ITS gets six-fold improvement in WAN speeds

The company has also massively speeded up email communications between its Warrington office and its HQ in Middlesbrough, while extending application performance improvements and data traffic speed increases to its remote workers. ITS explored how to enable the exchange server consolidation without affecting performance of its network for users, particularly as the Middlesbrough office was based on an industrial estate where broadband offerings from telecoms providers were limited. Malcolm Knott, ITS managing director, explains: “The leased line option looked expensive so we explored the use of application performance management solutions.” And hence Riverbed’s technology, which promised to speed up access to applications and data traffic over its WAN by reducing network latency and chatter. Teneo recommended deployment of a Riverbed Steelhead Appliance at each office. It also selected the recently launched Riverbed Steelhead Mobile Controller for the Middlesbrough office and eight mobile workers’ laptops so they could access email and other applications quickly. Says Knott: “Staff can now enter information directly into our CRM [customer relationship management] system whilst at the client site or at home, rather than waiting until they are next in the office. This gives us much more up-to-date information, which we can use to do a better job for our customers in a more timely way.”