Network and security provider GTT announced that French biopharmaceutical company LFB will deploy GTT Managed SD-WAN, Cloud Connect, Dedicated Internet Access, and broadband and professional services. 

The solution covers 28 sites across France, Austria, Czech Republic, Belgium, and the U.S. in support of the company’s network transformation strategy. EMEA VP of solutions consulting Tom Major said GTT initially deployed an MPLS solution for LFB in its native France in 2017. LFB decided to expand that relationship in support of its cloud adoption strategy and its decision to upgrade its network to SD-WAN. 

According to Major, the LFB strategy also requires expanded geographic reach. Leveraging GTT’s global tier-one IP backbone will connect locations in the U.S. as well as additional locations in Europe to complement the sites in its home market of France. GTT has a global-to-local approach, connecting international customer sites while also having the “local expertise” available to collaborate with customers with a focus on understanding their specific business and IT objectives. 

The GTT SD-WAN solution will give LFB a “more cost-effective, resilient, and flexible approach to internet connectivity and makes it easier for them to operate and maintain their network with improved performance monitoring, tracking of usage and other metrics,” Major told SDxCentral in an email. 

LFB offers globally plasma-derived medicinal products and recombinant proteins to healthcare professionals in immunology, hemostasis, and intensive care. A GTT announcement noted service uptime, improved end-user performance, and network reliability are critical for LFB, as this “ensures the quality and end-to-end product traceability paramount to the safe and continuous manufacturing of its products.”

Major said the deployment process took a total of six months, during which GTT replaced outdated routers with SD-WAN components on top of its global Tier 1 internet backbone. The SD-WAN solution is also supported by GTT Professional Services, which provides enhanced planning and implementation, as well as ongoing technical support and service management for the full duration of the service lifecycle.

The provider confronted several pandemic-related challenges in the deployment process, Major noted – equipment shortages resulting from supply chain delays and lockdowns slowing physical installations. “However, we were able to overcome both hurdles and complete the deployment,” he said.