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Case studies

WHOLESALE ELECTRIC DISTRIBUTOR

Two tasks were presented to Portfolio by the client, the first was to reduce their WAN/Colo/Voice/IT costs and the second was to increase business continuity and network quality. The customer wanted nothing less than a 25% reduction to overall IT costs. Portfolio was also asked to help redesign their WAN from a single MPLS provider to an SD WAN consisting of multiple vendors to increase business uptime for their enterprise. Further Portfolio encountered outdated premise-based technologies, an aging WAN infrastructure, and a limited number of IT staff that could contribute to a solution.

Portfolio engaged multiple vendors to leverage competitive market rates to secure reduced rates for the customers’ WAN, Colo, and voice environments. To facilitate enhanced business uptime, two diverse providers for SD WAN were selected. Portfolio provided an additional vendor resource to physically install and turn up the new SD WAN solution at all sites across the United States which shifted the workload from the small IT staff to the outside vendor which enabled faster deployment, faster realization of savings, and the benefit of a network with better business continuity. Portfolio professionally project managed the entire solution.

  • Reduced the cost of all Hosting/Colo, Voice and Data services by an average of 45%
  • Increased the overall bandwidth at every location by an average of 30x
  • Simplified vendor environment from 5 separate relationships to one local team that interacts with all vendors on their behalf
  • Consolidated all vendor contracts to the same timeline to simplify contract management
  • By leveraging outside vendor, project was completed in half the time vs using their internal IT team
  • Portfolio negotiated vendor MSAs and SLAs with meaningful compensable, consequences for non-performance

REGIONAL RETAILER

The customer moved to a SaaS model for application use & support across their stores and enterprise.  This led to required changes to their single provider MPLS WAN service.  The new requirements were to procure three independent providers and implement SD WAN technology to ensure constant and reliable access to critical applications.

Portfolio aligned customers’ business goals with new WAN solutions in 3 ways:

  • sourced vendors to work with the customer for new firewall configurations to accommodate an SD WAN solution
  • identified and vetted 3 network and 3 SD WAN vendors that best met customer security and application prioritization requirements
  • Oversaw the transition with professional project management to ensure accurate and timely project completion
  • WAN costs reduced by 38%
  • Increased the overall bandwidth at each location by an average of 10x
  • The cost savings and bandwidth increases yielded a $/MB savings of 94%
  • WAN cost savings were reallocated to fully fund a new security environment
  • Customer accesses a SD WAN portal that provides all network monitoring and measurement statistics across all 3 of their new network vendors
  • New SD WAN topology provides 2 diverse wireline networks with a 3rd 4G LTE network to eliminate network outages or network degradation which enhances application performanc

REGIONAL REAL ESTATE COMPANY

Client wanted to increase the ease of managing vendors, while also reducing their costs and have someone do the due diligence for them to understand what options are available to them.

The current environment contained 35 physical locations located in 3 states, 6 phone systems (many over 15 years old), internet with 13 providers with non-coterminous end dates and MPLS with XO.

  • Disconnect MPLS and swap to an internet VPN
  • Consolidate internet to one vendor with 4G LTE wireless backup
  • Refreshed phone system
  • Complete cut of MPLS costs
  • Added preparations for SDWAN implementation
  • Consolidation of internet to one vendor increased bandwidth by 5x
  • New phone system and Meraki switches, with reduction of 78% in prices
  • Overall savings of 50% on MRC, annual savings of $730,000

PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY

Client was motivated to realize reduced costs, consolidate vendors, and achieve coterminous contracts.

The current environment was comprised of 7 domestic locations with a MPLS topology and 4 internet vendors.

Portfolio provided a new MPLS provider that would save the company roughly $120,000 annually. In addition to that, Portfolio consolidated their DIA to one vendor which not only increased bandwidth by an average of over 2x but also reduced the cost by $12,000 annually.

  • Changed MPLS provider
    • saved $120,000 annually (48% savings)
  • Consolidated DIA to one vendor to simplify management
    • Reduced cost by $12,000 annually (15% savings)
    • Increased bandwidth an average of over 2x
  • Voice savings of 57%
  • Total savings/month of $33,000 or $400,000/year

INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGY MANUFACTURER

Client wanted to validate contracted prices and SLA’s, reduce costs, obtain an objective evaluation of current and ongoing procurement practice, and avoid changing WAN vendor if possible. Client had Verizon MPLS with 15 domestic locations and 12 international locations. 4 different internet providers domestic and 10 international, over $107,000 monthly wireless cost, with non-coterminous end dates on almost all DIA.

Negotiate WAN renewal, consolidate DIA both domestically and internationally, provide ongoing vendor management.

  • Increased savings on WAN by over 100%
  • Consolidated DIA to 1 vendor domestically and 8 vendors internationally with reduced costs by 60%
  • Reduced wireless costs by 42% (almost $50,000)