The Direct Marketing Group (TDMG) increases security and speed of communication with Zen's IP VPN
About The Direct Marketing Group (TDMG)
TDMG is a collection of four very talented, award winning advertising and direct marketing agencies, with locations around the UK.
The Challenge
TDMG had ADSL broadband connectivity at each of their four sites. All critical applications were hosted at the Head Office in Shipley, West Yorkshire.
Information was shared securely between sites over the Internet using IPSec VPN tunnels that encrypted their network traffic. The company was concerned about security as although information was encrypted it was still travelling over the public Internet.
The Zen team's professionalism and knowledge gave us confidence. They understood what we wanted to achieve and knew how to achieve it.
Craig Holmes, Group IT Manager, TDMG
As a marketing agency, communication between remote sites was essential as TDMG needed to share large files and documents to strict deadlines. The Head Office had insufficient upstream bandwidth and if there were any problems with the ADSL circuit all other sites lost access to critical files and information.
TDMG was growing through acquisition and was also concerned with the scalability of the current solution. Adding another site would mean reconfiguration of the entire network which would be time consuming and complex.
Connectivity, hardware and Internet security had to be configured and managed at each site. Management of the network was time consuming and prone to human error.
The Solution
Zen recommended that TDMG upgraded to IP VPN as this would provide a completely secure private network between their sites for them to share applications and information. It would also provide a platform that would enable the deployment of advanced applications such as VoIP and Video Conferencing in the future.
All four sites were upgraded to Ethernet Connectivity with 4Mbps bandwidth provided at the Head Office and 2Mbps at the other three sites. This provided guaranteed bandwidth 24/7 as Ethernet circuits do not suffer congestion or slow speeds as does broadband. The Ethernet circuit also provide the same high speed for uploading and downloading.
Cisco 2800 series routers were used to connect the Ethernet circuits and were pre-configured and supported by Zen’s Managed Support teams offering 24/7 support and a 4 hour on-site response to fix or replace Cisco hardware.
Breakout to the public Internet was provided from our data centre and secured by two managed FortiGate UTM (Unified Threat Management) firewalls in High Availability mode. The network was configured to automatically route Internet traffic through the firewall in the unlikely event of hardware failure.
The UTM firewalls provided deep packet inspection and protection against spam, viruses and network intrusions. It also offered the option to implement content filtering in the future.
Internet access for all sites was now centralised and completely secure allowing TDMG to make policy changes that impacted all sites. Detailed monthly reports providing granular information on Internet activity including blocked viruses and intrusion attempts provided reassurance that all sites were now protected from Internet threats.
The IP VPN solution ticked all the right boxes giving us a fast, reliable and flexible network which could grow with our needs both in terms of additional locations and increased speed when required.
Craig Holmes, Group IT Manager, TDMG
The Implementation
A Prince 2 certified Project Manager was assigned to TDMG and given full responsibility for the successful deployment of the IP VPN solution.
The Project Manager met with Craig Holmes, IT Manager at TDMG to discuss every aspect of the project.
Following a consultation process between Zen and TDMG, a project plan was agreed, incorporating any risks and issues that could potentially have an impact on the project.
The Project Manager then set up a virtual team internally and co-ordinated the transition of TDMG to the new network with minimal disruption.
It was very important that the network was implemented in an acceptable and timely manner with minimal disruption. TDMG wanted to complete the process as quickly and as easily as possible.
To allow this to happen the new IP VPN network and the ADSL network had to run alongside and communicate with each other during the migration period.
The actual implementation was quick and painless. Once the lines and kit were all installed, the servers and workstations moved over to the new network efficiently and effectively.
Craig Holmes, Group IT Manager, TDMG
The Benefits
Implementation and timely delivery of the IP VPN solution vastly improved the performance of the network. Staff at all sites now had secure, reliable and fast access to systems and the Internet.
Guaranteed bandwidth is now available 24/7 at each site and could be flexed on demand and increased as the business expanded.
Zen ensures communication between sites is completely secure without the need for complex encrypted IPSec VPN tunnels. The solution has delivered a substantial reduction in total cost of ownership as no IPSec VPN hardware is required and tunnels no longer need to be managed.
The secure IP VPN has given TDMG the confidence to centralise key applications leading to improvements in productivity and a reduction in costs.
Since installation the network has worked faultlessly. We moved 50 new people into our head office recently. We noticed the network was running a little slower, rang Zen and they just increased the bandwidth – no hassle.
Craig Holmes, Group IT Manager, TDMG
TDMG are now also benefiting from corporate grade secure Internet access for all of their sites rather than just the Head Office. Craig and his team can now contact Zen’s security experts who will advise on Internet security best practice and make changes to the centrally hosted FortiGate UTM firewalls on their behalf.
Changes to the firewall come into effect immediately for all participating sites, minimising the risk of Internet threats penetrating their network whilst also saving time and money compared with undertaking this in-house at each of their sites.
My overall impression of Zen is that they employ knowledgeable and efficient staff who are always happy to help. I would certainly recommend Zen to any company looking for a fast, reliable Internet solution.
Craig Holmes, Group IT Manager, TDMG
