To fulfill its digital ambitions, the manufacturer needed a robust and secure connectivity platform for the digital workspaces and cloud-based applications that support its global workforce. At the same time, it wanted to simplify its IT ecosystem to make management easier and operate more efficiently.
Unlike traditional networking architectures, cloud networking is designed to be cloud native. It has been created to deliver scalability and simplicity via infrastructure-as-code (IaC) automation and multicloud visibility, which maximizes both uptime and the quality of the user experience.
Cloud networking – as vital as the cloud itself
The manufacturer’s challenges were resolved by long-term partner Orange Business via a cloud-networking solution using its Evolution Platform methodology. Cloud networking maximizes uptime and resilience, contributing to operational excellence.
Interdependencies between clouds, the network and cybersecurity inevitably create complexity. To address this, Orange developed the Evolution Platform methodology. It goes beyond technical building blocks, creating an agile, open and composable platform, simplifying cloud connectivity and automation, while remaining flexible enough to adapt to dynamic business priorities.
A way of simplifying complexity in the cloud
The manufacturer had opted for a Microsoft Azure Virtual WAN, which is a cloud-based SD-WAN that provides a suite of Azure connectivity, routing and security services. Azure Virtual WAN has also been designed to interconnect with secure access service edge (SASE) technologies and services.
The company hosted its SAP enterprise software to manage business operations and customer relations across three global Azure regions. However, insecure, inefficient and uncontrolled communications between Azure Virtual Networks and the data center created performance and productivity issues for employees. The company had started working on the problem internally but needed help due to the complexity of implementing the native Azure networking and security functions.
Orange Business worked with its close partner Microsoft to ensure that the Azure Virtual WAN aligns with the manufacturer’s business objectives. This has enabled robust, secure cloud connectivity, seamless performance to its SAP solution across the globe and improved maintenance capabilities. To help minimize the complexity and increase agility, network and security configurations were automated on Azure vWAN components.
The manufacturer now benefits from end-to-end connectivity from branch to cloud to application workloads, which enables enhanced SAP performance, traffic filters, security and maintenance, while providing a quality user experience.