The Challenge
Among Riedel Networks’ customers is leading European entertainment company RTL Group, which uses the MPLS network for several purposes. These include live transmission of the HD broadcast signal from every Formula 1 race track to the RTL broadcasting centre in Cologne, connectivity to Riedel’s intercom matrix system, and access to its own archive.
MPLS networks are renowned for their high quality and guaranteed service levels (SLAs). In addition, data traffic can be prioritised so that bandwidth ranges can be reserved for business-critical applications with a defined Quality of Service — something that isn’t possible with a standard Internet connection. Secure and highly available data networks are a prerequisite for smooth and uninterrupted provision of business critical applications. The main challenge is to offer a broad range of local access technologies to ensure the required connectivity. To this end, Riedel Networks has installed MPLS network hubs at 40 sites that offer access to a large number of local carriers. The network provider works with Interxion in Germany, Austria and Belgium.
“It’s important for us to be in a carrier neutral data centre that offers the best possible connectivity coupled with an exceptionally high density of carriers — crucial characteristics that we found at Interxion,” explains Michael Martens, CEO and Managing Director of Riedel Networks GmbH. The company also requires its data centres to provide high availability, high speed and flexibility, along with professional delivery of day-today operations, 24/7 service with rapid response times, and a failsafe power supply.
A carrier-neutral data centre that offers the best possible connectivity and a highly available, flexible, high-speed infrastructure is essential to our ability to provide high performance, failsafe MPLS networks. Interxion meets all of these criteria.
The Solution
Key factors behind Riedel Networks’ decision to work with Interxion were its high local carrier density, its attractive price-performance ratio and the option to rent cages for additional physical security. In these closed-off areas Riedel Networks operates its own server racks which are supplied with redundant power lines. The network operator also takes advantage of the permanently available Interxion Hands & Eyes Service; and uses the Cross Connect Service to establish highly available, high-performance, low-latency data connections as part of its global MPLS services. Having access to over 500 carriers and Internet service providers enables Riedel Networks to offer its customers a wide choice of local access technologies and service providers. “Our customers can select the technology they want for connecting their sites or transmitting TV signals,” explains Martens. Network availability and SLAs are determined by how the service is priced.
Interxion operates a secure, high performance data centre infrastructure that offers direct access to all relevant communications networks. The close proximity of the data centres to large communities of digital content companies and their networks is another advantage, creating content hubs that provide an ideal environment for concentration, and for managing and distributing on-demand and real-time content. In addition to high availability, high speed and flexibility, Interxion’s data centre environment offers Riedel Networks the performance and high-quality services it needs to help it refine its own services.
The data centre environment is also an important factor in the ongoing international growth of both the network provider and its customers. In strategic terms, Interxion’s data centres offer Riedel Networks the potential for almost infinite expansion of its capacity. “We value the smooth and trusted working relationship we have with Interxion and will continue to extend it as we strengthen our position in the marketplace,” says Martens. The company expects to see extremely dynamic growth in demand, both for communications networks for remote event TV productions and for connecting medium-sized enterprises internationally. “A carrier-neutral data centre that offers the best possible connectivity and a highly available, flexible, high-speed infrastructure is essential to our ability to provide high-performance, failsafe MPLS networks. Interxion meets all of these criteria,” confirms Martens.