CASE STUDY
GTT ’ s managed Software-Defined Wide Area Networking ( SD-WAN ) services deliver secure and fast worldwide connectivity to Hansgrohe , a global provider of high-quality kitchen and bathroom fixtures based in Schiltach , Germany . GTT ’ s SD WAN service is improving efficiency and performance for Hansgrohe by prioritising the most critical network traffic and supporting its move to hybrid working .
With its brands , AXOR and Hansgrohe , the Hansgrohe group enjoys a reputation as a leader in innovation , design and quality within the bath and kitchen industry . Founded in 1901 in the Black Forest , the company gives water form and function with its faucets , showerheads and shower systems . The group ’ s highquality standards are ensured by seven wholly-owned production facilities : four in Germany and one each in France , the US and China . In 2021 , the Hansgrohe Group generated a turnover of € 1.365 billion . It employs around 5,400 people worldwide , about 60 % of whom work in Germany .
Its mission is to provide a social benefit for all people around the world . “ Water is life and our passion ,” said Matthias Goetz , Head of Infrastructure and Operations at Hansgrohe . “ Our designs produce fixtures that are functional , beautiful and eco-friendly . That is our work and why we exist .”
The challenge
In 2017 , GTT delivered one of Europe ’ s first-wave SD-WAN deployments for Hansgrohe . Through collaboration and a strong partnership , the companies have been able to achieve continuous improvement in network performance and efficiency .
Hansgrohe extended its work with GTT early in 2021 to upgrade and streamline the network in support of the company ’ s Digital Transformation initiatives . Its objective was to embrace the capabilities of the cloud fully and securely while also expanding its network capacity to support business-to-consumer communication along with business-to-business activities .
The solution
Managed SD-WAN to unite a global enterprise
In addition to its headquarters in Germany , Hansgrohe operates seven manufacturing sites worldwide with 34 subsidiaries . It has a total of 40 locations connected via SD-WAN across Europe , the Asia-Pacific region and the Americas . To maintain its stature as the world ’ s leading provider of bathroom and kitchen fixtures , Hansgrohe analyses massive amounts of data to monitor consumer trends , supply chain information and administrative operations .
Recognising that its previous technology configuration could not keep pace with its growing business , Hansgrohe turned to longstanding partner , GTT , to provide a Managed SD-WAN solution to transform the company ’ s network for future business growth . The service instantly accommodated the company ’ s growing need for bandwidth and faster access to data . The ability of the service to prioritise the network traffic ensures that Hansgrohe ’ s employees around the world have immediate , reliable and secure access to the information and applications they need , whether working remotely , in the office or on the road .
The GTT Managed SD-WAN solution enables seamless global communication and has accelerated the modernisation of legacy hardware , providing access to data lakes that support the development of new
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