Case Study

Specialist Manufacturer, Sheffield

Profile

This case study is based on a real On-Communications customer and real events. Only the identity of the customer has been disguised.

To maintain a leadership position in a highly competitive global market, serving demanding customers and critical applications, Sheffield based Specialist Manufacturer makes extensive use of build to order and other advanced production management strategies. These are supported by a range of computer and database applications that are critical to the effective operation of the business and rely on both their Sheffield locations being served by a reliable IT network.

Challenge

The Sheffield area suffered the worst flooding in living memory during July 2007 and sadly there were many tragic consequences. An unforeseen impact to local businesses resulted from flood damage to underground cable ducts and the loss of services carried via cables within these ducts.

Specialist Manufacturer operates across two sites in Sheffield, for IT service and internet connectivity the two locations are directly linked by an underground cable. Although the leased line connection to the main site, providing internet and external data connectivity, remained operational the link between the two locations was left totally non-operational by the flooding. This resulted in the second site completely isolated from the main site, without IT services and cut-off from the outside world.

Repair of the underground duct and associated cable could not take place for several months. Re-connecting with an alternative connection via BT and the local public exchange system would take several weeks. While isolated the second site could not operate, it was business critical for Specialist Manufacturer to find an immediate solution to bring the site back on-line.

Solution

Wireless internet service provider On-Communications were able to quickly help. Just 36 hours after being contacted by Specialist Manufacturer, a 1Mb symmetrical broadband internet connection was put into service at the second site. The service was delivered using Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) technology that provides a dedicated and secure wireless link, direct to Specialist Manufacturer from an On-Communications local base station in Sheffield. This means it was not affected by the flooding and was totally independent of underground cables and BT?s network, so therefore not affected by associated complications and delays experienced with other service providers.

The installation process to deliver the service is very simple and ideal when service is urgently required for temporary or disaster recovery applications. A small external receiver, that looks similar to a domestic alarm box, was installed and as is normally the case planning permission was not required. The symmetrical 1Mb bandwidth was then provided via a CAT5 RG45 Ethernet connection direct to the existing router in the IT/Comms room.

Result

With the second site back on line via the On-Communications service, Specialist Manufacturer?s IT department were able to set up a Virtual Private Network (VPN) and restore normal operations between both sites. Because the On-Communications service is delivered via a dedicated wireless link it has the reliability and always-on symmetrical bandwidth of more expensive leased line connections. However, the On-Communications service has the added advantage of extra bandwidth for busy periods via the ?burst? capability. This means the 1Mb service is always available but at peak times 2Mb bandwidth may be accessed at no additional cost.

Although the On-Communications service installed in July 2007 was a temporary solution to quickly restore service, it is likely to remain in operation until at least early 2008.