From outages to outcomes. See how a global manufacturer-retailer rebuilt resilience and control with Globalgig’s managed SASE solution—eliminating vendor lock-in, restoring visibility, and unlocking long-term growth.
From Outages to Outcomes: A Manufacturer-Retailer’s SASE Journey A global manufacturer and e-commerce retailer faced a breaking point. Demand was growing across every line of business. This included direct-to-consumer online sales, global manufacturing, and outsourced call centers, but the organization’s network was failing to keep up. An 18-hour outage at the Chicago data center during a peak sale period brought e-commerce operations to a standstill. With no redundancy, remote access, or recovery plan, the incident exposed deeper flaws in the network’s design, visibility, and support. But the tipping point wasn’t just the outage. It was how the client’s managed service provider (MSP) responded. It offered no continuity strategy, no alternate access, and no urgency as customer orders piled up. For a business that manufactures products and sells them directly to consumers online, the reputational and operational impact was unacceptable. Years of frustration crystallized into a clear directive: The network had to change. From Frustration to Transformation The network wasn’t just fragile, it was holding the business back. Years of poor visibility, stalled change, and a legacy provider with no accountability left the business exposed. globalgig.com | 1 Globalgig Case Study
Despite substantial investment in managed services and a secure SD-WAN solution, the organization remained exposed. A rigid closed architecture delivered by a legacy MSP failed to provide the visibility, flexibility, or control needed to support business-critical operations. When failure struck, the gaps weren’t just technical. They were operational, strategic, and systemic. Challenges included: • Lack of Visibility into Outages: Critical link failures often went undetected, leading to prolonged downtime with no real-time alerts or escalation paths in place. • Limited Access and Control: The MSP restricted administrative access to key systems, forcing the client to rely on slow, ticket-based processes for even routine tasks like user onboarding or policy changes. • Inconsistent Support and Maintenance: Firmware updates and basic security upkeep were handled irregularly, leaving the environment vulnerable and falling short of best practices. • Fragmented Vendor Landscape: Beyond its primary MSP, the organization brought in multiple additional vendors to address service gaps, leading to redundant contracts, billing complexity, and unclear accountability. As confidence in the MSP declined, teams began bypassing formal channels and built their own infrastructure to get work done, which introduced unmanaged risk. • Vendor Lock-In and Limited Flexibility: The organization wanted to standardize on Palo Alto Networks, but its existing MSP didn’t support or deploy alternative platforms. This restricted technology choice, delayed network modernization, and hindered long-term strategy. Ultimately, the infrastructure in place couldn’t support critical operations or long-term goals. It lacked resilience and had become a barrier to growth. From Exposure to Action The organization turned to Globalgig to design and deliver a full-stack SASE solution, bringing together Prisma Access, SSE, and Zero Trust into one unified architecture. The goal: eliminate complexity, restore control, and build a platform fit for long-term growth. globalgig.com | 2 Globalgig Case Study
Globalgig replaced a fragmented, vendor-bound environment with a fully managed SASE architecture that delivers control, visibility, and scalability. The client’s legacy setup lacked the flexibility and insight needed to support growth. Globalgig’s solution aligned technology with business goals, restoring control and enabling future expansion. Key elements of the solution: • Managed Prisma SD-WAN with Prisma Access: Delivered secure, resilient connectivity by combining Prisma SD-WAN with Prisma Access. Globalgig provided full-stack support, including network operations, threat monitoring, Zero Trust policies, and compliance. • Next-Gen Firewall and SSE: Provided unified policy enforcement and consolidated vendors into a single, accountable partner. • Orchestra Insight Platform: Gave the client real-time visibility into performance, security, and network health for faster decision-making. • Flexible, Scalable Model: A 60-month, consumption- based agreement removed upfront costs and enabled fast approval. The solution was built on the client’s preferred Palo Alto Networks architecture to support long-term goals. The Globalgig Solution: Full-Stack, Right-Sized, and Ready for Growth The deployment covered six sites, including two data centers and four branches, supporting approximately 500 users. The newly implemented architecture is already delivering measurable advantages and positioning the client for long- term success, with additional opportunities for growth on the horizon: • Unified Control, Streamlined Execution: By unifying network and security under Globalgig, the client replaced fragmented vendor management with a single point of accountability, reducing complexity, improving responsiveness, and enabling faster, more coordinated execution. • SLA Coverage for All Circuits: Globalgig assumed management of all circuits, including customer-owned WAN, under a single SLA framework, simplifying support and increasing service reliability. • Resilient, Always-On Connectivity: Cellular-based out- of-band management was deployed across key locations, enabling proactive monitoring and faster recovery during outages—without depending on the primary WAN. • Future-Ready Architecture: With a flexible architecture, the client is now expanding SD-WAN to support SAP infrastructure and reevaluating endpoint security, positioning the business to adapt and grow with evolving demands. • Zero Trust by Design: Although Zero Trust was not part of the original brief, identity-based access and continuous verification were built into the solution, enabling long- term compliance readiness. The forward-thinking approach resonated with the client and aligned with its long-term road map, turning vision into action. • Faster Contractor Onboarding: Contractor access was reduced from weeks to minutes, removing a major operational bottleneck. • Real-Time Visibility: The team gained real-time visibility across their environment, reducing reliance on third parties and enabling faster, more informed decisions. • Strategic Collaboration Restored: Instead of working around its provider, the client now meets monthly with Globalgig to review performance, align on priorities, and plan ahead. Regular, structured sessions have replaced reactive support, bringing visibility and momentum back to IT strategy. Unlocking Strategic Momentum globalgig.com | 3 Globalgig Case Study
This US-based specialty retailer offers a range of premium consumer products through direct-to-consumer channels, including e-commerce and catalog. Headquartered in the Midwest, the company serves customers across domestic and international markets through multiple localized websites. About the Organization What began as an urgent response to a failing service model has become a catalyst for long-term transformation. By consolidating fragmented vendors, realigning around preferred technologies, and regaining full operational control, the organization has shifted from reactive management to proactive strategy. The new SASE architecture delivers the clarity, resilience, and agility needed to support rapid execution and evolving business priorities. IT teams can now move faster, respond with precision, and scale initiatives with greater confidence, from supporting SAP workloads to advancing zero-trust strategies. By turning complexity into cohesion and building flexibility into the core design, the organization has laid a foundation not just for recovery but for continuous innovation and growth. Operational Confidence, Strategic Flexibility Globalgig Case Study globalgig.com | 4