When Simon Popplewell took up his new position as IT Director NZ with Amplifon NZ, he saw Amplifon had an ambitious growth strategy, requiring high performance technology that was cost-efficient and scalable.
There were a great deal of things Amplifon aimed to achieve in the business, based around the digital workplace. Amplifon were looking for innovative solutions to meet the radical service upgrade they required.
Working with Amplifon, we've developed a future focused secure network. This addresses the external environment and the network infrastructure. The solution is scalable, programmable, data aware and automated.
The world’s largest group of hearing clinics
Dilworth Hearing and Bay Audiology are leaders in hearing loss, providing advanced hearing aid technology to clients. Established in 1960, they’re part of the Amplifon Group – the world’s largest group of hearing care solutions service providers, operating in 22 countries. There are currently 107 dedicated clinics across New Zealand. The company has an ambitious growth strategy, requiring high performance tech that is cost-efficient and scalable.
To meet Amplifon’s requirements for business transformation and scalability, Fusion Networks used the latest automation tools to create a New Zealand LAN and WAN infrastructure.
They have implemented Wi-Fi country-wide, connected with the hardware tech from Aruba that Amplifon provides for customers. A new enterprise-grade cloudhosted firewall ensures secure systems for the Wi-Fi giving Amplifon customers a secure and free WiFi service when they come to the clinics.
Meeting the challenges
Amplifon’s business is expanding at a rapid rate, and their engineers realised Amplifon “required an IT provider that could efficiently deliver essential national and international network services, and a coordinated and seamless rollout of new switching and wireless infrastructure, fast!”
Fusion and Amplifon worked closely together in design discussions, with this approach resulting in the optimum end-to-end process, from procurement to technical installation and management for the business. We started with the WAN, then moved onto LAN.
Migrating clinics to FOX
Amplifon needed to gear up for the new FOX system (Front Office Excellence) from its previous front office solution. With all clinics migrating to this brand new software, all network upgrades had to be completed before the FOX ‘go live.’ That meant putting in a full service stack with LAN switching and wireless for customers and staff.
For the LAN, Aruba hardware has been shipped zero touch directly to clinics, where the local technicians plug and play the device. Fusion hosts, manages and monitors the LAN switching and clinic wireless from an Aruba-born centralised single pane of glass management application. Telephony Voice and Call centre has been provided by FUZE.
The solution
Fusion has kept the tech simple and strategic by combining Fusion strengths with Aruba hardware.
With Aruba hardware Fusion have been able to streamline the process, minimising time spent configuring and reboxing. Our customers benefit, we're able to reduce the management overhead saving time and it’s more efficient. Less IT resources are required on the ground as it’s all automated. Clients want smart tech in place but cost is a big driver. With this type of hardware, Fusion can provide a superior service from start to finish.
It's a perfect example of our multi-layered secure managed network. We’re able to deploy this scalable working model into the marketplace for other customers, for example as with Amplifon, creating a user gateway that joins Fusion Networks and Aruba solutions.
Next steps for Amplifon
The Amplifon purpose: We empower people to rediscover all the emotions of sound.
Amplifon are confident the new Palo Alto firewall will deliver consistent security across or networks and will continue implementation to consolidate security processes.
Amplifon have said they are constantly advancing hardware as well as tech. "We are rapidly moving forward to provide free to ear (free hearing aids to people as part of our relationship with the Ministry of Heath and ACC) and providing elite products such as interactivity, fully customisable and controllable from iPhones and Androids.” – Simon Popplewell
Next steps for Fusion
Fusion have completed two Trans-Tasman back haul links to Sydney and Melbourne to provide connectivity between the New Zealand and the global Amplifon corporate networks using Microsoft Azure. This work will continue.
“I’m not the traditional IT Director that says this is what IT does and this is what we give you. Working with Fusion Networks I appreciate being able to throw ideas out there and being enabled with what can we achieve, not simply with the available tech but with the innovation coming back the other way, pushing the boundaries of new thinking.”
– Simon Popplewell
Comments