The SD-WAN project allowed Novo Banco to evaluate, in practice, the wide-area network solutions defined by software that could best meet its needs in terms of faster access, enhanced security and streamlined daily management. Demonstrated skills, interaction between both teams, rigorous planning and technological independence were decisive for the success of Warpcom’s collaboration with Novo Banco, which resulted in the decision by Cisco SD-WAN.
Lisbon, February 9, 2021 – Warpcom, an Iberian technological integrator with 100% Portuguese equity, was selected by Novo Banco to support the renewal of its WAN network in order to address technological developments and increasing services digitalization.
The main objective was to have a more resilient, secure, fast and scalable solution. At the same time, the banking institution wanted to reduce the complexity of day-to-day management, to obtain better monitoring and alarmistic and to guarantee authentication that could be extended to the Group’s universe.
Faced with the opportunity to invest in a technological renovation, as normally happens in this type of evolutionary projects, the engineering team prepared a market research and made a pre-selection of equipment and manufacturers, in order to develop a proof of concept.
“Following the selection process, as Warpcom is a technological integrator with deep experience in technology and communications, it was very natural that we invited them to participate in this strategic initiative. In addition, the fact of having close partnerships with the main players operating in the area, also ensuring the necessary skills and independence. Since it was an innovative, disruptive technology that still did not exist in the Portuguese market, it was an excellent opportunity for both teams to work together in a practical case and in a ‘laboratory’ with a network the size of that of Novo Banco”, explains Paulo Henriques, Director of Novo Banco.
Warpcom was thus the partner chosen to support Novo Banco throughout this process. Warpcom’s methodology was based on three stages: technical workshops to assess existing needs and expected results, presentation of the SD-WAN approach as the best answer to the challenges of Novo Banco and identification of the main differentiating characteristics among the various manufacturers. Using its in-house technological laboratories, Warpcom tested, at a preliminary stage, the solutions that best met the requirements of Novo Banco. Subsequently, what would become the chosen solution, Cisco SD-WAN, was tested in the banking institution’s environment, with the support of Warpcom’s specialized engineering team.
Regarding the selection of the manufacturer/solution, the head of Novo Banco reveals that “The process was not easy because, in addition to having to overcome the bugs found and adapt to the changes that all selected manufacturers regularly introduced in the equipment, all the proofs of concept ended up being successful, despite some functional and operational differences between the various participants. For the decision, Cisco’s reputation and its local representation in Portugal were also critical”.
Thanks to Warpcom’s approach, it was possible to improve at Novo Banco the internal technical knowledge about SD-WAN, test the degree of maturity of the solutions in technical, operational and support terms, and protect the return on investment.
Users immediately noticed faster navigation in the applications and, as the implementation was aligned in time with a collaboration solution (email, video-conference, file-share), it was possible to avoid constraints with potential impact on the success and adoption of these new tools, without having to scale the infrastructure or increase communications speeds.
In relation to the immediate benefits that this change brought, the easiness derived from centralized management of equipment and its configuration stands out, which allows to reduce errors associated with manual work and/or inconsistency that severely impact security and operationality. In the medium term, in addition to the “layers of services” that can be added to the treatment of traffic in branches, Novo Banco will address on a larger scale the possibility of using diversified means of communication and with lower costs, thus reducing even more the solution TCO.
“The success that made a complex project of extended infrastructure simple and ‘silent’, implemented in an adverse context with the pandemic, resulted mainly from the excellent interaction between the Warpcom and Novo Banco teams, from the design and dimensioning of the solution, as well as from the rigorous planning and professionalism and execution competence in the field”, concludes the head of Novo Banco on the partnership between both companies.
About Warpcom
With a team of more than 120 employees and more than 20 years of experience in the market, Warpcom is the leading technological integrator in the development of solutions in the areas of Networking & Infrastructure, Collaboration & Customer Experience, Data Center & Multi Cloud and Cybersecurity & Public Safety.
About Novo Banco
Novo Banco is a reference institution in the Portuguese financial sector, recognized for its high standards of service quality and commercial dynamics with which it serves its customers. Acting transversely in all areas of financial services, Novo Banco ensures wide coverage of its clients’ financial needs. In Portugal, Novo Banco has an important network of branches, Corporate Centers and one of the most innovative digital banking systems. More info at https://www.novobanco.pt/
