About AMC Networks

AMC Networks International (AMCNI), the global division of AMC Networks, delivers entertaining and acclaimed programming that reaches subscribers in more than 130 countries and territories and is responsible for highly acclaimed series including The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, and Better Call Saul. AMCNI consists of global brands, AMC and SundanceTV, as well as popular, locally recognised channels across various programming genres. In the UK, those channels include CBS Reality, Legend, Reality Xtra, Horror Xtra & Horror Xtra +1.

Challenges

Solution 

As an existing long-term customer, AMCNI selected Exponential-e out of several data centre providers to relocate its equipment into two Tier 3 data centres, providing redundancy for its production and DR media content. The design included over a dozen racks, with additional space made to house prebuilt IBM racks that had to be relocated in their existing configuration. Two 10Gb links were delivered between each data centre to provide resilient, high-speed capacity for large media content, with 2Gb of internet breakout for external access.

Since the downsizing of offices, AMCNI has realised a saving of approximately £1.3m on real estate costs, as well as a reduction in energy consumption and energy footprint. Staff have become more productive and invested by having the flexibility to work from home and remote locations, improving the work/life balance. AMCNI has also improved its sustainability metrics, as IT infrastructure is now located in purpose-built facilities that operate to BREEAM standards and use renewal energy sources.

The move to full-time hybrid working has been an excellent decision for us at all levels, but it wouldn't have been possible without the underlying technology infrastructure. We already knew and trusted Exponential-e, so they were the obvious choice to help us make the transition. Even with such a tight timeframe, they made sure the whole thing was completely seamless.

Nigel Proctor, International IT Director, AMCNI

About InterQuest Group

InterQuest Group (InterQuest) is a market-leading IT and Analytics recruitment firm, which comprises a number of specialised recruitment units that operate specifically in one market segment, be it in the public sector, banking and finance, or in an area of technology such as testing, analytics or CRM. The Group operates from its head office in London and several branch offices. Specialising in contract and permanent IT recruitment, the Group trades as several distinctly branded, operating divisions.

Solution 

A number of established and well-known suppliers within the market were considered for project delivery. InterQuest selected Exponential-e based on its technical expertise, receptive approach and value.

Exponential-e worked closely with InterQuest to deploy an eight site Wide Area Network (WAN) which extended between Yorkshire and Kent, as well as centralised Internet, security and backup solutions. Exponential-e began work with a redesign of InterQuest's existing infrastructure. The first phase of the network roll-out started with the various locations being brought on-net to Exponential-e's switched core Next Generation Network (NGN) for improved resilience.

The following phase saw Exponential-e provisioning virtual circuits over the access circuits required, allowing Exponential-e to establish full connectivity between all InterQuest office locations. By centralising the Internet connection in Exponential-e's facility, the Group's branch offices are no longer reliant on the head office for Internet connectivity, allowing for a more agile and flexible set-up.

In addition, Exponential-e configured a dedicated VPLS instance for InterQuest, providing a completely secure WAN. Exponential-e provided a Private DSL connection from the site through a new Virtual LNS instance into the existing InterQuest VPLS WAN. The new solution allows InterQuest to route voice over its internal network and save costs.

 Challenges

InterQuest was experiencing several issues with its existing network service. It had previously moved to a DSL based MPLS network, but still faced issues with inconsistent speeds. The service was proving to be unreliable and the company repeatedly faced prolonged downtime affecting business operations for days at a time.

Due to continued business success, InterQuest had grown to become a multi-site operation over the years; each specialist recruitment division operated as an individual business unit whilst some services within these were centralised. Many sites however, had started to experience performance issues and latency, and as a result they were becoming increasingly dependent on InterQuest's London head office.

The company was also finding its existing provider was unable to respond to its needs in fast time frames and connectivity was often lost, hence affecting inbound and outbound business communication. InterQuest had reached a point where its old network service was not reliable or fast enough to keep up with the demands and growth of the business.

The Group started searching for a new solution which was able to provide improved service levels, increased speed and cost savings on routing voice calls internally. With a view to plan long-term, InterQuest also sought a scalable platform which could grow with its business requirements.