Hunt Alternatives, LLC (Cambridge, MA) had several IT and network initiatives pending. They were also experiencing several problems with their current environment including poor performance with remote access to files located on various servers (mixed vendors and Operating Systems) scattered around their network. They were also planning to deploy a hosted VoIP solution to replace their aging PBX systems.

Senior management did not want to proceed with the pending initiatives without completely understanding their current environment and identification of the factors contributing to the network behavior.

allConnex’s partner for engineering and analysis of network problems, MultiSytems Interconnect, Inc. (MSI), was engaged to employ their Knight Vision™ network analysis process to inventory and measure the performance of key components, determine and review the current configuration, and investigate the possible causes of the performance problems.

Using measured and projected values for various traffic types (remote file, Internet, voice, and video); MSI proceeded to document and measure the voice, video, and data services for the entire environment. They then went to work digesting the raw data and developing a qualitative and quantitative picture of the situation.

MSI recommended a number of changes to the servers and network including the consolidation of several of the server and recommended several changes to the network configuration for traffic grooming to better balance the traffic flows. We also recommended the creation of an “Acceptable Use Policy” (AUP) for Internet use to reduce the amount of extraneous traffic enforced by various existing security mechanisms not wisely used in the current environment.

The most important change is the development and implementation of an overall Life Cycle Management Process (plan, design, implement, operate, optimize) and a more rigorous network management process defined by MSI.

They are currently proceeding with the implementation of the changes prescribed.

What we do:  MSI optimizes your telecommunications for maximum performance and cost efficiency.

How we do it: MSI’s Knight Vision™ Audit gets all the critical information about your entire telecommunications eco-system; billing, infrastructure, usage… everything! We then put our 35 years of experience and expertise to work and provide you with the best solution for your company.

For a Free consultation call 617-302-6741.

MSI’s Knight Vision^™ process is a forensic investigation of the entire telecommunications function of your company. 

Just as night vision goggles bring light to the darkness, a Knight Vision™ report will provide a completely transparent view of your entire telecommunication eco system; Infrastructure, Billing, Usage … Everything!

 Knight Vision™ creates a complete understanding of your telecommunication costs, usage and performance.

LAN/WAN Performance Analysis:  We measure and analyze the infrastructure components serving your locations for key performance metrics.  This process allows you to fully understand which applications are running over the WAN and what resources are being used to support those applications.

PBX Performance Analysis:  We conduct an in-depth analysis of your PBX/Voice Switch to determine if resources are optimized and costs are minimized.  In addition, we determine if the quantity of working trunks is appropriate for the traffic volume and if the trunks are properly distributed among the trunk groups.

Telecommunication Bill & Contract Audit:  Linked to our PBX and WAN analysis; we make sure your telecommunication costs are in-line with the services you are purchasing.  This audit will verify your pricing and compare them to market projections for similar services.

A Knight Vision™ report is a critical tool for understanding your entire telecommunication eco system and is part of MSI’s Value Recovery Service.  We compare the information from the Knight Vision™ report to current service and pricing options, and then we develop an action plan.  Then we implement the action plan and measure the results to insure maximum performance and savings are achieved. 

By aligning telecom billing, service, and infrastructure with one another we streamline the process which works better and costs less. Much Less! In most cases, MSI’s Value Recovery Service can realize 30% to 60% in savings and credits.

An optimized network works better and costs less, much less!  Optimize your telecommunications today and gain maximum savings and performance!

Call MSI at 617-302-6741 Today!

IPv4 Issues

• Montevideo, 3 February 2011 – The Number Resource Organization (NRO) announced today that the free pool of available IPv4 addresses is now fully depleted. On Monday, January 31, the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) allocated two blocks of IPv4 address space to APNIC, the Regional Internet Registry (RIR) for the Asia Pacific region, which triggered a global policy to allocate the remaining IANA pool equally between the five RIRs. Today IANA allocated those blocks. This means that there are no longer any IPv4 addresses available for allocation from the IANA to the five RIRs.
•  Private Networks can and will continue to use IPv4 internally.

IPv6 vs. IPv4

• IPv6 structural changes will force numerous changes to new and existing IP based networks to impact:
• Addressing
• Routing (Routing protocols / Route Databases)
• Architecture (Topology / Connectivity)
• Changes include:
• Addressing (IPv4 & IPv6 coexistence)
• Equipment Changes (not all edge equipment supports IPv6)
• Address Translation (IPv4 ↔ IPv6)
• Security/Firewall considerations (IPv6 offers enhanced security features)

MSI IPv6 Services

• Carrier Support
• Assessment of current environment
• Design
• Implementation
• Training

An optimized network works better and costs less, much less!  Optimize your telecommunications today and gain maximum savings and performance!

Call MSI at 617-302-6741 Today!

Problem:

Too often and all too easily, telecommunications networks can become “black holes” for corporate resources. The combined effects of having to juggle the demands of expediency and availability in terms of applications, bandwidth, hardware, and disparate corporate requests can lead to network designs that are far less efficient and more expensive than need be.

Even more, the term “design” may be a misnomer; as a result of constant reconfigurations, tunings, tinkering, elemental adds and deletes by interested, but not always communicating, parties, the true physical and logical network infrastructure may be an undocumented unknown. In today’s business environment where the network is the business, running an operation on such a platform can be a serious corporate liability in terms of performance, efficiency, security, business continuity, and cost.

Solution:

Network optimization results from a structured, iterative process of assessment through discovery, baselining through examination of elements identified in assessment, and cost structure evaluation through financial and performance audits. MultiSystems Interconnect’s KnightVision™ is a unique network analysis and design service that identifies, defines, documents, and evaluates network elements via a strictly defined process.

