Common issues that business users raised included access from anywhere, security, reliability of the system, and "loss of control", among others. Choosing the appropriate set-up was delegated down to the business units to ensure utmost security and control. "Our task is to make sure that we are able to address requirements, and the concerns of the different business units and network users," Javier points out.

The immediate benefits brought about by the completion of the first phase of the upgrade included the achievement of a flexible, responsive, and resilient infrastructure, with a reasonable capacity to spare. For instance, two months after the implementation, ABS-CBN users already enjoyed the benefits of an upgraded network during a company-wide event, wherein they had video streaming across all participating business units on top of the daily network load.

Improving Processes

Aside from the network upgrade, ABS-CBN has previously implemented VoIP and IP telephony. Javier says: "When the ELJ building was constructed in 2000, it was already designed to handle pure IP, complete with raised floors and other retro fittings. Last year, we also implemented a file transfer solution that could transfer large files in a short amount of time. Before, our regional and global offices used to send materials either via satellite (which was too expensive) or through courier (which took too long and was expensive as well). So the network and the FTP (file transfer protocol) software are now the preferred means for transmitting materials nationwide and even abroad."

Another project in the pipeline is deploying enterprise Wi-Fi. Business units, particularly News and TV productions, have been demanding greater flexibility and mobility in doing their work. They want to be able to access the systems needed whether they are in the studios or in their offices. ABS-CBN is looking for a robust solution that will support video streaming for MAMS users.