Case Studies
A picture is truly worth a thousand buzz words, so here are links to summaries and photos of actual projects for a long-time client to give you an idea of improvements we can make for you. This happens to be a manufacturing company with administrative headquarters in the Twin Cities and plants in smaller communities in Wisconsin. But no matter what your industry—retail, wholesale, manufacturing, medical, you name it—we can improve communications among and within your facilities with comparable services.
HOST SITE: Our first priority for this particular client was to establish a Wide Area Network (WAN), connecting their host site server and phone system to their remote sites for reliable computer and voice communications:
- As technology improved over the years, we were able to provide them with ever-faster and more reliable connections. The original leased lines and analog modems gave way to frame relay and then to T1 point-to-point (with multi-site technologies such as MPLS a cost-effective possibility if they were to add more locations).
- We added voice over IP to their data connection so they could quickly reach their remote sites via toll-free, 2-digit extensions on their telephones.
- Once high speed Internet access became available at their remote sites, we supplemented their T1 with automatic backup via secure Internet tunnels.
- We migrated their firewall onto their headquarters WAN router to enable encrypted access to server data by “road warrior” salespeople and telecommuting employees.
- They are also a good candidate for our website design services, to vastly improve their marketing and interactive functionality, extend service to the full range of handheld devices, and provide content management (for routine updates by their own staff)—all integrated with our other services.
REMOTE SITES: Having established fast, reliable WAN connections from their headquarters site to their remote factory sites, they next asked us to look into their Local Area Network (LAN) issues within their remote sites:
- Computer/Communications Room Components: See the primary hardware components involved in the projects described below.
- Computer/Communications Room, Before and After: See how we reorganized and upgraded this central hub.
- Wiring Closet, Before & After: See how we reorganized and upgraded these vital production machine connections.
- Cabling, Before & After: See photos of the fiber optic and twisted pair upgrades.
- Paging, Before & After: See the bonus project that extended audible communication to the factory floor.
Links to remote site projects:
Computer/Communications Room Components
Computer/Communications Room, Before & After
CLIENT HOST SITE COMPUTER ROOM EXAMPLE:
A. WAN ROUTER provides all long distance connectivity:
(1) Dedicated T1 and backup Internet tunnel to remote sites for data and VoIP.
(2) Encrypted tunnels for "road warrior" access to company server.
(3) Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) for e-commerce with major customers.
(4) Authorized remote maintenance access to host and remote site managed routers and switches.
(5) Firewall functions to manage security along with the above capabilities.
B. VOICE-OVER-IP (VoIP) GATEWAYS to enable toll-free intra-company communications with fast 2-digit exensions.
C. EMERGENCY DIAL-IN ACCESS for remote management and troubleshooting in case of Internet outage.
D. HOST SITE SERVER available for company-wide access, including telecommuting employees, via the WAN routers and managed remote switches.