Full throttle for the truck giant

Added value for the customer

Management Summary

Together with IT-HAUS , a leading commercial vehicle manufacturer has set up a centrally manageable WLAN infrastructure in all of its German and Austrian branches. Cisco Meraki is being used - a network solution managed entirely via the cloud that meets the customer's requirements 100 percent.

Starting position

The Group does everything in its power to offer its customers a consistently high level of service anywhere in the world. This includes an international network of over 1,600 fully equipped workshops. With the help of a computer-aided diagnostic system that communicates with vehicles as well as industrial and marine engines, potential problems can be identified quickly and precisely. Among other things, the program is used for troubleshooting, but also for adjusting customer parameters, calibrating and updating the software of control units. Communication takes place via a small WLAN module, which is now fitted as standard in all vehicles. All technical employees in the company's own workshops in Germany and Austria have already been equipped with tablets to enable them to access the relevant data wirelessly. However, this was made difficult by very heterogeneous WLAN networks and poor or non-existent outdoor lighting. The IT managers therefore turned to their long-standing strategic partner, IT-HAUS GmbH . After all, it was not just a matter of replacing the existing WLAN infrastructure and equipping all workshops throughout the German-speaking region. The customer was also faced with the question of which other business processes could be optimized using mobile solutions. The customer had already considered the two market leaders Aruba, as part of HP Enterprise, and Cisco with its Meraki portfolio. After they had presented their products, it was up to IT-HAUS to carry out a vendor-neutral analysis and demonstrate the advantages and disadvantages, technical possibilities and the various interfaces of the solutions as part of the presentation of the results.

Requirements and goals

In the next step, a precise analysis of the current situation was carried out together with the customer. Here
the network infrastructure, which had only recently been renewed at all locations and was now PoE-capable, proved to be the ideal basis for a new
Wi-Fi concept. This was to ensure comprehensive Wi-Fi coverage in the indoor and outdoor areas of the workshops, for employees
of the administration and for guests in conference and meeting rooms, without interfering with other processes.

OBJECTIVES
-Uninterrupted access with mobile devices
(notebooks, tablets)
-High network stability
-Standardization
-Low administration effort

Solution

An initial rough concept, which IT-HAUS drew up on the basis of the data collected, showed that the two manufacturers were very close not only in terms of price, but also in terms of meeting the requirements. The final decision in favor of Cisco Meraki was made with the help of an evaluation matrix that the customer had drawn up based on various criteria such as manageability and costs. When the customer's evaluations were compared with those of the IT-HAUS experts, the Cisco solution proved to be predestined for the desired WLAN concept thanks to its simple management.

Proof of concept
The go-ahead for implementation was given in parallel at the central locations in Germany and Austria. The network technicians at IT- HAUS GmbH were provided with the necessary equipment to carry out the illumination on site. To do this, they used a tool with which the number and positioning of the access points can be determined on the basis of building plans. These are filled with detailed information, such as the measured values and notes determined on site, in order to calculate the ideal illumination inside and outside. The results are summarized and made available to the customer as a document that serves as a guide to help them easily install the devices themselves. All they have to do is order the required number of units from IT-HAUS and then commission their electrician to carry out the installation in parallel with the cabling. Both the connection to the LAN and the power supply are made via Ethernet.

Cloud management
The actual configuration is then carried out via the Cloud Controller, which is accessed via a browser using HTTPS - referred to by the manufacturer as the Meraki Dashboard. Based on their serial number, the access points are identified by one of the Meraki data centers as soon as they are connected to the Internet and recorded in the dashboard as an inventory. All the customer has to do is assign the devices to a specific location and the configurations and authorizations stored there are automatically uploaded. The decisive advantage: users can start working immediately and the configuration effort for the technician on site is zero. After extensive consultation with the company's legal advisor, IT-HAUS was able to dispel the customer's initial concerns about data security in the cloud.

Rollout
Following the example of the pilot projects, IT-HAUS successively implemented the lighting in all other branches in Germany and Austria. To ensure efficient deployment planning, locations close to each other were combined into clusters in consultation with the customer. Before the access points are sent to the customer, they are inventoried at Föhren , numbered and provided with a corresponding sticker. The respective serial number is communicated to the customer in advance so that they can transfer it to their management console.

Guest WLAN
Meraki access points already come with all the functions for setting up a guest network. For this purpose, the corresponding access points are configured together as a network. For example, the customer can set up a firewall on the access points to prevent data transfer or limit the bandwidth provided. If the customer activates the Facebook Wi-Fi functions in the Meraki dashboard, guests and visitors can also log into the Wi-Fi with their Facebook account if they wish. They can like the company's Places page and check in there in a single step - an additional marketing effect for the customer.

Intelligent monitoring
In order to monitor the smooth functioning of the WLANs in everyday life, a Google Maps map in the dashboard provides information about the positions of the access points and their operating status. A green icon indicates functioning devices, red stands for failed
or unavailable access points, and a yellow icon indicates that an error message has been received. As part of a
managed services contract, IT-HAUS GmbH also assumes responsibility for smooth IT operations at the external sites. For example, IT-HAUS ensures the seamless integration of the WLAN solution and also supports the customer on site if required.

Benefit

With IT-HAUS , the leading commercial vehicle manufacturer has a partner that not only relieves the company's own IT team, but can also help immediately in the event of a problem. The customer benefits from 360-degree support over the entire life cycle of its solution: from manufacturer-neutral consulting and feasibility studies to a rollout plan coordinated with the customer, the inventory concept and the transition to a managed service. In addition, IT-HAUS estimates the customer's requirements and stocks a corresponding quantity of devices at Föhren. This significantly reduces the delivery time, while the customer saves twice: on the one hand, higher quantities of individual products allow him to benefit from lower prices, and on the other, he has already been able to take advantage of a limited-time Meraki promo campaign in this way.

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