Australian-owned paint manufacturer Wattyl Limited opted for a hosted solution to provide data communications across its eight Australian and New Zealand offices.
Wattyl has appointed Macquarie Corporate Telecommunications for the task and under a co-location agreement will also use the provider's secure hosting facility, which provides multi-peering Internet broadband connectivity, managed security, complex hosting and WAN integration as well as direct connectivity to Macquarie's data network.
With implementation to be completed in mid-August, the solution will cost Wattyl around $600,000 a year by the time all site implementations are completed.
Wattyl Limited CIO John Croker said Macquarie was selected because it provided the best bandwidth increase for the most affordable price.
"Macquarie's system lets Wattyl make more effective use of resources. Outsourcing to an infrastructure and services specialist makes sound business sense as it provides cost-effective protection against technological redundancy and growing security challenges," Croker said. The availability of best-of-breed solutions due to Macquarie's multi-carrier relationships also contributed to the win.
The deal covers a private IP network with point-to-point digital data service providing high-speed secure transmission combined with stringent service-level guarantees and detailed performance reporting capabilities.
While the network will be used initially for data traffic, Wattyl will aslo consider VoIP as the technology becomes more reliable.
“When we are happy that the VoIP technology is well supported by the network and suits us in terms of effectiveness and pricing, then we will consider it,” Croker said.
“My personal perception of the technology is that it’s a little way off yet, but we’ve told Macquarie that we’d like to know about it.”
Croker said Wattyl short-listed four network service providers for evaluation after facing "serious and continued congestion" on the frame relay network.
The congestion led to no communication between Sydney and Melbourne for up to five hours at a time.
“We didn't want to be in that situation and knew it was time to evaluate other options; IT should be there to support the business,” Croker said.
"We believe the Macquarie solution will enable better integration and consequent uptake of integrated business systems across the company."