CTM chooses DrayTek

Issued by Global Research Partners for Draytek
Johannesburg, 16 Jan 2012

Network Platforms, the sub-Saharan distributor for DrayTek, today announced that one of its major resellers, Syrinx Communications, had installed DrayTek routers at CTM, a division of Italtile, to support its WAN infrastructure.

“We required a cost-effective network that also offered high availability, as our network is critical to our business, and in particular, the online trading part of our operation,” commented Tim Meara, Innovation and IT manager, Italtile. “The solution that we now have installed is precisely that.”

“We recommended and installed for CTM an ADSL capability that was backed up with a 3G solution,” added Greg Stewart, Director of Syrinx Communications. “As part of this installation, we installed DrayTek 2820 routers as they could support all of this in one box, and in addition, offer additional security features for the VPN, thus making it an ideal solution for CTM.”

“The scenario above is not an uncommon one,” concluded Bradley Love, Managing Director of Network Platforms. “Syrinx Communications now has an installed base in excess of 500 DrayTek routers and is one of our key business partners. At the initial stage, we sat down with them to see what would be the best network topology for CTM, and after some deliberation, we concluded that an IPC or IP Connect would be the best solution, as this allows for the client to have a private ADSL infrastructure terminating at the head office to run their SAP infrastructure. The advantages to CTM would be that they don't pay for inter-branch bandwidth and can also control the contention ratio, as they won't be reliant on an ISP's ADSL infrastructure that is being shared with other users. In addition, the other big advantage for them is the security it offers as a private network, as this portion of the architecture is unique.”

Syrinx Communications provides complete wide area networking, Internet and telecommunications solutions for both the private and public sectors. Apart from international connectivity services, Syrinx provides VPN services with backup of leased lines/ADSL via 3G APNs, corporate-grade Internet access, SAIX-based ADSL services, 3G APN implementation and management, unique inter-branch VOIP solutions, SA mobile least cost routing with CLI, international voice termination, open source/Asterisk IP-PABXs, disaster recovery, management of other operator networks, and various other ISP-type services.

CTM is South Africa's largest specialist tile and bathroom retailer, with over 80 stores throughout South Africa, Africa and Australia.

For further information, please contact Bradley Love: Tel: 0861 112 129; fax: 0865 034 826; e-mail: brad@networkplatforms.co.za.

DrayTek

DrayTek, is a Taiwanese state-of-the-art firmware designer and quality hardware producer, and is the reliable supplier of novel networking and telecommunications for the SOHO and SMB markets. At present, DrayTek's solutions, ranging from enterprise-level firewalls, mission-critical bandwidth management and comprehensive VPN facilities, triple play routers, to prospective IP PBX solutions, can meet the market trend and go above and beyond customers' expectations.

Network Platforms

Network Platforms, established in 2003 and based in Johannesburg and Cape Town, is a network infrastructure management solutions and services company. It covers the entire process from the assessment of clients' needs, requirements and goals, through to the ongoing provisioning, maintenance and servicing of the resultant networks. This embraces the areas of LANs, WANs, VPNs, managed computer services, including security aspects, Internet connectivity, network systems integration, VOIP and IP PABXes.

Network Platforms is a level 4 contributor BBBEE company and includes AdvanceNet, Canon, Business Connexion, Ferrari South Africa, First Technology, Panasonic and Zensar Technologies among its partners and customers.

Editorial contacts