// Network Upgrade

On this page we have collected some of our successfully implemented projects for you – from backup solutions to MPLS extensions to international networking via cloud services. Surely we can improve your network as well!

Our all-round product nocware® consists of six modules. Each of these can be used individually or in combination. Using the nocware® graphic in each article, you can see which modules were used in each use case.

Click on the buttons to jump directly to the respective project.

ambiFOX GmbH

Replacement of the obsolete IPsec technology

Requirement:
We have been in the industry for a long time and are familiar with all current network technologies. Therefore, we also know that the 25-year-old encryption technology IPsec, which is still used in the vast majority of VPNs, no longer meets today’s requirements and brings with it a number of disadvantages. We have made it our mission to find something new – a technology that can do more, that offers solutions to today’s network problems.

Challenge:
Enterprise networks are becoming increasingly complex, they must be highly flexible, easily expandable, fast, trouble-free and above all secure. The bar is set high. Especially for internationally operating companies with numerous, globally distributed locations, optimal networking becomes a challenge.

Our solution:
All network technologies known so far have not been able to convince us – except for one: the innovative routing software “Session Smart Routing” (SSR) from Juniper. We have rebuilt our entire network and now operate the most complex SSR network structure as Europe’s leading partner, making us experts in this field.

A decisive advantage of this technology for us as a service provider is the extensive monitoring. In the event of a malfunction, we can react immediately, even before our customers are affected.


Through the so-called multi-line management, data is automatically moved to another free line in case of bottlenecks or failures. This guarantees trouble-free operation at all times.

In addition, the entire network can be configured, monitored and expanded via a single interface (“Single Pane of Glass”). This gives us an unprecedented overview of our customers’ networks.
Using our proprietary portal, which is an extension to the routing software, our customers can also monitor and expand their own network, making it highly flexible and transparent.
Thanks to the changeover to SSR, we have created a secure, fast and fail-safe network that not only we, but also our customers are enthusiastic about.

Paper factory Palm GmbH & Co KG

Tertiary backup for even more security

Requirement:
Papierfabrik Palm GmbH & Co KG needed a third backup to protect all data in the event of serious faults in the lines. The aim should be to minimise the risk of a production stoppage. After all, a standstill of all production machines of just one hour would already mean immense sales losses for the company. So it is not surprising that an additional backup should be set up.

Challenge:
Palm already uses redundant MPLS lines from the data center to the individual locations, which now needed to be supplemented with another stable line.

In order to detect a disruption in the existing lines at an early stage, monitoring is also necessary to be able to react directly to a bottleneck even before it becomes noticeable in production. In addition to the monitoring itself, we also need a tool that can visualize it. It must constantly monitor the network, detect critical conditions and directly alert the responsible persons.

Our solution:
We extended the existing MPLS lines with a backup solution based on “Session Smart Routing”. (You can find out more about this innovative technology here ). This allows us to set up another stable connection via LTE or an internet line.

By installing the SSR routers in the data center as well as at the locations, they are networked with each other via so-called peers, which guarantee fast and secure data transmission. Unlike encryption techniques such as IPSec, which use tunnels for data transmission, SSR eliminates the need to first establish a new tunnel in the event of a failure. This is particularly noticeable in the connection quality, as there are no prolonged outages.

In addition, another peer from the SSR router to the MPLS line enables constant control of the connection. If one line fails, this is immediately detected by the permanent monitoring and the data traffic is automatically shifted to the third line. This means that the data backlog has been eliminated even before it becomes noticeable to the employees.

Össur – global supplier of orthopaedic products

International networking

Requirements:
Össur is an Icelandic company with international operations and a leading supplier of prostheses and other orthopaedic products. The requirement was to create stable, controllable lines connecting the locations worldwide. The primary concern was to provide a secure connection from Europe to China, as employees at the Shanghai site were often isolated from the rest of the company and lacked access to critical business applications and IT services.

