Introduction
Imagine managing a bustling shared office space where internet outages cripple productivity and send tenant satisfaction plummeting. That was the reality for Caddo Offices, a provider of flexible workspace solutions. Every time their single internet service provider hiccuped, the entire building went dark. Vivant was brought in to solve this critical issue, and we’re thrilled to share the success story – not only did we eliminate outages, but we also delivered significant cost savings for Caddo Offices.
Caddo Offices’ Challenges
Caddo Offices managed multi-tenant office buildings, with anywhere from 170 to 200 individual suites. These suites could be occupied by a large number of people, all relying on a stable internet connection. When outages occurred, due to either physical infrastructure issues or network problems with their single provider, the entire site suffered. This led to:
- Lost Productivity: Disruptions in internet connectivity meant tenants couldn’t access essential applications, collaborate online, or communicate effectively.
- Tenant Dissatisfaction: Frequent outages resulted in frustration and a decline in tenant satisfaction, potentially impacting Caddo Offices’ reputation and tenant renewal rates.
The Limitations of Traditional Solutions
Other network providers proposed a seemingly straightforward solution: dual internet connectivity with SD-WAN (Software-Defined Wide Area Network) technology. While this approach offers some redundancy, it doesn’t eliminate all single points of failure. Caddo Offices remained vulnerable to issues with the SD-WAN hardware, firewalls, or core switches.
Vivant’s Multi-Layered Network Solution
We knew a more comprehensive approach was needed for Caddo Offices. Here’s how Vivant’s network solution addressed their challenges:
- Diversely Routed Redundancy: We didn’t simply add a second internet connection from the same provider. Instead, we brought in two internet service providers with entirely different network paths into the building. This significantly reduces the risk of both connections failing simultaneously due to a shared infrastructure issue.
- Highly Available SD-WAN: We implemented a fault-tolerant SD-WAN solution with dual hardware devices. If one SD-WAN device experiences a problem, the other seamlessly takes over, ensuring uninterrupted network traffic flow.
- Eliminating Single Points of Failure: We doubled down on redundancy by installing dual firewalls and dual-core network switches. A hardware failure in any of these critical components wouldn’t bring the network down.
- Granular Wi-Fi Resiliency: The Wi-Fi access points were strategically split across the two network switches. Even if a switch or access point malfunctioned, internet access wouldn’t be completely lost in the building.
- Static IP Guarantee: Many Caddo Office tenants rely on static IP addresses for their operations. Traditionally, these are managed by the ISP, and an outage would disrupt these tenants even if the secondary internet connection remained active. Vivant’s solution takes control of static IP management, ensuring these tenants stay online regardless of ISP issues.
Beyond Uptime: Additional Benefits
The Vivant solution went beyond just eliminating outages for Caddo Offices. We also delivered:
- Simplified Network Management: We assumed complete network management responsibility, freeing up Caddo Offices’ IT staff to focus on other priorities.
- Cost Savings on New Buildings: When Caddo Offices expanded and built new locations, Vivant’s expertise in network design and installation resulted in cost savings of approximately $100,000 per building. This included cabling, IT rack installation, switch and access point deployment, security system setup, audio-visual equipment for conference rooms, and more.
The Result: A Win-Win Situation
Caddo Offices now enjoys a highly reliable, redundant network environment. Outages are a thing of the past, tenant satisfaction has soared, and they can confidently expand their business knowing their network infrastructure is robust and cost-effective.
Is your business struggling with network outages or considering an expansion? Contact Vivant today to learn how we can design and implement a network solution that keeps you connected and saves you money.
