Austrian Full-Service Provider Modernizes Network Infrastructure to Expand into New Markets

Austrian full-service provider Mass Response is a national cloud computing pioneer with a strong commitment to its fixed-line and transit carrier business. As such, it provides a unique portfolio of innovative, customized products — including Internet, telephony, and mobile communications solutions — offering both hardware and software from a single provider.

The company operates fiber-based data communications infrastructure that supports Business to Consumer (B2C) and Business to Business (B2B) communications services. This infrastructure consists of Internet Protocol (IP)/Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) routers in the metro backbone network and data center switches in the company's core data centers.

Network Operations Complications

To continue to provide the best experience for customers, Mass Response knows full well that it must always remain ahead of the curve, adopting new technologies to improve network quality, from bandwidth to network latency. This includes, of course, future-proofing its network by deploying data communication infrastructure compatible with the very latest market standards, as well as replacing outdated switching and routing devices.

The company is also focused on increasing retention and reducing churn by keeping existing customers satisfied. A robust solution therefore needed to be in place to achieve this, one that would then allow the Information Technology (IT) team to focus on ambitious expansion plans.

But Mass Response's legacy infrastructure was reaching End of Service (EoS) and the solution architecture was suffering from low bandwidth utilization. In short, the company needed a new network, one that was more simplified and robust. In addition, the legacy vendor had unacceptably long delivery times as well as software-quality issues and problems with service organization. So Mass Response wanted a new, targeted solution with no complications, and it wanted it fast.

Modernizing the Network While Maintaining Operational Efficiency

Given its needs, Mass Response went straight to Huawei. Its technical team was already familiar with the latter's products and services and immediately began a detailed technical evaluation of Huawei's switching and routing product portfolios. Tests proved that these products were capable of meeting, even exceeding, Mass Response's technical needs. And the Austrian full service provider was already enrolled in the Huawei channel partner program, with all the advantages that brings, namely direct access to information and sales paths through the distributor.

"The legacy vendor provided us with many different Operating Systems (OSs), while Huawei was able to provide a single OS common across all device types, making configuration, monitoring, and automation far easier. Before, we could only get advanced features for oversized top-of-the-line devices, but with Huawei decoupling between hardware and software is possible, meaning that advanced features are also available on optimally dimensioned, smaller devices. Not only is the solution itself better, but the Huawei team is very helpful when we require fast support," noted Florian Parnigoni, Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Mass Response.

Mass Response started by deploying CloudEngine series data center switches and NetEngine series routers. Huawei engineers helped set up testing for the routers in Mass Response's own premises, proving that NetEngine met stringent performance and high-reliability requirements. The subsequent introduction of the devices into regional service Points of Presence (PoPs) has made it possible to merge service router functionality with higher-end features such as Broadband Network Gateway (BNG) and carrier-grade Network Address Translation (NAT). The resulting converged network architecture presents notable cost benefits and brings the significant advantage of simplified Operations and Maintenance (O&M).

With Huawei switching and routing technology, Mass Response's network infrastructure is now able to achieve more capacity and longer network lifecycles. Huawei routers are designed to evolve legacy IP metro network infrastructure toward an Internet Protocol version 6 Plus (IPv6+) intelligent IP network. Such a network is, in turn, oriented to the cloud, aiming to achieve performance growth in terms of higher bandwidth capacity and lower network latency. Fast fault diagnosis and troubleshooting are additional benefits of the new solution.

Entering New Markets

Converging several functions in one device cluster has helped to simplify network architecture. Indeed, since the initial deployment, Mass Response has enjoyed a consistent network experience and the IT team is now also showing interest in Huawei's next generation firewalls.

Transforming its network, the company was able to geographically expand its PoPs and reach new customers. This new infrastructure will, in turn, enable Mass Response to modernize and expand its portfolio of services in the future.

A single OS common across all device types, makes configuration, monitoring, and automation far easier.

As a result of improved performance and bandwidth, allied to simplicity, Mass Response can now dedicate more time to strategic and innovative initiatives, in order to reach more customers in different locations around the world. And working with a partner like Huawei helps Mass Response itself unlock its full potential, providing customers with the excellent services they now expect — and deserve.