Rockefeller Group is one of the most trusted names in real estate with an ownership interest in approximately 6 million square feet of office space in Rockefeller Center’s NYC western corridor. As a result, the Rockefeller Group IT team is responsible for securing and managing the IT infrastructure, applications, and assets of some of the most notable commercial real estate holdings in the world.
Rockefeller Group is one of the most trusted names in real estate with an ownership interest in approximately 6 million square feet of office space in Rockefeller Center’s NYC western corridor. As a result, the Rockefeller Group IT team is responsible for securing and managing the IT infrastructure, applications, and assets of some of the most notable commercial real estate holdings in the world.
In 2018 the Rockefeller Group decided to move its senior executives and staff from its original location at 1221 6th Avenue to a new headquarters at 1271 Avenue of the Americas. Although the personnel move was only one block north physically, the infrastructure considerations were substantial. The first order of business was to determine the cost/benefit of moving existing (older) equipment versus using the opportunity to procure new modern equipment for its data centers, communications (WAN, LAN, wireless), security, data protection (backup and recovery and DR), servers and storage, laptops, wiring, etc. The second challenge was to construct an implementation plan that would allow for minimum disruption to the company’s daily workflow. A two-phase approach was recommended, starting with the development of the network infrastructure and end point client infrastructure, followed by the data center infrastructure.
The Director of IT began conversations with several solution providers (including CPP Associates) in July 2018 and the planning/selection process went on for a year. The teams were tasked with developing a recommended implementation strategy to make substantial upgrades that would simplify management and enable the company to potentially embrace newer technologies that leverage the benefits of IoT and Artificial Intelligence (AI). The business was awarded to CPP Associates in June 2019.
OPPORTUNITY OVERVIEW
CLIENT
• A global commercial real estate group
TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS
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Rebuild network and data center infrastructure after a headquarters relocation
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Modernize the infrastructure to achieve simplified management
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Develop next generation wireless-capable endpoints to promote flexibility and mobility for better collaboration
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Update network, server and security for faster networking and more secure back-up and recovery
BUSINESS BENEFITS
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Created a complete mobile working environment, which improved operational flexibility, collaboration and employee morale.
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Dramatically simplified network management.
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Freed IT staff to focus on more strategic initiatives.
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Created a faster, more secure network.
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Positioned the company for next-generation IT initiatives based on edge data collection, AI, machine learning and Big Data applications
STRATEGIC NETWORK DEPLOYMENT EXPERTISE ENABLES SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN MOBILITY, COLLABORATION
While the Rockefeller Group’s previously installed networking solution was best-of-breed at the time, the company was now looking to enable a new generation of networking functionality and capabilities. The first challenge was in winnowing options for carrier cutover and OSPF (Open Shortest Path First) services. Rockefeller Group IT Management, CPP, and HPE collaboratively decided to refresh the entire network (core and edge), beginning with access switches.
One important strategic change was to go from “wired everything endpoints” to “wireless everything endpoints.”
This decision provided the group with significant benefits, including increased collaboration opportunities, operational flexibility and improved employee morale.
A TRUSTING PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPS
As the partnership gained trust and momentum, Rockefeller Group expanded CPP’s role in developing strategy and deploying the new infrastructure. At the final configuration meeting, CPP/Aruba impressed the CIO with their technical and business understanding of the Rockefeller Group network, knowledge of the integrated wired and wireless solution along with understanding potential pitfalls in the future. Ultimately, the CIO decided to replace all existing wireless networking with Aruba Central and Aruba wireless, and core switches with Aruba 5406 switches.
RESULTS
One of the transformative benefits of the new solution implemented by CPP and HPE untethering Rockefeller Group employees from their work stations so the organization could become a truly mobile office. It also dramatically simplified the network and network management, freeing Rockefeller Group’s IT team to focus on other more strategic areas. The new solution allows for faster (up to 40Gb) networking, enhanced security both access and core, and positions the company to support new wireless capabilities on the horizon.
THE ROAD AHEAD
Rockefeller Group is already using enhanced video functionality over the new network. Additionally, with new networking infrastructure the organization can move into the future world of Internet-of-Things, enabling support of future edge sensor data collection and Big Data/Machine Learning/AI analyses and applications.
