The client requested a move away from their current expensive and inefficient MPLS. Their goal, to create a Wide Area Network to connect locations back to two Data Centers, increase bandwidth, have services hosted with the Azure Cloud, and reduce costs (including current WAN MRCs). The client had decided well before the project began that everyone would have the same system, a challenge considering the small markets and vast space between locations. We recommended that they migrate their MPLS service over to an SD-WAN solution, as well as moving to a new Tier 3 or Tier 4 Data Center with diverse power feeds, dedicated cabinets, a remote hands team (responsive 24 / 7 / 365 support to respond to emergencies, improve equipment uptime, and reduce the overall infrastructure management cost), security (physical, protocol, & technological), and direct access to Azure. This would also help meet their SOC, FISMA, and NIST compliance requirements.
