Ferrari aims for maximum network availability for its design, manufacturing and test engineers

In a bid to improve productivity, maximise network availability and allow its design, manufacturing and test engineers to work concurrently, motor sport manufacturer Ferrari is about to complete the upgrade of its entire network infrastructure at the company’s site in Maranello, Italy. The firm, which produces around 4,000 individually-crafted cars every year, is upgrading to an Ethernet infrastructure from Enterasys Networks – from a flat peer-to-peer architecture to a family of sub-networks fed by a core backbone – supporting more than 3,000 ports in total across its design, manufacturing and test areas. “Our network is vital to us,” explains Alessandro Sala, Ferrari’s IT technical manager. “Not just for data transmission, but for voice and video as well. Availability is paramount. Our systems run from 7am ‘till late into the evening. On a Grand Prix weekend, they must be available the entire time.” The upgrade, which is due to finish at the end of this month, includes a combination of Enterasys’ X-pedition 8600 switch routers, Matrix E7 multi-layer switches and Vertical Horizon workgroup series stackable switches.