The comprehensive methodology results in detailed documentation on network infrastructure, activity, and costs, as well as problem identification and solution approaches. It provides the hard data for informed tactical and strategic decisions, all the while helping you experience a noticeable improvement in overall performance, with a reduction in the number of network disabilities and amount of network downtime, while benefiting from lower operational costs.

Conclusion:

Performing the necessary comprehensive network analysis tasks requires an extensive knowledge base coupled with a defined strategy and a rigorous process. MultiSystems Interconnect’s network engineers bring a high level of expertise to the job of evaluating critical elements.

This expertise includes network architectures, operating systems, performance analysis, internetworking technologies, product-specific information, and carrier services, as well as formal network design principles, statistical analysis, and visualization techniques. Where desirable, we will work directly with your staff members; their participation can often contribute greatly to the continuation of the process at the conclusion of our involvement.

An optimized network works better and costs less, much less!  Optimize your telecommunications today and gain maximum savings and performance!

Call MSI at 617-302-6741 Today!

MSI Project Case Study:  Dollar Rent-A-Car Facilities Move at T. F. Green Airport, RI.

Dollar Rent-A-Car was moving its rental car installation from the airport terminal to the new Intermodal Facility at the T.F Green Airport at Providence International Airport. This move included the functions provided at an off-site rental car returns area. MSI was engaged to design and build the Voice & Data infrastructure required in the new facility as well as manage the move. The Rhode Island Airport Commission issued a mandate stating the specific date and time of the move to the new facility.

MSI senior engineers and project managers met regularly with construction management personnel to determine building requirements and schedules. Due to the physical aspect and the logistical requirements of the new building, the existing phone system would not be moved to the new facility. MSI engineers designed a compliant fiber optic and copper cable plant, designed, selected and sourced all infrastructure components including the VoIP solution, routers, switches, fiber optic equipment, PCs, Terminals, and Servers. In addition the design included a WiFi solution for hand-held terminals. MSI also supplied a complete bill of materials for the entire installation.

MSI completed all required design drawings and submitted them on time, negotiated and managed the cable plant installation by a subcontractor, designed, selected, configured, installed, and tested all infrastructure components for the VoIP, internal data LAN, and Internet at the new location. MSI also defined the “Dial Plan” and coordinated the “cut-over” and “turn-up” of all voice, data, & Internet services in the narrowly defined timing window without a hitch.

An optimized network works better and costs less, much less!  Optimize your telecommunications today and gain maximum savings and performance!

Call MSI at 617-302-6741 Today!

Data/Internet Design & Installation

• Carrier coordination/support
• On-site customer representative
• Custom design and implementation
  • Address Plans
    • Public/Private Address Plans
    • IPv4 ↔ IPv6 Translation
• Routing/Switching Installation (WAN/LAN)
• Architecture
  • Topology
  • Connectivity
  • Performance Considerations
  • Security Designs
  • Security/Firewall Installation & Configuration
  • Assessment of current environment
  • Server Virtualization
    • Server Consolidation
    • Server & Storage Migration
    • Training

Voice Circuit Design & Installation

• Carrier coordination
• DEMARC Moves
• On-site customer representative
• Custom design and implementation
  • Numbering Plans (DID, DNIS)
  • Circuit Installation

VoIP

• Network Evaluations & Assessments
• Network Designs & Re-Engineering to support VoIP
• Problem Resolution
• Project Management Support
• Day 2 Support

An optimized network works better and costs less, much less!  Optimize your telecommunications today and gain maximum savings and performance!

Call MSI at 617-302-6741 Today!

Professionally Managed Services

• Telecom Expense Management
• Network Monitoring & Reporting
• SLA Compliance
• Internet Monitoring & Filtering
• Email Monitoring & Filtering

An optimized network works better and costs less, much less!  Optimize your telecommunications today and gain maximum savings and performance!

Call MSI at 617-302-6741 Today!

Confidentiality was very important to this company as all the software products were proprietary to the oil refinery industry. MSI will take your security needs seriously as we did for this undisclosed company! 

 Overview

• Developer of software used for oil refinery production management 
• Grew through acquisition 
• Locations in CONUS, EMEA, and APAC

Issue

• Poor integration of individual networks of acquired companies
• Excessive use of PSTN to carry inter-site calls
• No overall network strategy
• Many individual service contracts

Action

• Created detailed review of voice and data traffic flows
• Determined requirements for voice & data services 
• Conducted technological and financial audit of  telecommunications infrastructure
• Analyzed potential for inter-site on-net voice call handling
• Created competitive bid for telecommunications services
• Created and implemented restructuring plan based on audit findings and bidding process
• Restructured contracts with carriers

Results

• Created uniform voice & data plan 
• Restructured world-wide private network to meet defined requirements using single provider
• Most Inter-site voice & data traffic carried on private MPLS based network
• Reduced monthly telecom costs  by 60%

An optimized network works better and costs less, much less!  Optimize your telecommunications today and gain maximum savings and performance!

Call MSI at 617-302-6741 Today!

Overview

• Multi-state/multi-site
• Extensive private WAN
• Inter-site voice traffic

Issue

• Outdated Documentation
• Application changes
• Recent economic developments required hard look at optimizing resources

Action

• Documented LAN/WAN and Voice Networks
• Created detailed review of voice and data traffic flows
• Determined requirements for voice & data services
• Conducted technological and financial audit of  telecommunications infrastructure
• Restructured contracts with carriers

Results

• Collected $14,000 in credits due to billing errors
• Reduced monthly recurring costs by 15%
• Provided recommendations to improve network structure.
• Provided comprehensive, complete, and detailed documentation of the voice and data services.

An optimized network works better and costs less, much less!  Optimize your telecommunications today and gain maximum savings and performance!

Call MSI at 617-302-6741 Today!