CMC Networks, a global Tier 1 service provider serving 51 out of 54 countries in Africa, has been chosen by Webber Wentzel to modernize its network infrastructure throughout South Africa. Webber Wentzel, one of South Africa’s Big Five law firms dealing with highly sensitive customer data, sought the expertise of CMC Networks to develop an end-to-end network solution that enhances operational efficiency and elevates data security for Webber Wentzel’s clients.
CMC Networks upgraded the law firm’s wide-area network [WAN] to a software-defined wide-area network [SD-WAN] while also improving its local-area network [LAN], Wi-Fi, and cloud technologies. Webber Wentzel now benefits from an ultra-secure Juniper Session Smart Router [SSR] SD-WAN with high-availability nodes at its Cape Town and Sandton offices, enhancing customer experiences. Additionally, a virtual appliance in Microsoft Azure has been implemented. To secure all Internet traffic across Webber Wentzel’s network, CMC Networks introduced a Juniper vSRX virtual firewall in Azure, integrating Zero-Trust Security and L3-L7 application control functionalities at various network points.
“We understand the unique needs of the legal sector and created a solution that delivers high-performance connectivity matched with security and privacy. Webber Wentzel benefits from networking expertise matched with local knowledge and delivery. When managing ultra-sensitive data, how you deploy and manage your network is critical.” emphasized Marisa Trisolino, CEO at CMC Networks.
“Enterprises across Africa continue to choose CMC Networks because of our service, support, and ability to deliver solutions wherever our customers operate. No matter what vertical industry they’re in, we collaborate and create solutions that serve their specific requirements.” added Trisolino.
The SD-WAN implementation utilized CMC Networks’ dual IP Premier Direct Internet Access [DIA] service, offering the highest SLA to Webber Wentzel with ultra-low latencies to enhance the customer experience. CMC also designed a comprehensive Juniper LAN and WiFi solution powered by Juniper’s Mist AI. This solution combines enterprise-grade ethernet switches and Wi-Fi 6 access points that feed data to the Mist AI platform, providing unprecedented insights into the local LAN and WAN, thereby improving performance, security, and user experience for Webber Wentzel.
Warren Hero, Chief Information Officer at Webber Wentzel, emphasized the firm’s commitment to data security, saying, “At Webber Wentzel, the security, privacy, and confidentiality of our customers’ data is always front and center. With cyber threats constantly on the rise, it’s never been more important for us to adapt and upgrade our network to keep up with the changing threat landscape. Partnering with CMC Networks has enabled us to not only provide new levels of security for our customers but also improve network efficiencies to enhance our customers’ experiences when working with us.”
Furthermore, CMC Networks is in the process of designing and implementing a new contact center and back-office voice solution for Webber Wentzel based on Microsoft Teams. This solution will leverage a cloud PBX and SIP trunks to manage inbound voice traffic, directing it to Microsoft Teams and the appropriate users. The entire solution will operate over the new network infrastructure, offering superior Quality of Service [QoS] and application steering capabilities to ensure the best possible user experience. CMC will deliver the complete solution as a fully managed service.
