Case Study

Storebox – A Secure Cloud-based Mobile File Collaboration With CTERA

Cablex field technicians securely access their files in the cloud using tablets
“Storebox” solution is deployed and managed by Swisscom IT Services, with CTERA Portal installed in their datacenter
Significant increase in field operation productivity and reduced transportation

Technicians were making trips back and forth from the dispatch center to each location. A server-based solution had limited scale and could only be used locally, so we were looking for a cloud-based solution to make the process efficient across the entire workforce.

Daniel Pelizzoni, Head of Service Operation, Cablex

The Challenge

Cablex has a 350-employee field operations staff, made up of field engineers and technicians, as well as support staff located in 3 dispatch centers. The company wanted to streamline the pre- and post-job documentation process: Each maintenance technician receives a dossier of 4-5 technical documents describing the location infrastructure and trouble ticket for each job. Additionally, external contractors sometimes need to be brought in and the information is shared with them as well.

The CTERA Solution

Cablex chose a solution offered by Swisscom IT Services, its managed service provider. Named Storebox, it “offers companies a secure Swiss online storage solution that enables them to exchange information and data with other firms easily and confidentially,” says Donat Kaeser, Product and Portfolio Manager for Cloud & Storage Solutions at Swisscom IT Services. The data is stored in Swisscom’s private cloud in its own datacenters, and managed using CTERA Portal, with object storage infrastructure serving as the back-end. 250 maintenance technicians and 100 support staff are using the solution.

With the CTERA-based solution, Cablex employees are able to:

Create Shared Folders: All documents required for a job are provided per location and shared using CTERA’s project team collaboration feature.
View and Sync Files on Apple iPads: Field staff can view all the files required for a specific job, share them with external contractors, mark them up and synchronize them back to the cloud.
Maintain Data Security: The CTERA solution uses source-based encryption and customer-controlled encryption keys that ensure that the service provider has no visibility into the customer’s data.

Cablex is set to exceed the target 1 million KM decrease in annual technician driving mileage, while dramatically improving technician on-site time and productivity.

Company Background

Cablex AG plans, builds and maintains high-performance ICT and network infrastructure solutions at competitive prices to meet present and future market needs. The 1,000 employee company operates 19 service locations across Switzerland.

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