SD-WAN transforms network capability

An Ideal FortiGate SD-WAN solution for a multi-site car dealership is set to transform the management of their network, enhance security and increase speed.

The Challenge

When an Ideal customer’s iWAN solution reached its end of life, our independent audit and assessment of the their requirements identified Fortinet’s FortiGate as the most effective replacement.

Meeting the brief for simplicity, security, reliability and resilience

Over the past 12 years, the iWAN solution, designed and proactively supported by Ideal, has performed to the highest standard, but has been superseded by technologies that can simplify operations and improve performance across the network.

The brief was to implement a replacement that would be just as reliable and resilient as the iWAN, but much simpler to understand and manage.

Security was a priority, with the network supporting business-critical sales functions and integration with manufacturers’ systems for servicing and repairs. Speed and reliability between data centres and the 14 branches was also a key consideration.

The Solution

Ideal’s design philosophy is to introduce the latest proven technology with a clear path for the future.

SD-WAN providing a more secure, agile environment

SD-WAN was the obvious solution for this customer.

Unlike the rigid and hardware-centric iWAN solution they had, SD-WAN uses a software overlay to remove network control mechanisms from the physical hardware (routers). This allows for a more agile, flexible, and scalable network, connecting users, branches, and data centres securely, while improving performance and reducing costs.

The Result

A critical element in a project like this is managing a major upgrade without disrupting day-to-day-business.

Meticulous planning

The Ideal Project team meticulously planned each stage, from ordering and assembling vendor equipment and pre-testing offsite, before managing a staged rollout. Ideal engineers began with the datacentres and then oversaw the rollout to each branch, taking full responsibility for approval on one site, before moving on to the next.

Introducing single pane of glass management

The chosen FortiGate SD-WAN solution allows data to pick the best available path for traffic to optimise speed and security.

Unlike the previous iWAN system, SD-WAN offers a single pane of glass view showing real-time performance data and analysis. This enables any issues on the network to be quickly identified and pinpointed, making fixes or reconfiguration quicker and more efficient.

Securing each branch at the edge

From a security standpoint, the FortiGate SD-WAN solution secures each branch at the edge, stopping threats at the perimeters before they can become a distributed issue. The vehicle manufacturers in this case would continue to have their own direct connection for servicing, enabling fast 24/7 integration without compromising security.

Jeremy Stevens, Account Director at Ideal says this SD-WAN solution will deliver great value.

“Our design has simplified the network, whilst SD-WAN optimises performance and makes maintenance and support simpler. The technical capability and feature availability of Fortinet’s FortiGate solution meets current and road mapped challenges, and will deliver great value over the projected lifecycle.”