This case study is developed to understand value addition by BLACKbox for an enterprise with multi-location operations with a view to Cost Savings, Convenience, and Effectiveness. This case study compares Traditional Solutions and BLACKbox to achieve Data Protection, Data Security, and Remote Application Access. It illustrates 40% savings on CAPEX and 30% savings on OPEX in BLACKbox-powered IT infrastructure.
Background:
The enterprise in focus has multi-location operations with headquarters in Ahmedabad, Gujarat and twenty-nine locations across India. They are into the distribution and retailing of luxury watches like Rolex, Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, Ulysse Nardin, Chopard, Corum, and Omega, to name a few. They handle the data of High Network Individuals as their valued customers. Customer Experience, Privacy Assurance, Realtime Stock Information Availability, and Surveillance are significant factors when deciding to invest in IT infrastructure.
Challenges:
The enterprise in focus was looking for solutions to overcome the following challenges.
- With every attrition of a sales executive, their High Network individual customer data was on a toss. Quitting employees used to misuse this confidential data to cold-call for Loans, Credit Cards, Holidays, Mutual Funds, and Insurance. It desperately needed a formidable data leakage prevention solution to ensure customer privacy. They wanted to stop the theft of those Excel files containing vital data of their HNI customers over the USB port, Email Attachments, and Internet Drives.
- Every location had one or two computers for billing and inventory management. They used offline billing and inventory management software at each location. Every week, they synced data with the head office. Such a delay in the flow of information about sales, inventory, demand trends, and ageing stock resulted in inefficiencies and ill-informed decisions.
- The average price of the watches in the inventory was more than INR 10 Lacs per piece. Due to the unavailability of Real-time inventory information, each location kept excess inventory. It resulted in highly leveraged working capital investment.
Traditional Solution:
The Enterprise in Focus has 30 users at Head Office and 40 across 29 locations. An IT Consultant advised them to invest in Hardware, Software, and Bandwidth as described below. It was by centralizing file data on a NAS at the head office, implementing domain for device hardening, using remote desktop to access ERP from branches over VPN, setting up Data Leakage Prevention policies, and implementing off-premise cloud backup.
| Type | Particular | Purpose | Cost (INR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardware | NAS | File Storage and Sharing (OTC) | 1,00,000 |
| Hardware | Server | Domain Controller (OTC) | 1,00,000 |
| Software | Windows 2019 | Active Directory (OTC) | 70,000 |
| Hardware | Server | Terminal Server for RDP (OTC) | 2,00,000 |
| Software | Windows 2019 | RDP Server (OTC) | 70,000 |
| Hardware | Server | ERP Server (OTC) | 2,00,000 |
| Software | Windows 2019 | ERP Server OS (OTC) | 70,000 |
| Software | CAL / RDP CAL | Domain Environment and RDP (OTC) | 8,00,000 |
| Hardware | Firewall | VPN, Internet Controls, Security (OTC) | 2,50,000 |
| Hardware | Server | Email Vigilance and Control (OTC) | 75,000 |
| Software | Windows 2019 | Email Distriution Server OS (OTC) | 70,000 |
| Software | Antivirus | Malware Protection (ARC) | 32,000 |
| Software | End Point Control | USB Port Controls (ARC) | 80,000 |
| Software | Backup Agent | Off Premise Cloud Backup (ARC) | 1,00,000 |
| Service | Cloud Storage | Cloud Storage Space for Backup (60 Users / 5 Servers / 1 NAS) - (ARC) | 1,50,000 |
| Service | 40 MBPS Internet Leased Line | Head Office with Redundancy (ARC) | 4,80,000 |
| Service | 50 MBPS Broadband | Each Location Broadband with Static IP and Standby Redundancy (@3000 INR per month per Location) | 10,00,000 |
| Total OTC | 20,05,000 | ||
| Total ARC | 18,42,000 | ||
| Total | 38,47,000 |
OTC: One Time Cost
ARC: Annual Recurring Cost
BLACKbox Powered Solution
The Enterprise in Focus implemented a BLACKbox-powered solution, as described below. It saved 40% on one-time costs of Hardware and Software and 30% on Annual Recurring Costs. The technological innovation can explain the reasons BLACKbox brings to make the entire deployment cost-effective, simple, and dependable. Check the data and features below.
| Type | Particular | Purpose | Cost (INR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardware | BLACKbox Prime T Large 70 Users | File Storage and Sharing, Domain Policies, Device Hardening, USB Controls, Email Vigilance, Firewall, VPN Server, VPN Client, Backup Agent, Internet Controls, Productivity Monitoring (OTC) | 6,75,000 |
| Hardware | BLACKbox AAA Host | Windows 10 workstation to host BLACKbox AAA (OTC) | 40,000 |
| Software | BLACKbox AAA License | Remote Access to ERP (OTC) | 1,74,000 |
| Hardware | Server | ERP Server (OTC) | 2,00,000 |
| Software | Windows 2019 | ERP Server OS (OTC) | 70,000 |
| Software | CAL | Client Access License | 2,00,000 |
| Software | Antivirus | Malware Protection (ARC) | 32,000 |
| Service | BLACKbox Cloud Storage | Cloud Storage Space for Backup (60 Users / 5 Servers / 1 NAS) - (ARC) | 65,000 |
| Service | 40 MBPS Internet Leased Line | Head Office with Redundancy (ARC) | 4,80,000 |
| Service | 50 MBPS Broadband | Each Location Broadband with Static IP and Standby Redundancy by 4G (@2000 INR per month per Location) | 7,00,000 |
| Total OTC (Capex) | 13,59,000 | ||
| Total ARC (Opex) | 12,77,000 | ||
| Total | 26,36,000 |
OTC: One Time Cost
ARC: Annual Recurring Cost
Following are the concrete reasons why BLACKbox solutions saved 40% CAPEX and 30% OPEX.
Bandwidth Frugal
Unlike traditional ways of remote access of client-server applications over VPN, BLACKbox AAA transmits only keystrokes, mouse clicks, and visual output of the application over the Internet through VPN. It makes accessing applications over a mobile hotspot on the user's side possible. It ensured real-time availability of Inventory Information, Trends, and Aging Stock by configuring online remote access of ERP from all the locations.
Single and Integrated
Unlike traditional solutions, BLACKbox is a single hardware-single software product that saves the cost of procuring and integrating multiple solutions like NAS, Device Hardening, Domain Policies, End Point Control, Firewall, VPN, Email Vigilance, Backup Agent, Cloud Storage, Remote Application Access. It ensured Customers' Data Integrity / Privacy by enforcing Data Loss, Leakage, and Theft Prevention Policies by deploying single hardware and software.
Hardware and License Frugal
Unlike traditional solutions requiring multiple hardware loaded with expensive server software licenses and CALs, RDPCALS (Client Access Licenses), low-config hardware can host BLACKbox AAA. It works without having to spend on server software and client access licenses. It made it possible to enhance the ROI of investment in IT and to optimize recurring costs.
Fast and Secured
BLACKbox AAA uses resource-light technology. It is fully compatible with BLACKbox VPN or any 3rd party VPN.
Accessible from Any Device
BLACKbox AAA gives a seamless experience to the users through its capability to deliver client-server applications over the Internet Browser and through an application client. When used over the Internet Browser, loading any application on the remote user's device is unnecessary.
Compliant with Information Security Requirements
BLACKbox AAA fully complies with device hardening, data loss, leakage, and theft prevention policies when used with BLACKbox hardware solutions.