Challenge:
Connections to China usually have high latency and often bottlenecks, which is why an individual solution is necessary to be able to guarantee a secure and stable network. Furthermore, with a simple Internet connection, it is not possible to control the paths of the data packets. This poses risks in terms of data security. It should also be noted that the network must comply with China’s Cyber Security Law (CSL), which imposes strict rules for handling traffic originating from China.
MPLS lines would prevent these problems, but are very cost-intensive due to the numerous and globally distributed locations. In addition, the set-up is comparatively costly, which also leads to inflexibility when expanding with further branches.

Our solution:
Our partner Alibaba Cloud is already well connected worldwide and offers the most secure connections. We take advantage of this by using the Alibaba Cloud as our transport. So we use our partner’s lines to network Össur’s branches – from Germany to China, for example.
For this purpose, we have installed a virtual session smart router in the Alibaba data center in Frankfurt, which in turn sets up peers (more on peer technology here ), through which the individual sites can send data in a secure and controlled manner. This solution is not only more cost-effective, but also highly flexible, as additional branches can be added and integrated into the network quickly and easily. It also offers guaranteed bandwidths as they are easily booked through Alibaba – as per the requirement and need.

As a result, we were able to offer our customer a network solution that meets all of the company’s requirements and guarantees secure, stable and controllable networking at all times, while complying with China’s strict regulatory and legal requirements. This means that the Shanghai site now also has full access to all company data and applications.

“With Juniper and ambiFOX, we’ve accomplished in three weeks what we couldn’t accomplish in five years with MPLS.”

Einar Dagfinnur Klemensson

Head of IT Infrastructure, Össur

You want to know for sure?

You can download a more detailed case study as a PDF file here.

Topp Holdings GmbH

MPLS replacement

Requirement:
Until now, the locations of Topp Holdings GmbH were connected via MPLS lines. However, since the current provider does not offer MPLS lines everywhere, this solution reaches its limits here. It also takes time to set up the lines, so adding new locations will be costly. The company still needed a secure connection, but with greater flexibility and expandability.
In addition, Internet telephony should also be set up – another point that requires a fast and stable Internet connection.

Challenge:
Today’s enterprise networks have to meet many more requirements than they did just a few years ago. With advancing digitalization, the demands are also growing and in order to survive in the market, these must be served. The expansion of a company through new branches requires a complex network structure so that the communication and the data flow between the locations function properly. At the same time, the stability and speed of the connections must always be guaranteed in order to avoid loss of revenue due to work stoppages.

However, the costs must not be disregarded. MPLS lines are safe and good, but also very cost-intensive and often not available everywhere.

Our solution:
With the new and innovative routing software “Session Smart Routing” from Juniper, we have bundled all the advantages of various network technologies into one. Multi-line management ensures a stable connection and thus trouble-free operation. If one line fails, the data traffic is automatically shifted to another free line without the user noticing. This is not possible at all with other technologies, or at least not as easily and automatically, but it offers decisive advantages that are obvious. For the newly established Internet telephony, for example, this means uninterrupted communication at all times, as bottlenecks are responded to directly and automatically with a line change.
In addition, thanks to SSR, available bandwidth is now used more intelligently by prioritizing important applications and giving them “right of way” in data traffic. This allows the customer to decide for himself which applications must always run without interruption.

The entire network can now not only be centrally monitored, but also managed and configured via a single interface (Single Pane of Glass). Our customer can even plan and create new router locations themselves. An expansion of the network can be implemented quickly and easily with SSR.

The innovative routing software offers maximum flexibility and was able to convince our customer in all respects, not least because a significant cost saving was achieved through the MPLS replacement.

Looking for an upgrade?

Are you interested in having your network upgraded or redesigned by us?

Then tell us what your current state is and what your business needs and we’ll look together for a perfect solution.

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Then take a look at the advantages of a partnership!

Who is ambiFOX?

Wondering who exactly is behind ambiFOX, where we come from and what we do today?

Then come over to our ambiFOX website and get an overview of us and our history.