Company Background
The client is a publicly traded pharmaceutical company.
Business Challenge
The client connected with our trusted technology advisors for guidance concerning a Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) upgrade. Their cloud phone system was extremely expensive (including hardware and seat prices), and the company lacked standardization with multiple licenses at different price points.
In addition to UCaaS, the client sought our advice on cybersecurity solutions. The client was looking for a partner to help monitor and manage their Microsoft Azure environment and requested assistance evaluating extended detection and response (XDR) and security information and event management (SIEM) solutions. The company also wanted to evaluate their options for secure virtual private network (VPN), threat protection, intrusion protection and cloud access security.
Stratosphere Networks Solution
Our team of trusted advisors guided the client through a UCaaS evaluation. The company already leveraged Zoom for meetings and planned on utilizing Zoom Rooms for their conference rooms following a move to a new office space. Ultimately, Zoom made the most sense in terms of familiarity, cost-effectiveness, and consolidating meeting room and phone functionality. The client now depends on one easy-to-use, affordable platform for unified communications and meetings.
In addition to a new UCaaS platform, we advised the client to purchase an Azure cloud assessment (which led to Azure monitoring), SD-WAN and 1 Gig fiber internet. We conducted marketplace research, compared leading suppliers, and recommended the best provider in each of those categories based on the client's needs.
In terms of cybersecurity, our advisors accounted for the client's investment in Microsoft and helped them identify a top Microsoft security solution partner capable of meeting all their needs. The Microsoft security partner the client chose was initially much more costly than the competition; however, our advisors negotiated with the provider to lower the price via an agreement that addressed only our client's required terms and conditions.
Our advisors have continued to assist the client with their technology needs. After a meeting with a potential supplier, the company's associate director of IT and security remarked to one of our advisors, “You really make this hard for me because these are all great options,” underscoring our team's ability to bring the best providers and solutions to the table based on our client's specific requirements. Although it was difficult for the client to choose, our team identified the best option with a clear and concise summary of our reasoning; the client ultimately agreed with our selection.
Working with our advisors has considerable advantages for the client, including the following:
- Access to the latest market research data
- Objective and consultative analysis from our advisors considering a wide range of options, as opposed to biased direct sales pitches from reps focused on one brand
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Insights from our research and analytics tools, which are built on Salesforce and leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning to drive informed IT decision-making with the following features:
Interactive quick assessments to evaluate solutions based on the client's needs
Dynamic comparison matrices including vital factors such as security, compliance and market share
Supplier battlecards that include not only strengths but also weaknesses/case studies/video briefings/white papers
Datacenter locator with virtual tours/real-time fiber locator
- Access to our home-grown ROI tools, which quickly determine the total cost of ownership and (in most instances) potential savings from the client's current total spend
- Connections to channel-only solutions from suppliers that the client couldn't have engaged with on their own due to the lack of direct sales teams
- Countless hours saved, as it would have taken the client weeks to assemble all the data that our advisors produced in mere minutes with our advanced tools
- Access to one of our technology demo centers, as noted below
For more information about our trusted advisor services, watch this brief video.
Benefits
Working with Stratosphere Networks has benefited the pharmaceutical company in various ways:
- Top-of-the-line, more standardized UCaaS solution better suited to their needs and budget
- Cost-effective and flexible solutions to accommodate growth
- Robust SIEM, intrusion prevention, next-gen anti-malware, cloud access security, and extended detection and response (XDR) solutions (approved by their virtual CISO)
- Scalable VPN service allowing remote workers to access all business applications via a secure and optimized connection
- True trusted advisors to help navigate new and emerging technologies
- Experienced IT and telecom experts on their side for contract negotiations