SMC Company isn’t simply manufacturing elements—they’re engineering the spine of business automation. As one of many world’s main automation suppliers, SMC powers manufacturing strains throughout North America with precision and reliability. However because the business advanced towards good factories, IoT-driven workflows and cloud-based techniques, SMC confronted a essential query: how do you modernize a legacy community with out disrupting operations that run 24/7?
“Downtime prices hundreds per hour,” stated Monica Fyfe, IT Supervisor for Infrastructure and Improvement at SMC. “Our problem was modernizing with out disrupting manufacturing.”
Scaling a Legacy Mannequin for the Cloud Period
SMC’s mission is obvious: ship scalable automation and operational effectivity. However their legacy MPLS circuits and fragmented voice techniques weren’t constructed for the rate of recent manufacturing. Each second of latency impacted manufacturing, logistics and buyer supply. And as cybersecurity threats intensified and information volumes surged, the stakes grew larger.
“We handle every little thing from fiber and wi-fi infrastructure to cloud and information heart techniques,” Fyfe defined. “Our job is to maintain manufacturing, engineering and enterprise operations operating effectively. Meaning uptime isn’t optionally available—it’s every little thing.”
With over a million sq. ft of manufacturing house and distributed department areas, SMC wanted a community that might assist real-time information, scale bandwidth on demand and preserve continuity throughout each web site. The purpose wasn’t simply modernization—it was transformation.
Constructing a Cloud-Prepared Community with Lumen
SMC partnered with Lumen to speed up its digital transformation utilizing a unified community technique designed for resilience, scalability and ease. “We selected to proceed with Lumen as a result of they already know the environment and have constantly supported our community operations,” Fyfe stated. “Their potential to scale bandwidth, assist hybrid cloud workloads and supply dependable connectivity made them probably the most sensible selection.”
SMC moved to Lumen® Devoted Web Entry to ship secure, uncontended bandwidth throughout manufacturing websites, changing expensive MPLS circuits that struggled to maintain tempo with cloud adoption. Lumen® Community-as-a-Service introduced flexibility, permitting SMC to scale bandwidth in close to actual time based mostly on operational demand. Cloud peering optimized Zoom Telephone efficiency, considerably lowering latency and enhancing voice high quality for distributed groups. EBAS failover helped guarantee uptime throughout circuit points, whereas Lumen® Voice Full simplified voice infrastructure, eradicating {hardware} dependencies and aligning with SMC’s shift towards cloud collaboration instruments.
“Lumen’s potential to adapt shortly has been essential for us,” Fyfe famous. “Their flexibility decreased threat and allowed us to finish time-sensitive initiatives with out impacting every day operations.”
Confirmed Outcomes: Higher Reliability, Pace and Operational Effectivity
The affect was quick. SMC noticed fewer circuit-related incidents, quicker decision instances and extra constant efficiency throughout peak manufacturing hours. Voice high quality improved dramatically due to cloud peering, and centralized assist streamlined troubleshooting—releasing IT sources to give attention to innovation as an alternative of connectivity points.
“Devoted Web Entry has been a major enchancment for our operations,” Fyfe stated. “It supplies secure, high-capacity connectivity that helps each manufacturing and customer-facing groups.”
By consolidating connectivity and voice providers below one supplier, SMC gained greater than a community—they gained a basis for development, resilience and buyer expertise. Each infrastructure choice now helps their final purpose: delivering automation options reliably, constantly and on the tempo their clients count on.
Future-Prepared for Good Factories and Rising Tech
Modernization isn’t nearly fixing as we speak’s challenges—it’s about making ready for tomorrow. With a basis within the Lumen Community, SMC is accelerating its roadmap for IoT, AI and robotics. Sensor-driven information assortment will enhance predictive upkeep and real-time high quality checks whereas superior analytics will optimize processes and strengthen provide chain forecasting. Plus, low-latency networks will energy automated guided automobiles and adaptive manufacturing techniques.
“By modernizing our infrastructure now, we’re making ready SMC for extra clever, extra environment friendly manufacturing unit workflows,” Fyfe stated. “That is about constructing an atmosphere the place rising applied sciences may be deployed quickly and reliably.”
With a $130 million funding in IT infrastructure and a transparent imaginative and prescient for automation and sustainability, SMC is positioning itself as a forward-thinking chief in industrial automation. Along with Lumen, they’re making a resilient, scalable basis for international connectivity and long-term development—one which empowers innovation with out compromise.
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