SigmaKalon to cut network costs, increase bandwidth

Decorative, marine, protective and industrial coatings manufacturer SigmaKalon expects reduced wide area network (WAN) costs, better service and more bandwidth following a three year, €4.3m deal with global Virtual Network Operator (VNO) Vanco. In total 280 sites will be networked across 15 countries, including the UK, Germany, Hungary, Singapore and South Korea. The system, which replaces Frame Relay, will use around eight networking technologies including MPLS (multi-protocol label switching – like a VPN but on private circuits) and IPSec, with leased lines and DSL under Vanco’s Matrix solution. That means SigmaKalon will get end-to-end ‘Classes of Service’ across multiple providers with certified infrastructures to optimise cost against specified requirements. At some locations, that will increase available bandwidth by more than 800%. The firm also has a guarantee of ongoing reductions in infrastructure costs as well as flexibility to change and upgrade the WAN. “As a result of the separation of SigmaKalon from its former parent Total, we had to find a new partner for implementing our own data network,” says Jan Willemse, general manager of IT. “We selected Vanco because of its approach and also because it offers us the right combination of global size and scale.”