In IT, one-size-fits-all solutions are rarely good. Every company has different infrastructure requirements and a solution that works for one company may be completely unsuitable for another. That's why it's extremely important to find a partner who understands how you work and what makes your business different.
Pantaenius Yacht Insurance is a family-run business that was born out of our founder's love of sailing. We are a leading specialist in yacht insurance, serving maritime clients worldwide. Our specialized insurance solutions cover all types of watercraft, from small boats to superyachts. With offices in nine countries, close to top international cruising grounds, our staff are available around the clock and cover all time zones. We serve customers from all walks of life. What unites them all is their love of the sea.
Keeping Our Global Network Online
Since I took up my post as Head of IT five years ago, I have been working with my team to ensure that Pantaenius' global network functions reliably. Keeping this complex system running is both a challenging and fulfilling task. Through my studies in communications informatics and my previous work in management consulting atIBM, I have learned that IT is not just about developing solutions, but about creating business benefits. I do this at Pantaenius Holding in many different ways and face new challenges every day.
To ensure an excellent customer experience and a consistent working environment for our employees around the world, Pantaenius operates a central data center in Hamburg, which all employees access with a standardized selection of apps via virtual desktops. This approach requires a fast, highly available network that intelligently manages data traffic and minimizes latency and jitter.
Finding the Right MPLS Partner
For several years, our backbone was a traditional MPLS network operated by a large German communications provider. However, as costs continued to rise, we switched to a cheaper provider. We quickly realized that the cheaper price came with a poorer service. If there was a problem, we had to deal with anonymous technicians in a call center abroad. No one knew how our network was configured and there was no dedicated support agent who knew and understood our needs.
Recognizing the Limitations of MPLS
Very early on in our relationship, RIEDEL offered a backup for our MPLS network. Until then, we had no failover. If one strand of our MPLS network had failed, the entire network would have been offline. RIEDEL offered a VPN connection as a failover solution. In the event of a failure in our MPLS network, we were able to reroute our data traffic via an encrypted connection over the public Internet.
This was a huge step forward for us in terms of system reliability and it massively reduced downtime. However, redirecting all network traffic to the VPN connection while RIEDEL repaired our MPLS slowed everything else down considerably. As a result, our international offices had great difficulty working with their remote applications hosted in our Hamburg data center during a network outage.
When it came time to renew the contract, I traveled to RIEDEL in Butzbach near Frankfurt to discuss Pantaenius Holding's requirements on site. As we were already using an MPLS network with VPN failover, they recommended that we switch to an SD-WAN .
Boosting Our Bandwidth and Flexibility with SD-WAN
That was my first encounter with this technology. With SD-WAN, we would be able to continue using our existing MPLS network as the primary connection between our branches, while replacing our VPN failover with a fully-fledged, software-based network running over the public internet. This would give us the flexibility to route time-critical application traffic over the MPLS segment of our network, while lower priority data such as email would be routed over the public internet.
"SD-WAN provides the flexibility to route time-critical application traffic over the MPLS network, while lower priority data is routed over the public internet."
Instead of only switching to the VPN connection in the event of a network outage, SD-WAN would allow us to route our WAN over the MPLS network and the public internet in parallel, effectively doubling our bandwidth. It would also allow us to maintain and monitor our global network from a single, easy-to-use console.
I presented these benefits to our Head of Infrastructure, who was intrigued but skeptical. When I explained that all these additional functions and capacities would cost just as much as our previous solution, his enthusiasm increased significantly and he gave the green light for the switch to SD-WAN.
Deploying SD-WAN in Less Than Three Months
It took less than three months from the initial proof of concept to the deployment of our SD-WAN. RIEDEL provided us with a technician who was our point of contact during the deployment. He set up the virtual part of the network on the provider side and sent pre-configured routers to our international branches.
Because the installation was so simple, we didn't have to send IT staff to the branches. It only took a few seconds and required no technical knowledge. Each device came with simple instructions that allowed anyone - including receptionists, sales staff and other non-IT staff - to complete the necessary steps: Place routers in a network rack, plug in a few cables and connect the branch to our global network in a matter of minutes.
Once the connection to the routers was established, they were activated and controlled remotely by RIEDEL and my IT team in Hamburg.
Finding the Capacity We Needed During the COVID Crisis
While the deployment was still running, many of our employees around the world had to work from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This led to increased network utilization and the demands on our services also increased dramatically.
Although we had not actually planned a remote work scenario, RIEDEL's SD-WAN solution provided us with the bandwidth and network management tools we needed to easily and securely connect all employees to our Hamburg data center. So instead of a dozen branch offices, we connected to hundreds of home office workstations with remotely connected virtual machines. Our network continues to run at full speed and there are no complaints about delays or poor performance.
RIEDEL has always excelled in responding to our needs and providing customized solutions - and the pandemic situation was no exception. The support team has been invaluable during the transition to remote working.
Supporting Our Internal Partners and International Locations
"The best partners are open to good ideas, no matter where they come from - even from other service providers."
RIEDEL is our partner for new solutions, but also supports our internal IT team. We have 14 technicians looking after 300 users, four of whom make up the infrastructure team. If there are problems, we can usually solve them ourselves. But it's good to know that someone at RIEDEL 400 kilometers away is watching to make sure no problem is overlooked and can help us solve problems if necessary.
Our office in Australia, for example, is only connected to the Internet via a single cable. We were able to run a VPN or SD-WAN over this line, but there was no MPLS failover in case this cable failed. To ensure an uninterrupted connection at all times, RIEDEL developed a mobile broadband backup solution. RIEDEL also shifted secondary data traffic to the broadband connection to reduce the cost of transmitting data over an intercontinental MPLS cable. To top it all off, RIEDEL also provided frontline support for our Australian office, so our IT staff no longer have to be dragged out of bed in the middle of the night when problems arise.
RIEDEL not only supports us, but also works hand in hand with Marcant, our internal network partner. The company is open to good ideas, no matter where they come from - even from other service providers.
Competing with Multinationals
As a boutique insurer serving a global customer base in a niche market, Pantaenius cannot afford network outages. With SD-WAN, we have found a solution that ensures a reliable connection to all offices and that all data traffic reaches its destination in a timely manner.
As a family business, we operate in a sector that is dominated by multinational corporations. RIEDEL helps us to compete with the big players and enables us to offer a personalized service and attractive insurance solutions to yacht enthusiasts all over the world.
