Fit for digitalisation thanks to new LAN
Innovation, precision and longevity - this is what the embroidery and sewing machines from BERNINA stand for. The family business from Eastern Switzerland is regarded globally as an innovation leader in the field of textile design. With a complete renewal of its LAN (Local Area Network) - based on components from Huawei - BERNINA is has positioned optimally for the future.
Challenge
BERNINA International AG combines a group of 15 companies under its roof with more than 1000 employees working in around 80 countries. The embroidery and sewing machines of this company with a long tradition are produced at the headquarters in Steckborn as well as in a modern factory in Lamphun, Thailand. Accordingly, BERNINA requires a powerful, secure and flexible network. However, the existing LAN infrastructure at the Swiss headquarters was getting on in years and could no longer cope with the demands of growing data traffic and digitalisation. In addition, manufacturer support was no longer assured. In order to maintain trouble-free operation over the long term, a complete renewal of the network was necessary.
Solution
During the evaluation of the required network components, BERNINA took a close look at various manufacturers. Huawei quickly prevailed over its competitors - the products stood out thanks to their exceptional performance, scalability and value for money. In a workshop organized by Swisscom directly in the laboratory of Huawei Switzerland, the requirements of BERNINA were recorded and mapped within the technology.
With the support of Swisscom, BERNINA's IT team upgraded the network infrastructure with redundant cores, high-end access switches and hardware for a Huawei WLAN with full coverage. During the migration, the company opted for the Big Bang variant: despite the extremely complex environment, the migration was completed in just 36 hours.
Result
With the new solution, BERNINA now has a modern, secure and highly reliable network that meets all requirements in terms of performance and flexibility. The consolidation of the infrastructure using hardware from just one manufacturer also ensures optimum maintenance options. With Huawei eSight, management software was also introduced that enables all hardware to be managed centrally and efficiently. This makes network administration considerably easier for the IT team.
The WLAN, which covers the entire campus in Steckborn with around 45 access points, is available to employees and guests for wireless communication. At a later date, it will also be used for collaboration purposes and VoIP.
BERNINA International AG
> Industry: Textile machines
> Headquarters: Steckborn, CH
> Employees: 1038 (annual average 2016, approx. 270 in Steckborn)
Amerigo De Santis
Head of IT Operations BERNINA International AG
Why did you choose Huawei for BERNINA's network upgrade?
The quality, the simplicity, the performance and last but not least the unbeatable price-performance ratio quickly convinced us to choose Huawei hardware. Originally, we only planned on replacing the core switches. Fortunately, our calculated budget was also sufficient for access switches and a WLAN with broad coverage.
Why was Swisscom chosen as the implementation partner?
«I have already worked together with Swisscom on several projects - also in my earlier activities. The renewal of the network has once again shown us that Swisscom is a partner with which we can work at eye level, despite its size. The professional expertise as well as the personal support are unparalleled.»
What will the new network provide to your end users?
«Our employees benefit from massively increased data flow speeds. Corresponding feedback has shown that this provides a measurable gain in efficiency during their daily work.»
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