
Panasonic enjoys Secure, Reliable, Unified Network
Panasonic New Zealand Limited selects an Allied Telesis network solution for their new premises
As a global manufacturer, Panasonic has a presence in most countries around the world. In New Zealand, Panasonic’s head office is located in Auckland, on the North Island. There are also service centers throughout the country.
In 2012, Panasonic’s New Zealand branch relocated to a new building. This shift created the ideal opportunity to upgrade their network. Prior to the move, Panasonic was using an aging network infrastructure that had been in place for many years. The company needed to upgrade its network to support a number of applications, including enterprise data, wireless, IP telephony, video-conferencing, lighting control, and warehouse logistics.
Panasonic chose an Allied Telesis advanced solution to provide its New Zealand office with the high-performing network it needs.
Local Support and a New Network
Panasonic had a number of important requirements for the new solution:
Increased Availability
Panasonic wanted to achieve increased network availability, to ensure staff always have access to online resources and applications, as well as up-to-the-moment warehouse logistics information.
Improved Security
Panasonic is a large, high-profile organization, and as such security is critical.
A Unified Solution
The company needed a unified network solution to support multiple applications.
High Performance
Panasonic required improved network performance to handle the convergence of the many applications that would share the new network infrastructure. A high-speed backbone was planned to handle the increase in network traffic.
Ongoing Partnership
Panasonic was looking for a vendor who would partner with them to implement their new network and provide strong local support during the install and for any future requirements.
Panasonic faced several additional challenges when designing its new network:
- The building is large and required fiber optic cabling between different sections of the business to support a single cohesive network design.
- Soundproofing in the company’s meeting rooms attenuated the wireless signal.
- As a large high profile organization, security of online resources was imperative.
Wireless Coverage Throughout
Two Allied Telesis x610 Series switches make up the network core and are configured as a Virtual Chassis Stack (VCStack™) which provides both device and link redundancy. Link aggregation of fiber cabling connects the network core to the servers and distribution switches, as well as to the network security appliance which provides secure firewall functionality for all external traffic. The network security appliance connects Panasonic to the Internet and the corporate WAN, via separate routers.
Network distribution comprises pairs of x510 Series switches, which are also connected as VCStacks for ultimate resiliency. These are connected to the edge 8000GS/POE Series switches, which again are stacked in pairs, and provide Power over Ethernet (PoE) to power the wireless Access Points (APs) and Voice over IP (VoIP) phones.
The TQ2450 wireless solution is used to deliver wireless coverage throughout the office and warehouse areas. Six Allied Telesis TQ2450 APs have been used in the warehouse, and four are in the office area, which provides excellent coverage and negates reduced signal strength in the sound-proofed meeting rooms. An Allied Telesis UWC wireless controller centrally manages the APs.
Ticking Off the Boxes
Panasonic’s key requirements are all met in the new Allied Telesis solution. With the Allied Telesis x610 Series switches in the network core connected together as a VCStack, this highly available solution provides Panasonic with guaranteed access to information when it is required.
Allied Telesis made the whole process easy by taking complete ownership and researching our requirements. Panasonic New Zealand Limited now has a new, well structured, well documented LAN infrastructure that should see us through to 2020.
IT Manager,
Panasonic New Zealand Limited
Panasonic now enjoys a brand-new network, which has been separated into secure segments using VLANs. This has reduced unnecessary traffic on the network, and provides separate virtual networks for network management, lighting control, voice traffic, printing, guest access and more.
The new network is powerful enough to support the convergence of the many applications that Panasonic run company-wide. With network data, wireless access, IP telephony, video conferencing, lighting control and warehouse logistics information all traversing this unified network, Panasonic has a truly integrated solution capable of supporting all of these applications now, as well as any new applications they may add in the future.
Panasonic New Zealand's integrated new network solution supports the convergence of the many modern applications it requires. With a highly-resilient and future-proof design, the company is assured of constant and reliable online access, and is ready for the addition of new network resources when required. Allied Telesis supplied this comprehensive high-value network as a very cost-effective solution, both in initial outlay and ongoing running costs.