KNAPP

TOGETHER ON A JOURNEY INTO THE FUTURE

The globally active technology company KNAPP relies on an innovative network design by Cisco, which is designed, implemented and maintained by the IT service provider NTS. As an add-on in the UCS sector, KNAPP recently decided for UCS-X, a flexible Hybrid-Cloud infrastructure.

More than 8.300 employees and approximately 50 locations of the KNAPP Group globally are shaping logistics, an industry sector of the future. KNAPP understands itself as a Value Chain Tech Partner and provides intelligent automatization technologies and comprehensive software solutions from one source to its customers in order to master the challenges of digitally driven value-added chains. Reputable and successful businesses such as Zalando, Adidas or the Würth Group count on solutions from KNAPP for the structuring of their value-added chains. This success model needs to be streamlined and made sustainable by means of IT technology. Here, KNAPP relies on an innovative network design by Cisco and NTS. Basic requirements for the choice of partner respectively network were security, availability and a reliable Managed Service.

Cisco DNA-Center meets KNAPP-DNA

For KNAPP, an efficient and secure operation is essential, especially when the network basis, which acts as a backbone for central IT services, is concerned. Therefore, the new network is built on Cisco Digital Network Architecture (DNA). It is the basic idea of the DNA center to simplify the manual administration of the network and its components by means of intuitive controls, extensive automation and analytics, and making it more efficient at the same time. IT teams are able to intuitively carry out processes for design, provision, guidelines and warranty by means of a central management dashboard.

Proactiveness is the new reaction: NTS Managed Service

The rapid increase in the number of devices to be networked, the increased attack surface offered by the expanding network, the increasing flexibility expected, but also the growing complexity require a proven, secure and stable technology service. “Away from reactive and towards proactive,” says Alexander Aldrian, Vice President Corporate IT at KNAPP, describing one of the major benefits that KNAPP is demonstrably experiencing with the NTS Managed Service. “Our business has to run – guaranteed – even at off-peak times, on public holidays and weekends. It is essential for us to identify critical issues before any damage or downtime occurs.”

It is precisely at this critical point that KNAPP relies on the managed services of NTS and transfers operational responsibility for the company’s own network to NTS. The range of services includes 24/7 monitoring, incident and problem management, change and release management and reporting. The measurable result is higher availability and less downtime.

Global cooperation in the Styria neighbourhood

Despite digitalization, it is a major concern for KNAPP to be as close as possible to the customer. Despite the rise of digitalization, KNAPP remains deeply committed to being as close to its customers as possible. This advantage is also evident in the partnership between NTS and KNAPP, which not only benefits from their immediate proximity but also sees the collaboration itself running smoothly. Furthermore, it cannot be denied that the company has followed a similar trajectory. Both companies are experiencing very similar dynamics in their business development and are highly successful in their respective fields, both nationally and globally. As the “icing on the cake,” their corporate cultures and values are also in harmony.

“For us, local proximity remains very important despite digitalization, because technology is easier to replace, but good teamwork is not! We see considerable added value when a partner is familiar with our company’s structures and, like NTS, understands them and incorporates them into their solutions. This allows us to provide our IT services globally and efficiently to all locations,” explains Alexander Aldrian.

FACTS

• LAN, WLAN
• DNA Center
• ISE
• 250 Switches und 400 Access Points
• NTS Managed Service Network
• NTS Managed Monitor
• NTS Support 24/7
• UCS-X als flexible Hybrid-Cloud-Infrastruktur