Company Background
Astound Broadband is an award-winning internet and cable provider that serves eight of the top ten metro markets in the United States. They aim to expand into future markets with a continued focus on customer service and providing critical infrastructure to local communities. Astound Broadband utilizes fiber to the home (FTTH) technology, which is the installation and use of optical fiber from a central point to individual buildings to provide high-speed internet access. FTTH dramatically increases connection speeds available to computer users compared to other technologies. This innovative company is deeply grounded in their deep-rooted purpose and values – aiming to bring their customers the services they want and love. As an evolving organization, Astound Broadband has faced and overcome many challenges. Location intelligence is fundamental to effective network management for all telecommunications service providers. By leveraging geospatial infrastructure powered by cloud-based technology and the power of ROK Technologies’ Managed GIS Cloud Services, Astound Broadband is ready to meet today’s demands and achieve the organization’s next generation network initiatives.
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The Problem: Maintaining a secure infrastructure without compromising availability and accessibility
Security was a major motivator for Astound Broadband when it came to making the leap from on-premise infrastructure to the cloud. Prior to joining the cloud, the system was outside of the control of the GIS group, so there were frequent disruptions. As a growing team, they needed their GIS to be accessible and available. However, maintaining proper security requirements proved to be disruptive to the system availability and accessibility and ultimately hindered the work the engineering team was able to do on a daily basis.
With the productivity of the GIS team being impacted, Chris Augustine, Astound Broadband’s Director Network Engineering / GIS knew that they needed to seek a better way to manage their GIS data and infrastructure.
“Our number one priority was security, our second was bringing in some help managing the system so I didn’t have to do all of the administration myself, and having uniform access for everyone.”
Since Astound has employees spread across the United States and works with several international contractors, it was extremely important to find a cloud solution that would provide all GIS users with the same level of security, access, and experience – no matter where they were in the world.
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The Solution: ROK Technologies’ Managed GIS Cloud Services in the AWS Cloud
When looking for a company to take their GIS to the Cloud, Astound inquired with several organizations.
“ROK Technologies was the only company to provide an alternative infrastructure solution. Instead of simply wanting to replicate what we were doing virtually, ROK Technologies recommended a different architecture that would suit what we did better and provide greater stability.”
For Astound, it was extremely important to work with a Managed GIS Cloud Services provider who understands the company’s vision – building out GIS architecture for the present while keeping the future in mind.
ROK Technologies architected a solution resulting in an upgraded environment to better suit their needs.
Tackling Challenges in Telecommunications
When working on telecommunication projects, Astound Broadband needs the accurate location of underground and above-ground assets and infrastructure. That is where the power of a GIS Managed Cloud solution steps in: enabling the field workers to capture critical information live, via mobile devices and also allow access to information about a particular site, all the time.
“We now have editors in each of our markets that are taking as-builts from the field (CAD maps or PDFs) and putting them into the system using ArcFM Fiber Manager. They’re drawing in fiber networks, coax networks, pull lines, strand pull lines, and we add extra data for marketing and sales, such as business lists and parcel boundaries. “
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The Benefit: Business improvements as a result of Managed GIS Cloud Services
The GIS team noticed a massive improvement in the reduction of downtime and midday reboots.Before joining the Cloud, the GIS admin load on the GIS team took up a lot of time.
“Now, the stuff I don’t want to worry about, ROK takes care of.”
With ROK Technologies’ GIS Managed Cloud services, all of the necessary GIS administrative work and security monitoring is handled by ROK’s team of experts.
The Managed GIS Cloud Services solution has also improved the efficiency of the GIS team, so they can focus on what they do best.
Augustine attributes this new efficiency directly to the time saved from no longer having to perform GIS administration duties.
“I’m getting back at least a day and a half a week, where I don’t have to manage the database, because ROK is doing it for me.”
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In Conclusion
Astound Broadband has strategically embraced the power of the cloud through Managed GIS Cloud Services. With a commitment to customer service and expanding into future markets, Astound Broadband faced challenges in maintaining a secure infrastructure without compromising availability and accessibility. The transition to cloud-based technology not only addressed security concerns but also significantly improved efficiency for the GIS team. ROK Technologies’ innovative approach to GIS architecture, tailored to Astound’s specific needs, resulted in a more stable environment.
The Managed GIS Cloud Services provided by ROK Technologies not only eliminated disruptions and downtime but also empowered the Astound GIS team to focus on their core responsibilities, ultimately driving business improvements and supporting Astound Broadband’s next-generation network initiatives. This strategic partnership showcases the transformative impact of leveraging geospatial infrastructure in the cloud, positioning Astound Broadband at the forefront of telecommunications advancements.
