Overview

Outages and network problems raise the risk of disrupting manufacturing processes with the potential of revenue losses and reputational damage. HUBER+SUHNER wanted to reduce the complexity of their network architecture and operations, increase uptime and safeguard their operations by introducing a managed software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) to connect their operations in China to their headquarters in Switzerland and locations worldwide. NTT implemented this managed network service and operates it, enabling the HUBER+SUHNER IT team to focus on their application environment.


Client profile

With approximately 1,200 employees in Switzerland and 4,300 worldwide, HUBER+SUHNER offers customers around the globe components and system solutions for electrical and optical connectivity. HUBER+SUHNER focuses on the industrial, communications and transportation markets with radio frequency, fiber optic and low frequency technology. Their global production network, which includes subsidiaries and representatives in over 80 countries, puts them close to their customers.



Services
Vision
Vision

Shifting to a globally reliable managed network

As a global manufacturer of fiber optic and radio frequency products, HUBER+SUHNER understands the power of connectivity. Any outages or connectivity issues in the network supporting their presence in over 80 countries can result in lost orders, reputational damage and costly production delays. To keep ahead of technological changes and provide excellent service to their customers, they have to maintain and improve their global network.

At the time of our engagement with HUBER+SUHNER, their small, specialized IT team was managing their global network internally. This involved dealing with different service providers in each region as well as complying with each region’s regulations governing networks and data.

To free up their IT team to work on application projects, and reduce complexity managing their WAN, the company decided to adopt a Network as a Service strategy, starting with the connectivity between their operations in China and their headquarters in Switzerland.


"With a Network as a Service from NTT we’ve simplified how we connect to our international operations, giving us access to a secure, flexible, global service with predicable costs. This creates a platform for innovation that we never had before."

Alexander Graf
CIO, HUBER+SUHNER
Transformation
Transformation

Creating a solution that meets international standards

HUBER+SUHNER chose NTT to implement a Network as a Service solution to enhance their network quality and mitigate any impact from network downtime. The requirement was to have a reliable, stable and secure network that complies with China’s stringent network and data regulations, which negatively impacts the performance of standard SD-WAN and other L3-based solutions.

We took a consultive approach to creating the managed service, starting with addressing our client’s immediate need but also enabling them to migrate all their global operations to the overall global service, according to their own timelines. Our collaboration was founded on the shared values of competence and capability, which showed HUBER+SUHNER had chosen the right team.

Their first and most pressing requirement was ensuring seamless connectivity between their operations in China and their Swiss headquarters. By establishing a single point of connection in Hong Kong, we were able to deliver full SD-WAN capabilities across the Great Chinese Firewall while still complying with all relevant regulations.

As part of the staged rollout of the global managed SD-WAN, we have taken over the monitoring of their existing global network with a timeline in place to migrate all their operations over to the new managed network service.

Leveraging our Network as a Service solution, they have access to a secure, stable and reliable connectivity service that supports their business operations.


“With operations across the world, staying connected is critical to keeping the company running smoothly. We need a secure network that caters for the varying regulations across the globe.”

Alexander Graf
CIO, HUBER+SUHNER
Results
Results

Reliable network support operations

The managed SD-WAN securely and reliably connects HUBER+SUHNER to their global operations, ensuring that they are able to quickly take advantage of any opportunities, in China or anywhere else in the world.

Simplifying network management

Replacing multiple vendors with a single managed service provider has simplified their network management and freed up their IT team to focus on the application environment. Our Network as a Service offering provides them with a predictable, monthly expenditure with all infrastructure and connections managed by NTT, once the full service will be deployed.

Trust and partnership

As part of the consultation process, we made sure we understood their business and how they like to conduct it. Using our managed SD-WAN platform allows us to dynamically adapt the service to meet their evolving needs.

Ensuring global compliance

Our understanding of global regulations surrounding networks and data means that HUBER+SUHNER can easily comply with global regulations, including strict adherence to different regulations governing networks and data in China and Switzerland.


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