generation semiconductor is not a small matter. It often means that the Principal (i.e. the Customer) will have to trust a third party with parts of his R&amp;D budget, intellectual property, and hopes.<\/p>\n<p>The task of building trust with potential Customers begins long before the start of any project and IC\u2019Alps IT Department plays a major role in that part.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Proprietary information from foundries and third parties<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>As an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/ic-alps-services\/turnkey-asic-design-supply\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ASIC Design &amp; Supply House<\/a>, IC\u2019Alps is commissioned to find the most relevant IC solution by and for its customers. It means that the IT Department is a cornerstone in maintaining an appropriate level of trust with various stakeholders.<\/p>\n<p>For example, Design Kits are a set of rules and highly confidential data from foundries used for designing circuits. Intellectual Properties or IPs are components licensed by third-parties who own them, like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.arm.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ARM<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The IT infrastructure ensures that only the authorized personal has access to this information set and the compliance with signed agreements. It ensures that IC\u2019Alps can work in full respect with foundries and IP suppliers\u2019 requirements.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Common Criteria<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_28979\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-28979\" style=\"width: 273px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.commoncriteriaportal.org\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-28979 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Common-Critera-e1654696756877.png\" alt=\"Common Criteria Logo\" width=\"273\" height=\"86\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-28979\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Learn more about Common Criteria<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In order to comply with this high-level security standard, the IT Department set up a premise complementary access control, dedicated &amp; secure design room, and an isolated &amp; secure IT network. This helps IC\u2019Alps collaborate with security-sensitive customers requiring a high level of data protection and associated traceability.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Sovereignty<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-21544 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/custom-soc-made-in-europe-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"European Chip\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/custom-soc-made-in-europe-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/custom-soc-made-in-europe-1024x575.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/custom-soc-made-in-europe-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/custom-soc-made-in-europe.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Finally, the IC\u2019Alps IT Department chose an entirely self-hosted infrastructure instead of a more and more common mix of cloud and on-premise tools and solutions. This decision is costly in terms of labor and resources but ensures a complete control over the entire IT infrastructure.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Performance<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>A company\u2019s performance is often as good as its IT infrastructure. For a Design &amp; Supply House like IC\u2019Alps, performance is a matter of processing tremendous amount of data for the lowest cost.<\/p>\n<p>It is also a matter of organizing a heterogeneous OS environment. It was, for example, essential to use Linux servers with appropriate configurations in regards to IC\u2019Alps development needs: a lot a memory for tools, CPU for ease-of-work and peaks management during calculation phases and a considerable amount of disk space for terabytes of produced data.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, ensuring a seamless access to IC\u2019Alps tools library is a major challenge. Using the best EDA (Electronic Design Automation) tools available on the market is not cheap. IC\u2019Alps IT Department was tasked with implementing a solution allowing to closely monitor usage of these tools in order to prevent costs skyrocketing and deteriorate projects\u2019 budget of our customer.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>EDA Licence Monitoring at IC&rsquo;Alps<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-28984 size-full aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/graph3.png\" alt=\"EDA Licence Use Monitoring 1\" width=\"1137\" height=\"281\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/graph3.png 1137w, https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/graph3-300x74.png 300w, https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/graph3-1024x253.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/graph3-768x190.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1137px) 100vw, 1137px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-28990 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/graph1-300x149.png\" alt=\"EDA Licence Monitoring 2 - Month\" width=\"300\" height=\"149\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/graph1-300x149.png 300w, https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/graph1-768x382.png 768w, https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/graph1.png 878w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-28988 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/graph2-1-300x158.png\" alt=\"EDA Licence use Monitoring 3 - week\" width=\"300\" height=\"158\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/graph2-1-300x158.png 300w, https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/graph2-1-768x404.png 768w, https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/graph2-1.png 888w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Preparedness<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Until two years ago, cybersecurity and environmental factors were the predominant contingencies an IT Department needed to be prepared for. The COVID epidemic forced companies to adapt swiftly and efficiently. The internalization of all IT resources played a major role in IC\u2019Alps readiness by settling homeworking tools by design, ensuring a secure access to servers and keeping all channels open with our customers and international network.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/quality-certification\/\">IC&rsquo;Alps Quality Management System<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 120px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-29129 size-thumbnail\" src=\"https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Afaq_13485_g-150x150.png\" alt=\"ISO 13485\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-29127 size-thumbnail\" src=\"https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Afaq_9100_g-150x150.png\" alt=\"ISO 9100\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-29125 size-thumbnail\" src=\"https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Afaq_9001_g-150x150.png\" alt=\"ISO9001\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>This internalization was also a major benefit when it came to apply to high-level certifications. In the course of 2 years, IC\u2019Alps was able to validate the demanding ARM Design Partner Program audit (2018), conform to three certifications (2019) and validate the ANSSI audit in the Common Criteria framework.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<section class=\"wpb_row main_row no-separator\">\n<div class=\"row_content\">\n<div class=\"row-inner\">\n<div class=\"vc_col-sm-12 wpb_column vc_column_container clearfix\">\n<div class=\"vc_column-inner \">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"heading_wrapper align-center\">\n<h3 class=\"heading_title\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>A second career in data mining<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<p>Some hardware will have a second career at the end of their conventional operational life. Indeed, when their specifications will not match IC\u2019Alps requirements (dimensions as well as performance) anymore, the IT Department already prepared another job for them: they will provide additional processing power to our demanding simulation tools, allowing for an extended product life as well as minimizing environmental impact.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"wpb_row main_row no-separator\">\n<div class=\"row-overlay\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"row_content\">\n<div class=\"row-inner\">\n<div class=\"vc_col-sm-12 wpb_column vc_column_container clearfix\">\n<div class=\"vc_column-inner \">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<p>To conclude, an internalized IT is key to IC\u2019Alps success. This strategic choice was instrumental in implementing an agile structure able to respond quickly and efficiently to all challenges a Design &amp; Supply House like IC\u2019Alps may face.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, IC\u2019Alps IT Department did not manage everything by itself and found great help from partners in implementing specific features and hardware. And keep in mind that the financial constraint can easily be lifted by leasing solutions for all material investments.<\/p>\n<p>And of course, the IT teams grows with the addition of trainees bringing state-of-the-art knowledge and expertise. These are invaluable when it comes to critical domains like cybersecurity and ensures that IC\u2019Alps continues to concentrate on its core business for a long, long time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This blog post made by our IT Department outlines the various benefits for a Design &#038; Supply House to choose a 100% internalized IT infrastructure<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":28995,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"%%title%% %%sep%% %%sitename%%","_seopress_titles_desc":"Our internalized IT Department is a key factor in IC&#039;Alps success. Discover how a Design &amp; Supply House cannot do without it.","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[137,98,99],"tags":[],"applications":[],"expertises":[],"services":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-28976","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-blog","8":"category-life-icalps","9":"category-on-the-move"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28976","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28976"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28976\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28995"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28976"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28976"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28976"},{"taxonomy":"applications","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/applications?post=28976"},{"taxonomy":"expertises","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/expertises?post=28976"},{"taxonomy":"services","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.icalps.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/services?post=28976"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}