Fitzroy Engineering selects Kordia for SD-WAN rollout

New Plymouth-based Fitzroy Engineering has selected Kordia for the rollout of its new 6-site SD-WAN throughout New Zealand.

The SD-WAN solution, for which implementation is currently underway, is based on Cisco Meraki equipment and will be supported by Kordia's team of network experts on an ongoing basis.

According to Fitzroy Engineering information systems manager Martin Du Plooy the initial requirement for WAN was a traditional multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) arrangement; however, SD-WAN fast emerged as a more suitable option.

"In researching the available options, SD-WAN emerged as the better solution for our business as it provides far more flexibility, and much lower operational costs, as we are able to combine the benefits of carrier-grade MPLS connections with the internet," he states.

Kordia head of product Murray Goodman says that Fitzroy Engineering is just one of the many businesses discovering the benefits of SD-WAN over a traditional WAN.

"With the ability for rapid deployment and reduced total cost through centralised management, the appeal of SD-WAN, particularly for those businesses with distributed operations or cloud-based applications, is apparent," Goodman notes

These features made SD-WAN particularly attractive to Fitzroy Engineering, Du Plooy states because it provides the ability to rapidly deploy a single device in any new location where internet connectivity is available and enjoy full access to the corporate network.

Furthermore, Du Plooy says the company's existing use of virtual private networking was often unreliable, presenting a risk to the business, which he wanted to eliminate. "One aspect of that is a PABX system at end of life; we need to upgrade to a more modern voice over IP-capable solution and that's just not possible with our current interbranch connectivity.

When Du Plooy initially tested the market, SD-WAN was so new that few, if any, local providers had it on offer.

However, Kordia was investigating the solution and identified a market need for it, says Goodman.

"In addition to our own research, a number of clients were showing interest in SD-WAN; we've developed the capability, upskilled our teams and achieved the necessary certifications to be among the first to offer SD-WAN locally.

This was particularly appealing for Du Plooy who stated, "I was pretty pleased when a provider I knew and trusted confirmed it could provide the solution which on paper, would deliver everything we needed from a WAN.

Du Plooy has praise for the response from Kordia, which he says fully addresses Fitzroy's business requirements, including appropriate support and management structures which allow his team to perform administrative tasks.

With the rollout now underway, he says the company is looking forward to the ease of extending its network which is possible with the SD-WAN.