Integrating Third-Party Devices and Extending the Value of Your Existing Network Investments | Extreme Networks

Let's be honest-no one likes to waste money, especially during a global recession when efficiency and belt-tightening measures are more critical than ever. Yet many businesses and organizations continue to overspend on technology. How is that possible? That's because they often tend to overlook, or not truly comprehend, the role network complexity plays in ramping up costs.

The challenges of integrating third-party equipment

Legacy networks often present significant challenges when it comes to enabling connectivity for new devices, systems, and locations. These difficulties stem not only from the extensive workload involved but also from the security compromises that may be necessary. The list encompasses a range of areas, from compatibility, performance, and scalability issues to security risks, compliance, and regulatory concerns. Here are just a few common examples:

• Making sure that third-party equipment works seamlessly with existing hardware, network configurations, and monitoring tools can be complex and labor intensive.
• Additional development or customization required to integrate new devices, leading to increased costs and time, especially with inadequate or unclear documentation from the vendor.
• Increased network traffic or resource consumption due to improper integration, leading to bottlenecks and impacting performance.
• New devices, SLAs, and warranty conditions not scaling effectively with the organization's changing needs.
• Vendors discontinuing support or updates, which require expensive replacements or additional workarounds.
• Hidden costs of licensing, additional hardware or software needed for integration, inflating the initial total cost of ownership (TCO).

Why should you prioritize maximizing your existing network investments?

Focusing solely on the upfront cost of deploying a new network solution or upgrading an existing one is onlythe tip of an iceberg. The true cost lies beneath the surface, as software and hardware rarely function in isolation. IT departments frequently contend with highly complex environments composed of solutions from various vendors and different technology generations. Managing such a patchwork of systems is further complicated by the need to use multiple management tools for different parts of the network, adding to the operational burden and inefficiency.

In other words, each new addition to the network increases its complexity, creating layers of interactions and interdependencies that add exponential costs. This means that to achieve meaningful savings and long-term efficiency, organizations need solutions that reduce network complexity, instead of just adding one more technology layer. And that's what Extreme Fabric achieves.

Extreme Fabric: unmatched simplicity, flexibility, and scalability

Extreme Fabric is built on the IEEE 802.1aq Shortest Path Bridging (SPB) standard. This alone enables compatibility with a wide range of devices that adhere to industry standards, simplifying the integration of third-party equipment into the network fabric.

Automation features such as zero-touch provisioning and auto-sensing of devices streamline the onboarding process for both Extreme and non-Extreme devices, reducing manual configuration and minimizing space for errors during integration. The solution not only enables non-fabric switches to communicate seamlessly and securely with the fabric, but also allows endpoints such as Wi-Fi access points, IP phones, IoT devices, or client PCs to be quickly mapped to the appropriate virtualized fabric service.

Extreme Fabric can be deployed over any type of wired or wireless connection, as well as any network topology. The beauty of this solution lies in its ability to function as a single, unified technology that extends seamlessly across the entire network - from the data center to remote branches. The Fabric Extend feature enables interoperability with third-party cores and IP-based WANs, and provides seamless, end-to-end services across the entire network environment, even composed of mixed-vendor systems. By integrating multiple separate physical networks into a single, fully virtualized network, this solution creates a cohesive environment, enabling greater consistency in operations and simplifying network management.

Extreme Fabric works flawlessly in conjunction with ExtremeCloud IQ Site Engine. The solution has been specifically engineered to enable seamless integration and automation across both cloud-native and legacy systems, streamlining and simplifying IT operations. It provides end-to-end network management, task automation, analytics, service assurance, and orchestration, supporting cloud-native, legacy Extreme, and third-party devices.

Better business outcomes achieved with Extreme Fabric

Networks that are well-maintained and optimized perform better, enable continuity of operations, quickly adapt to new strategic priorities, and enable faster time to value. Maximizing your existing network investments is also critical for financial efficiency. By extending the life of existing infrastructure and eliminating overlapping costs on redundant upgrades, testing, configuration, vendor management, and licenses, Extreme Fabric helps businesses and organizations defer or even completely eliminate the need for large overhauls. Reduced capital (CapEx) and operational expenditures (OpEx) translate directly into higher returns on network investments (ROI), creating long-term value and adaptability of the network.

Centralizing operations with Extreme Fabric

With the help of Extreme, Elisabeth-TweeSteden Hospital (ETZ), one of the largest healthcare providers in North Brabant, Netherlands, successfully merged the networks of three separate locations into a unified, secure metropolitan-area network. Extreme Fabric enabled significant operational and cost advantages for connecting specialized medical systems such as cardiac monitors, radiological equipment, X-ray machines, and scanners. These devices often require extensive certification processes and have a long depreciation cycle, frequently remaining in use well beyond a decade. However, from an IT standpoint, these systems are often considered outdated, potentially leading to interoperability challenges with modern networks.

Extreme Fabric securely integrates their legacy medical devices into the network without requiring extensive reconfiguration or additional infrastructure.

Creating a better end-user experience through operational efficiency

Burnley College, consistently ranked as one of the top in the UK for more than a decade, was looking for a way to update its legacy network to support the growing needs and future-proof the infrastructure for further expansion. Extreme Fabric allowed the college to transform their wired and wireless networks into a dynamic, strategic asset that today serves as an enabler for key campus initiatives and development of the campus. An impressive 99.8% network uptime indicates the success of the network infrastructure upgrade and Burnley's improved operational efficiency.

Better business continuity, higher ROI

When you're operating a 440,000-square-foot gaming floor, a renowned golf course, and a hotel, the stakes are definitely high. And yet, Jackpot Junction Casino Hotel in Minnesota used to have a difficult time maintaining the consistency of services - network uptime levels at around 85% were diminishing guest satisfaction. The casino implemented Extreme Fabric and was able to raise that number to 99%, drastically reducing the time spent addressing negative feedback from guests and staff, driving more positive reviews, and increasing overall guest satisfaction. Streamlining management and eliminating routine problems has provided peace of mind that a dependable network will keep the gaming floor up and running while the IT staff can focus on more strategic, customer-facing initiatives.

Scalable solutions to support growth and expansion

One of the goals of the San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) is to deliver seamless, consistent digital experiences for more than 80,000 students and faculty members across its dispersed campus. This is a no-small feat, considering it has 14 different locations that makeup one of the largest college districts in California. To support so many academic and personal devices, video streaming, and applications, SDCCD needed a robust and scalable solution that would not only handle strict A/V requirements but also evolve alongside constant expansion. With Extreme Fabric, the college found new levels of performance and connectivity supporting critical applications and services, while enjoying a 50% reduction in network operations time.

Unify, automate, secure

Organizations that leverage their current network infrastructure to its fullest potential can achieve significant cost savings, improved ROI, operational resilience, and strategic agility. Explore the many benefits from implementing the world's most widely deployed and only end-to-end, automated, and secure network fabric solution and the added value of combining it with Extreme's industry-acclaimed network management portfolio!

• Network Fabric
• Enterprise Networking
• Higher Education
• Healthcare
• Hospitality