Introduction
Eye Q Solutions has quickly risen as a challenger in Australia’s ICT services market since launching in 2017. The firm specialises in bespoke Wi-Fi and network solutions that drive innovation while reducing the costs and complexity of customers’ IT infrastructure. Doing so often demands no small amount of ingenuity and out-of-the-box thinking – something Eye Q’s team of consultants relish.
“Conventional thinking often doesn’t cut it when trying to achieve the absolute best for these customers,” says Phillip Quang, Sales and Operations Manager at Eye Q Solutions. That proved true when Eye Q bid for the opportunity to bring first-class network capabilities to the state-of-the-art Array building in Sydney’s Macquarie Park – supporting not just tenants’ unique needs but all services within the facility itself.
Overview:
Challenges:
- Intense capacity demand for a wide variety of use cases, including building sensors and smart infrastructure
- Complex building structure
- Cost pressures
Solutions:
- HPE Networking Instant On for network core, edge, and access points
- Entire network administered via the Instant On mobile app
Benefits:
- Much lower total cost of ownership than conventional enterprise-grade solutions
- Extremely easy and flexible network deployment, scaling, and management
- No risk of bill shock thanks to zero licensing costs
Challenges: An array of use-cases with exacting requirements
Eye Q’s task was to develop a network for Array that was robust, scalable, and modular enough to support future traffic volumes; while also accommodating business occupants’ wide range of services and infrastructure. These included requirements from Array’s own building management systems, from environmental sensors to lighting controls and even electric vehicle charging stations.
“One of Array’s selling points has been its green credentials, which require a lot of instrumentation and network connectivity to sustain,” said Quang. “That added an extra layer of complexity to our task: how do we meet these demanding requirements while keeping a lid on costs and complexity?”
Eye Q’s team quickly realised that the success of their proposal hinged on the total cost of ownership and ease of use they could offer. “We knew we had to differentiate ourselves with something that was leaner, simpler, and more affordable to adopt than our much larger enterprise competitors,” Quang said. “And we were confident we had the technology and expertise to pull off what others might’ve thought impossible.”
Solution: Small-business systems – and costs – for big results
To do so, the Eye Q team put HPE Networking Instant On at the core of its network design. Despite being intended primarily for smaller businesses, the Instant On portfolio could deliver the ease of use, flexibility, and modularity to support Array’s current and future demand. It would also allow Eye Q to achieve full network coverage of the facility at a fraction of competitors’ cost, while offering premium points of differentiation – like being able to manage the entire network through the Instant On mobile app.
“After consulting the builders on its construction, we realised that Instant On would suit the building’s specifications surprisingly well. And the lean TCO, coupled with no ongoing licensing fees, really spoke to our value proposition,” Quang said. “We opted for a multistage implementation whereby we could leverage the capabilities of different Instant On devices to their fullest potential, for maximal efficiency and simplicity.”
Eye Q chose two Instant On 1960 core switches to aggregate all services within the building, complemented by more than ten Instant On 1930 switches at the edge to provide PoE (Power over Ethernet) and connectivity through each floor. For wireless access, Eye Q tapped on:
- 5x AP25s for handling high device density in ground-floor common areas;
- 3x AP17s to tackle the outdoor requirements of Array’s Level 7 terrace; and
- 2x of the more compact AP11s for connectivity to air quality and environmental sensors, as well as providing Wi-Fi coverage to the building manager’s office.
All of Array’s Instant On devices came through Dicker Data, Eye Q’s primary distributor for IT products and services. “Dicker Data’s service and support throughout the process gave us the confidence that we could pull off this solution despite it having little to no precedent,” said Quang.
Benefits: Future-proofing network functionality and affordability
Eye Q’s proposal quickly won over Array’s owners, with implementation commencing soon after. “They looked at not just ease of use and deployment, but the implications for ongoing management,” Quang said. “Since completing the project we’ve already felt just how frictionless it is to take care of the network.”
The Instant On mobile app has allowed Eye Q to manage the entire Array network offsite and on the go – from proactively detecting and fixing network issues, to viewing overall network health and controlling device access. That’s helped Eye Q to not only bolster network performance and security, but also keep costs low for Array.
“Using Instant On throughout the network means we’re able to quickly add on capacity in an extremely dependable and flexible way,” said Quang. “And because Instant On comes with no ongoing licensing costs, there’s that assurance for our customer that their OpEx isn’t going to suddenly balloon as a result.”
As the Array building’s tenants and smart infrastructure continue to evolve, Eye Q has no doubts that their unconventional network will be up to the task. “We’ve been able to show that Instant On can really punch above its weight in the enterprise market, even in dealing with the complexities of building management systems and sustainability infrastructure,” Quang concluded. “For us, it’s proven to be a huge advantage in beating our competition at a fraction of their costs.”
Learn more about HPE Networking Instant On at https://www.arubainstanton.com/
Need help setting up your Instant On network? Check out the Library at https://www.instanton.club
