The client is a bookseller with three brick-and-mortar stores and a distribution center. Voice is mission critical for the client. The client believes MPLS-based network represents unacceptable outage risk with respect to their centralized phone system.
Business Challenge
The client is a popular bookseller with a loyal clientele. The client believes every phone call represents revenue, as customers typically contact a bookstore to see if a title is in stock. They had been relying on a centralized phone system that is located in a Chicago data center. Each of the client’s sites connected to the phone system, as well as its distribution center, through a 1.5 meg MPLS line. The client wanted to eliminate the risk of losing an MPLS circuit that would shut down voice access to every store, as well as access to applications housed in the distribution center.
CBTS Solution
CBTS recommended the client move from its centralized phone system to a cloud-based Unified Communications as a Service solution that reaches multiple routes. The answer was CBTS Hosted UC.
To support this voice application, the client moved to a combined solution: VMware SD-WAN™, which eliminated the need for MPLS and increased bandwidth at every location from 1.5 Mbps to a minimum of 50 Mbps.
Key Benefits
- Redundant voice solution that ensures all calls are answered at all times.
- Multiple points of connectivity to the distribution center for all applications including inventory.
- Increased bandwidth at every location that supports faster speeds and services such as Wi-Fi.
- Eliminating multiple vendors that managed the client’s phone application, phone service provider, data infrastructure, and Internet Service Provider. CBTS now manages these services.
- More efficient and redundant IT infrastructure for client’s small IT staff, which previously worked with multiple vendors.
Services Included
- Hosted UC network with emergency routing and other disaster recovery tools that ensures business continuity
- SD-WAN in partnership with VMware SD-WAN that enhances CBTS Hosted UC offering
- 24x7x365 network monitoring by CBTS’ highly skilled technicians
Employees Deployed on the Project
CBTS resources included an account manager, solutions design engineer, service delivery manager, and SD-WAN/Network as a Service/Hosted UC implementation team.
Results
Hosted UC from CBTS, VMware SD-WAN provide the client with a reliable phone network across all locations, increased bandwidth at a lower cost compared to MPLS, and dependable connectivity to its distribution center.
The client’s IT staff now has a single pane of glass view into the network, and access to CBTS technicians 24x7x365.
Challenges
- Voice is mission critical for the client. MPLS-based infrastructure with single access point to voice application viewed as a business risk
- Client needs redundant voice solution that will support multiple locations and provide “always on” performance
CBTS Solution
- Hosted Unified Communications (Hosted UC), a scalable, cloud-based, hosted communications and collaboration solution
- SD-WAN from VMware SD-WAN and Network as a Service (NaaS) from Cisco Meraki to support and enhance Hosted UC
Results
- Redundant voice solution that gives each store location multiple routes to ensure all calls are answered at all times.
- Increased bandwidth at every location that supports faster speeds and services such as Wi-Fi.
See Also
Customer Case Study (PDF)
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