THE CHALLENGE
Aging technology at multiple locations was experiencing downtime with frequent equipment failure and unreliable internet connections. They were seeking a trusted partner who could centrally manage their network in a cloud environment to improve network performance, connectivity and security across all store locations.
THE SOLUTION
- Cloud Migration & Hosting
- Cloud Managed Network
- Microsoft 365
SOLUTION OVERVIEW
For 23 years, satisfied customers throughout the greater Pittsburgh area have relied on Ryan Automotive for quality tire and automotive services. With four locations in Crafton, Pleasant Hills, Kennedy Township and Moon Township, they needed a reliable managed services partner to ensure their network, internet and phone systems were always up and running without downtime. The fast-paced business could not afford their point-of-sale and inventory management systems to be down and disrupt business operation causing revenue loss.
“Our on-site servers were 12 years old, and we didn’t have the time to troubleshoot equipment and network problems or keep up with software updates,” said Greg Ryan, Owner. “With little visibility into our multi-site locations, we were always reactive in responding to downtime due to servers not connecting, internet issues or computer equipment not working. We needed a managed service provider who could pave the way to improve efficiencies across our locations and drive down costs.”
Magna5 Delivers Centralized Management
To ensure reliable uptime and high network performance, Magna5 delivered a fully managed cloud solution providing proactive centralized management and response.
- Full Network Visibility – Migrated each store workloads to Magna5’s secure, cloud environment with next-generation equipment and full visibility into the business’ infrastructure for real-time monitoring and alerting. Fully trained and certified engineers watch Ryan Automotive’s network around the clock, resolving issues before they happen.
- Reliable Connections – Eliminated jitter or dropped sessions using intelligent SD-WAN traffic orchestration for optimal voice connections and application performance. High-performance network connections with automatic failover functionality were especially needed for point-of-sale systems and card transactions.
- Cybersecurity Protection & Data Backup – Boosted early-warning detection and response to quickly flag suspicious cyber threats or unauthorized access. Cloud managed network provided an extensive suite of security features, including IDS/IPS, content filtering, web search filtering, anti-virus, geo-IP based firewalling, IPsec VPN connectivity and advanced malware protection. Solution also provided built-in data backup and recovery in the event of a cyber attack or natural disaster. Seamless data restoration was critical for Ryan Automotive to avoid loss of customer, inventory, financial and transaction information.
- Microsoft 365 – Installed cloud-based Office applications to enhance communication and improve productivity across store locations. Stores can now collaborate, share and communicate with email and flexible collaboration tools accessible from either desktop or mobile devices.
- Easy Access to Experts – Reduced unplanned downtime with quick access to Tier 1 and Tier 2 help desk support 24/7/365. Experts are available via a toll-free number, email, chat or a client ticket portal. Magna5 ensures all calls are routed to an engineer most knowledgeable with Ryan Automotive’s specific problem for quick resolution.
“The deployment of the solution was amazingly fast. It took a while to set up credit card implementation with another vendor, but files from all locations were transferred to the cloud environment and operational in less than two hours,” continued Greg.
Peace of Mind
Networks are the central nervous system of tire and automotive services businesses. They deliver the essential data to business systems, employees, stores, suppliers and customers. With reliable network performance and connectivity, Ryan Automotive today operates with a critical competitive advantage.
“Magna5 has made a big difference for us. They have smart people with a wide range of technical skillsets. No matter what our issue may be, they have a team of experts who can resolve issues quickly. With our systems now fully managed in a cloud environment, they know before we do if something is down. Problems are typically fixed before any disruption occurs,” said Greg.
THE RESULTS
Enabled Ryan Automotive to modernize aging technology by moving network operations onto a managed cloud platform so they could gain central visibility into all cloud-based network systems, applications and devices to ensure reliable uptime and performance. THE
ADVANTAGES
- Centralized visibility and control over wired and wireless networks.
- Improved network performance, availability and uptime.
- Unified firewall, switching, wireless LAN and mobile device management for all locations.
- Proactive monitoring of all devices, applications and users.
- Quick response to alerts for faster resolution before they became major issues.
- Early detection and response to security breaches or cyber attacks.
- Higher productivity with flexible collaboration tools.
