Embracing the Platform Approach for Smart Scaling and Sustainable Growth

Thanks for following along with our blog series on how companies are making operations smoother with Cisco tools like Meraki, Intersight, and Catalyst. Our first post highlighted the shift to the cloud operating model, while the second post showed how AI automation helps IT organizations focus on the big picture. In our final post in the series, we’ll look at how we tackle applying these principles to grow and scale your business without adding more IT complexity.

By now, you already know where I’m going: scaling your business does not have to mean more IT complications if you take a platform approach.

Let’s look at an example: Solar A/S, a European gem of a company with a knack for all things electrical, heating, and energy solutions. With a bustling team of over 3,000 spread across five nations, they embarked on a familiar journey many businesses face: streamlining IT operations and gearing up for growth.

Solar A/S had a dream of new lines of business and seamless connections between their teams and customers far and wide. The idea was to first trim down their assortment of networking gear and make the digital dance a lot easier to choreograph. Their help desk crews were on the lookout for a simpler way to untangle network snags without constantly calling upon the NetOps maestros at headquarters.

Charting a new course in network efficiency

At the heart of Solar A/S’s network transformation stood a visionary network architect, Frank Osberg, determined to propel the company into a new era of connectivity and efficiency. The first order of business was to phase out the legacy switches that had long outlived their prime.

With the new switches in place, the strategic transition could begin. A/S embraced Cisco Catalyst Center, a platform designed to offer the team comprehensive control over their network with unparalleled ease. This pivotal shift embodied the Cisco ethos of empowering IT professionals with innovative solutions that simplify complex challenges.

Furthermore, Solar A/S embraced the Cisco Meraki SD-WAN solution, which seamlessly interconnects their numerous sites with the fluidity of a cloud-managed network. With Catalyst Center, Solar A/S’s NetOps team navigates network operations with newfound precision. This strategic advantage allowed the help desk personnel to rapidly resolve connectivity issues, liberating the NetOps specialists to channel their expertise into more progressive and impactful projects.

The Meraki dashboard, known for its intuitive interface, quickly became the go-to resource for the help desk team. Combined with the agility of Catalyst Center, the network team found themselves operating with efficiency and insight. This synergy between tools and teams resulted in an impressive acceleration of issue resolution times (from hours to minutes), greatly enhancing the overall customer and employee experience.

Scaling IT infrastructure for a sustainable future

Thanks to the Meraki dashboard’s straightforward problem-solving capabilities and the robust functionality of Catalyst Center, the IT teams have cultivated a strong sense of collaboration. The teams now work in concert, unified by the shared use of sophisticated Cisco tools that prioritize both user-friendliness and advanced capabilities.

Moreover, this technological evolution is propelling Solar A/S towards their ambitious environmental objective: to fully power their Denmark headquarters with renewable energy. The energy-conscious nature of the Cisco Catalyst 9000 switching family (remember that upgrade I mentioned earlier?), along with the strategic network planning enabled by Catalyst Center, are instrumental in reducing the company’s energy footprint, demonstrating Cisco’s alignment with Solar A/S’s dedication to environmental stewardship. (Read the full story: Reducing help desk time-to-resolution with cloud monitoring)

Opting for a platform strategy to grow your business can be a savvy way to grow a business and be conscious of your impact on the planet.

Learn and explore how to leverage Cisco solutions to

Share: