CTDI EUROPE

Reliable networks

Riedel Networks modernizes the MPLS network of CTDI Europe

Big does not necessarily mean better

Our European branches are connected to each other and to the Group headquarters in the USA via an MPLS network that is managed for us by an external partner. For many years, a very well-known German network operator took care of the operation and management of the network. But as we grew, so did our headaches. We realized that big doesn't necessarily mean better. Problem solving at our network operator was very slow: Technical problems were only solved after several days, so we had two to three major downtimes every year.

For example, we had to deal with a three-day network outage because our partner at the time had leased a network line from another large network operator, which in turn had outsourced the network operation to a smaller, local provider. After we reported the outage, days passed before the support tickets were successfully processed in the three different ticket systems. However, we now promise fast turnaround times in the service level agreements with our own customers, for example in the logistics department by the following day. The fact that the network was down for six to seven hours was already problematic. But four days? A real catastrophe. We missed our service targets and key performance indicators. We couldn't allow something like that to happen again.

As our contract at the time was about to end, we launched a tender for a new MPLS provider to explore all options. We contacted five companies directly, some of which responded. One response stood out.

On the same wavelength

Riedel Networks is a privately owned global network provider founded in Butzbach, Germany, with customers in the industrial, commercial, sports and entertainment sectors. Riedel's offering includes managed WAN and SD-WAN services over their global MPLS infrastructure, and more importantly, they listened and responded to our needs.

Both CTDI and Riedel are mid-sized companies with similar corporate values, cultures and approaches to business. Riedel, like CTDI, is family owned and made an impression on us from the start. During the sales phase, our CEO for Europe, Dieter Hollenbach, met with the Managing Director of the Riedel Group, Thomas Riedel, to discuss how the two companies could work together.Mr. Riedel comes from a practical background and knows all aspects of the business. He was able to tell us directly how Riedel could help us achieve our goals.

You could tell during the discussions that we were on the same wavelength. Everyone was on the same page, and with knowledgeable account managers and technicians, Riedel offered us exactly the right solution for our request. Riedel Networks is not a conglomerate or Fortune 500 company where we as a customer would fly under the radar. No, we felt that we were perceived as a partner at eye level.

We were convinced that we were forging a solid partnership with Riedel that would revitalize our MPLS network.

A new, improved MPLS network

A new approach was needed to modernize our network. The biggest change was switching to a single MPLS network line, with a backup network on the Internet. Previously, our primary and backup MPLS network lines ran over the same physical connection and therefore often went down at the same time. As most failures occurred in the last mile, i.e. directly in front of each site, it made sense to use an external secondary network instead.

To make this possible, Riedel installed new routers at all our sites that manage network traffic via the MPLS infrastructure and redirect it to the secure public infrastructure in case the internal network fails. With this setup, we benefit from Riedel's global MPLS network. Our traffic runs simultaneously over local wired and wireless public networks, depending on the status of the applications and the primary network.

Riedel put together a team of Level 2 technicians who took care of setting up our MPLS network and were also available as direct contacts for us during deployment. For each site, the Riedel technicians first planned the architecture of the network connection and then installed and configured the required hardware and software. The entire process took 12 months, and every single branch migration went absolutely smoothly.

A professionally implemented MPLS migration

Riedel's project managers handled the transition to the new network for us, all in a highly professional manner. In contrast to our previous provider, Riedel took a meticulous approach. With the right tools, the right contacts and the necessary MPLS experience, the deployment was a safe bet. The team also put a lot of emphasis on good communication and, for example, met with our technology group leader, Michael Schwarz, every two weeks to discuss everything up to date.

The entire project was implemented professionally in all aspects. We always knew exactly where the technicians were working and how long it would take for the next facility to be migrated to the new infrastructure. There were also no nasty surprises when the new facilities were commissioned, as Riedel explained to us exactly what we needed to do to ensure that the migration of a branch office from the old provider to their MPLS network was successful. For example, our technicians had to enter new IP address ranges in the routing rules and reconfigure the routers and firewalls. All the requirements were explained to us clearly and comprehensibly so that the process went completely smoothly.

As soon as both sides were ready, the Riedel technicians switched the branch office over to the new network in less than an hour.

Riedel's priorities: transparency, service and support

Since 2021, when the partnership with Riedel began, CTDI's network has become faster and more stable, and our service quality has improved significantly. This is demonstrated by the fact that there has only been one major fault since then, which was resolved in two hours, and two smaller ones, each lasting less than an hour. That's a huge improvement on the four days it used to take to resolve problems.

With our previous provider, when we had a problem or support request, we used an escalation matrix that started with our provider's own technicians and went through to their management before the problem was resolved. With Riedel, we have never had to escalate beyond Level 1 because their service technicians are excellent.

Transparency is of great importance. Riedel informs us immediately of any problem and that they are working to resolve it. If there is a fault, then a report is sent to us promptly outlining the causes and what is being done to fix it within 24 hours. We were not used to any feedback from our old provider, and we were also kept in the dark about the causes and the progress made in solving problems. And if there was a report at all, it was weeks or months after the incident.

Riedel proactively monitors our network and informs us of potential incidents or data breaches as soon as they occur. Since CTDI has the same tools at its disposal, we see what Riedel sees in real time. This proactive management has made network management and security much easier.