Case StudiesCarne Group

How a scalable SD-WAN (Software Defined, Wide Area Network) solution enabled secure access across multiple international offices

CLIENT OVERVIEW

Carne Group is a global leader in fund governance and regulatory support for the asset management industry. Established in 2004 and with over 650 professionals across Dublin (HQ), London, Luxembourg, Jersey and elsewhere, it supports fund managers overseeing more than $2 trillion in assets.

CHALLENGE

Carne Group was undertaking a major ICT transformation initiative. Their goal was to build a “workplace of the future”—a work environment supported by a resilient, cloud-first infrastructure.

Carne’s global presence and regulatory obligations demanded a highly robust and compliant IT infrastructure. They needed a network solution that would deliver the following critical requirements:

Always-on VPN access for a distributed workforce
Minimal reliance on on-premises hardware
Automated failover and high availability
ISO 27001-aligned security architecture
Standardisation across multiple locations in different countries

THE SOLUTION

To deliver on these goals, Carne turned to Business IT Solutions (BITS) – a longstanding trusted partner.
BITS implemented a software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) solution built around LANCOM hardware and the LANCOM Management Cloud platform. This solution was engineered to be robust, agile, and aligned with Carne’s cloud first strategy.

Key features of the solution included:

Resilient Internet Connectivity across all sites, via fibre, ensuring user’s performance expectations can be met consistently
Zero-touch deployment with centralized configuration and control through the LANCOM Management Cloud
High availability architecture, including Active/Active router setups and redundant Layer 3 switch stacks
Secure site-to-site VPNs with simplified one-click configuration
Wi-Fi 6/6e support, including AI-driven channel optimization for enhanced wireless performance
Software-defined VLANs and WLANs for flexible and scalable network segmentation
GDPR-compliant cloud hosting to meet strict data protection requirements

The implementation was governed by a clear Client Service Agreement and a
shared budget file – ensuring full cost transparency and alignment with internal governance processes.

THE BENEFITS

The SD-WAN solution provided by BITS delivered substantial operational and
strategic benefits to the Carne Group including:

Operational Simplicity: Carne’s IT team can now view their global WAN infrastructure from a single pane of glass – thereby significantly reducing complexity.
Follow me access for all Users: Carne’s staff can now work from any
global site with the system automatically granting access, via the local
area network, to their multiple cloud systems.
Reliable Support: BITS provides 24/7 system monitoring and
management coupled with unlimited support – resulting in the high levels of uptime that Carne have become accustomed to.

As Carne continues to scale globally, its robust cloud-first policy will ensure it remains agile, secure, and compliant in an increasingly complex regulatory environment.

“We’ve been working with BITS for a number of years on other services and projects. When we were exploring how to manage this particular challenge it was an easy decision to work with BITS. The project management, the transparency and consistent communication meant the whole project from start to finish was smooth, on budget and there were no surprises. They have the technical credentials to deliver the solution but, more than that, the delivery itself was flawless.”
Ciarán Lacey, Chief Technology Officer, Carne Group