CASE STUDY Application Performance Optimization Service Tata Communications' Helps Global Financial Services Firm Dramatically Improve Network Performance 1
AEGON Religare Life Insurance Limited (ARLIC) is the result of a partnership between AEGON, one of the world's largest life insurance and pension groups, and Religare, one of India's leading integrated financial services groups. Launched in 2008, the company expects to employ over 10,000 life advisors by the end of this fiscal year. AEGON's businesses serve over 40 million customers in over 20 markets throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia, with major operations in the U.S., Netherlands, and the UK, employing almost 32,000 people worldwide. ARLIC contracted with Tata Communications t o p r o v i d e M P L S service to connect more than 50 locations Religare Enterprises Limited is a diversified financial services group with a pan-india and international presence. The firm offers a range of products and services, including asset management, life insurance, wealth management, equity and commodity broking, investment banking, lending, private equity, and venture capital. Religare operates from seven, domestic, regional offices, 43 sub-regional offices, and has a presence in 498 cities controlling 1,837 business locations across India. With the acquisition of a UK-based firm in 2008, the group also operates out of global locations, including the UK, U.S., Brazil, South Africa, Dubai, and Singapore. 2
Network Challenges ARLIC contracted with Tata Communications to provide MPLS service to connect more than 50 locations. In addition to the MPLS infrastructure, Tata Communications also provided ARLIC with Data Centre and Collocation Services. As a financial services firm, ARLIC's telecommunications infrastructure is extremely important to operations. ARLIC runs a varied set of applications over its MPLS network with the majority of critical applications hosted at Tata Communications' Internet Data Centre. ARLIC's team met with Tata Communications and expressed a need to improve the performance of business-critical applications and facilitate troubleshooting. They also sought better control over the network budget and to optimize the size of the network link. Tata Communications' APO Service is available g l o b a l l y, i s h i g h l y scalable, and can be implemented across thousands of sites. Holistic View Ensures Application Performance To gain more visibility of ARLIC's network usage and applications, Tata Communications proposed its Application Performance Optimization (APO) Service for integrated, end-to-end performance monitoring. APO Services equip ARLIC s IT managers with in-depth, real-time, historical data on every site on the network to better anticipate changes and issues. Perfect for a global firm like ARLIC, Tata Communications' APO Service is available globally, is highly scalable, and can be implemented across thousands of sites. The service helps companies dramatically improve the performance of network applications that feed core business processes, increasing productivity and user satisfaction by reducing transaction delays. 3
A Consultative Approach With ARLIC, Tata Communications employed a unique, consultative approach by first conducting a proof of concept using resources from its specialized engineering team for Global MPLS services. As part of this process, various functionalities were enabled and comprehensive reports were submitted to fulfil the stated objective of improving network visibility and performance. After successful completion of the proof of concept, ARLIC was eager to deploy the network solution, which included installing physical devices at the collocated data centre with Tata Communications and ARLIC's main office, while deploying virtual environments at additional critical sites. Tata Communications' APO service helped ARLIC improve compression between their collocation facility and the main office. It also increased TCP acceleration, improved visibility into the firm's MPLS infrastructure, and maintained quality of service (QoS). In addition, APO services included an extensive set of reports that provided an in-depth network view helping ARLIC s IT management to streamline and improve their decisionmaking processes for increased network control. Srinivasan Iyengar D i r e c t o r - I T & O p e r a t i o n s A E G O N Religare Life Insurance c o m m e n t s T a t a C o m m u n i c a t i o n s network solutions are cutting edge, yet fully customisable. Getting end to end network solutions from a single source, exactly as per our need is delightful. A d d i t i o n a l l y, t h e i r A p p l i c a t i o n P e r f o r m a n c e Optimisation solutions help us maintain full control and continuity of operations, and at the same time, minimise IT c o s t s. T h e y a r e a valuable partner in our success. 4
ARLIC s IT Challenges Gain clear visibility of ARLIC's network usage Facilitate the troubleshooting process Improve business-critical application services for users Prove network performances to business line and IT management Enforce IT levels of service Control the network budget and optimize the size of the network utilization Proactively anticipate changes and issues Why ARLIC Chose Tata Communications? Consultative approach to devise the appropriate network solution as required by ARLIC Increased visibility into the MPLS network with extensive reporting Complete performance visibility for all location Robust troubleshooting via a centralized location Improved compression between ARLIC's data centre collocation and their main office TCP Acceleration and Effective maintenance of QoS Looking Ahead As a rapidly growing company and one among industry leaders, ARLIC will undoubtedly add more locations that will require MPLS services. Mr. Srinivasan Iyengar, of ARLIC further comments As ARLIC is poised to expand, we depend on Tata Communications' network solutions and APO services to create and maintain a highly optimized, global network. 5
For more information on Application Performance Optimization Services, visit www.tatacommunications.com Tata Communications, a member of the $62.5 billion Tata Group, is a leading global provider of a new world of communications. The emerging markets communications leader leverages its advanced solutions capabilities and domain expertise across its global and pan-india network to deliver managed solutions to multi-national and Indian enterprises, service providers, and Indian consumers. Tata Communications range of services include transmission, IP, converged voice, mobility, managed network connectivity, hosting and storage, managed security, managed collaboration and business transformation for global enterprises and network, with connectivity to more than 200 countries across 300 POPs, and more than 1 million square feet of data center and colocation facilities. Tata Communications unique emerging market depth and breadth of reach includes a national fiber backbone network and access to network in over 60 cities and 125 POPs in India, strategic investments in South African converged services operator, Neotel, Sri Lanka and Nepal and, subject to fulfillment of conditions precedent, a 50% o w n e r s h i p i n C h i n a E n t e r p r i s e Communications (CEC) providing full country VPN coverage in China. Servicing customers from its offices in over 80 cities in 40 countries, India, the Company was named Best W h o l e s a l e C a r r i e r a t t h e W o r l d Communications Awards in 2006, Best Pan- Asian Wholesale Provider at the 2006 and 2007 Capacity Magazine Global Wholesale Telecommunications Awards and was awarded Best Progress in Emerging Markets at the 2008 Mobile Communication Awards. Tata Communications Limited is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange of India and its ADRs are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: TCL). www.tatacommunications.com 6