Maximizing savings and efficiency with SolarWinds observability solution
A case study in efficiency and cost reduction
In a transformative move that highlights the power of technology in streamlining operations and cutting costs, a leading national communications service provider has realized jaw-dropping savings by transitioning to SolarWinds' Full-Stack Observability solution. This transition saw the replacement of various open-source monitoring tools with SolarWinds' integrated components, ultimately saving over $2 million in recurring annual costs.
Saving millions and more
The benefits didn't stop at cost savings; SolarWinds played a pivotal role in helping the provider avoid over $2.6 million in service-level agreement (SLA) violation fees by efficiently mitigating infrastructure issues that could have impacted customers.
A three-year success story
Cumulatively, these combined savings resulted in an astounding three-year return on investment (ROI) of $4.2 million. The full-stack SolarWinds Observability solution for hybrid cloud, which incorporates key functionalities from Network Performance Monitor, Network Configuration Manager, Server & Application Monitor, NetFlow Traffic Analyzer, and IP Address Manager, has proved its mettle. Notably, this solution pays for itself within a matter of months each year it's in operation.
Enhancing IT operations
This national communications provider, known for serving highly regulated government and commercial entities, runs a complex hybrid IT environment comprising 2,000+ customer sites, multiple data centers, and cloud infrastructure through Amazon Web Services® and Azure®. The journey towards SolarWinds began with the adoption of SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor a few years ago, but the transformation was truly solidified when the provider expanded to the full-stack Observability solution three years ago. The switch led to streamlined operations during a period of rapid growth and acquisitions, resulting in a significant reduction in administrative overhead and a boost in operational efficiency.
Reduced administrative burden
The efficiency gains from SolarWinds extended to the engineering team responsible for performance monitoring. Notably, it streamlined the process of integrating new infrastructure into monitoring systems, reducing the time required from two hours to a mere 10 minutes. With the monitoring team handling 20 inventory change requests daily, these time savings have equated to $438,533 in annual savings over the past three years.
Empowering patch management
SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor (SAM) emerged as a hero in addressing server patching issues. By providing early alerts and dynamic reset capabilities for applications based on predefined conditions, SAM helped the organization avoid two significant patch-related incidents annually, saving approximately $10,938 in labor costs per year over the last three years.
Right-sizing for savings
More recently, the service provider focused on optimizing WAN circuits across its 2,000+ customer sites, leading to $700,000 in savings in 2021 alone. SolarWinds' prowess in identifying and reducing unnecessary costs within circuits played a vital role in this achievement.
Preventing SLA violations
SolarWinds proved its worth once again when a router issue threatened to disrupt VPN tunnels for 200 customer sites. By leveraging SolarWinds' dependency mapping, the provider quickly isolated the problem, saving hundreds of work hours and $8,100 in labor costs. More critically, it helped the carrier avoid significant penalties for service-level agreement violations.
A resounding success
EMA (Enterprise Management Associates) estimates that this service provider has saved over $2 million annually in operational costs through SolarWinds' full-stack Hybrid Cloud Observability capabilities. Additionally, the provider's ability to prevent SLA violations for 10% of its customers resulted in another $2.6 million in one-time savings. In total, the provider has realized a staggering $4,656,514 return on its investment in SolarWinds.
Looking to the Future
EMA anticipates even more savings in the future as the service provider continues to harness the power of SolarWinds' observability solutions. The performance monitoring director envisions using Network Configuration Manager to enhance configuration compliance, further improving network availability and security.
While some benefits remain immeasurable, such as the overall performance improvement in customer applications, the provider's success story with SolarWinds is a testament to the tangible benefits that innovative technology can bring to the telecommunications industry.
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