Calico Group has appointed connectivity and cloud provider M247 to redesign its network, optimise operations and enhance security.
M247 worked with Calico’s ICT team to assess the housing provider’s current operations, resulting in Calico’s move from a traditional MPLS network to SD-WAN; this allows Calico’s staff to access information direct from their cloud applications instead of via the corporate network. It also means security is incorporated into the SD-WAN fabric itself via virtual firewalls.
David Palmer, product manager for network and security, M247, said, “It is common for public-facing organisations that work closely with their communities to operate from multiple sites through remote and/or mobile workforces, even more so since the pandemic. However, companies haven’t always ensured that their IT operations are optimised for this way of working; this can affect areas such as ease and speed of access, data security, back-up and disaster recovery.
“The introduction of SD-WAN not only helps to solve these problems but also means that Calico is better equipped for future growth because it can now easily add new users and new sites. Zero-touch provisioning and segmentation also mean that policies can be added, amended and automatically distributed to all devices, reducing the risk of human error.”
Rob Hayes, ICT project manager, Calico Group, said, “Given that we have a distributed and hybrid workforce, we wanted to deliver secure access to our business-critical applications in the cloud and on-premise. The solution needed to handle connectivity across over 50 sites as well as the increased demands of homeworking.
“M247 provided the insight and technical skills for Calico’s transition from MPLS to Cisco SD-WAN. M247 has given us the confidence to grow the business by delivering an agile SD-WAN solution that offers the performance, security and visibility needed to provide our staff and customers with the best real-time, connected experiences.”
