Small Office Boosts Productivity with SD-WAN Implementation
A small healthcare clinic with 13 locations and a limited IT team of six people faced significant network challenges that were impacting their productivity. The clinic decided to implement SD-WAN technology to address these issues and improve their overall network performance.
Challenges
Before implementing SD-WAN, the clinic experienced several problems:
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Limited bandwidth (1-3 megabits per location)
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Slow response times for critical applications
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Time-consuming network management tasks
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Frequent customer complaints about network performance
SD-WAN Solution
The clinic chose to implement Cisco Meraki SD-WAN technology, deploying Cisco Meraki MX 60, 64, and 80 units across their locations.
Results
The implementation of SD-WAN led to significant improvements:
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1. Increased Bandwidth: Each location's bandwidth capacity grew from 10 megabits to approximately 60 megabits.
2. Cost Reduction: The clinic saw a tenfold decrease in network costs.
3. Improved Capacity: Network capacity increased by more than 20 times at each location.
4. Enhanced Management: Network changes that previously took several hours or days could now be completed within an hour.
5. Reduced Outages: The clinic experienced fewer network outages, improving overall reliability.
6. Better Security: SD-WAN implementation allowed for improved traffic management and resource protection.
Bottomline
By implementing SD-WAN, the small healthcare clinic significantly enhanced its network performance, reduced costs, and boosted overall productivity across all 13 locations.
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Faster application performance led to quicker patient care processes.
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Reduced network downtime minimized disruptions to daily operations.
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Simplified network management freed up IT resources for other critical tasks.
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Improved network reliability resulted in fewer customer complaints, allowing staff to focus on their primary responsibilities.
