The SA branch of Cr'edit Agricole Indosuez (CAI), a fully-owned subsidiary of France`s largest retail banking group Cr'edit Agricole S.A., has upgraded its network with the purchase of Cisco networking equipment, services and support from Unisys Africa.
CAI, a large clientele bank, is active in more than 50 countries, mainly in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the US and employs over 11 800 staff throughout the world. As an investment and major corporate bank, CAI focuses on three core businesses: capital markets, corporate banking and financing, and private banking.
Says Derus Berg, IT manager for Cr'edit Agricole Indosuez South Africa: "The upgrading of our network is part of a global standard emanating from our head office in Paris, which contracted Unisys France as the international network integrator for CAI."
Unisys has partnered with Cisco since 1993 and has expanded its role from systems integrator to a services-oriented Global Support Partner (GSP), Professional Services Partner and Third-Party Maintenance Provider. "CAI awarded the contract to Unisys as a result of the company`s expertise in this area and because of its global presence," adds Berg.
Prior to the installation of the new network, the SA branch was only connected to the head office in Paris and was not part of the global CAI network. Incorporation into the global network has improved the speed and efficiency of communication between the local branch and its overseas parent.
The network has provided a new addressing plan for CAI based on centralised and decentralised management. It has allocated Internet protocol (IP) address ranges to sites according to their needs, thus easing network management; and has also applied global standards and rules to all CAI networks, ensuring conformity at all branches.
Switching traffic at the edge of the local and international CAI networks are two Cisco Catalyst 4006 devices, which provide enhanced control of converged voice, video and data networks for CAI. The Catalyst 4006 features non-blocking integrated performance, traditional LAN switching, multi-layer IOS services with IP routing, advanced quality of service, sophisticated traffic management, comprehensive security and simple management.
"The Catalyst 4006 is a key component of Cisco`s architecture for voice, video and integrated data (AVVID)," says Chris Jacks, portfolio sales executive, managed services at Unisys Africa. "Its modular architecture, media flexibility and expandability enable a longer deployment life in converged networks like CAI`s. This reduces the overall cost of ownership by minimising recurring operational expenses and improves return on investment (ROI)."
Berg says the network service and support solution provided for CAI optimises the bank`s global network performance and reliability while reducing the cost and complexity of its network infrastructure. Cisco assures robust, reliable networks by supporting both LAN and WAN protocols, optimising WAN services, and controlling Internet and network access.
"The new network infrastructure enables us to adapt quickly to e-business advances. It enables 24x7 network access for our employees, partners, and customers around the world. Unisys` expertise in deploying services-led solutions based on Cisco technology for network management has allowed us to focus on our core business competencies with the assurance that our new technology is supporting our business objectives.
"SA was one of the first countries to adopt the new infrastructure and we are already experiencing the benefits," says Berg. "It has allowed for more optimal management of the company and of the various networks that exist within the primary network."
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