1st Peak Manufacturing Solutions finds security and performance in the Cloud with Chi Networks

The current trend of intellectual property theft involved in offshoring manufacturing to China and Russia is a significant challenge facing companies across many industries.

In this case study feature we take a look at how cloud provider and data security leader Chi Networks has helped manufacturing consulting innovator 1st Peak Manufacturing Solutions surmount the types of security concerns that come with the business, and enhanced the company’s workflow processes with a cloud based infrastructure that is fast, reliable, and secure by design.

Client challenge

1st Peak Manufacturing Solutions specializes in designing customized manufacturing parts for companies in industries spanning aerospace, marine, gas and oil, medical, automotive, defense, and energy.

With its global 500 clients’ valuable proprietary designs and intellectual property at stake   1st Peak Manufacturing Solutions has no room for security loopholes or delays in design production.

However, finding a cloud provider who could actually support the firm’s intense security needs and figure out how to run Siemens NX in the cloud became a huge challenge for the consulting company. “It was a nightmare trying to find a vendor,” says David Griffeth, CEO & founder of 1st Peak Manufacturing Solutions, “there was no common support model, and no common language around specific service offerings.”

“As it turns out, we are one of the only companies right now that is running Siemens NX in the cloud, and the challenge to being bleeding edge is that there’s limited support out there, there’s no map when you’re the first person there.”

It took interviewing 20 Cloud providers for 1st Peak Manufacturing Solutions to find Chi Networks, a Chicago headquartered cloud provider and security leader with offices in India, Amsterdam, and Dallas. Chi Networks was the first vendor who said its team of engineers could do it, and that 1st Peak’s team had the confidence could do it. Chi Networks also came in at a reasonable price. This represents a winning combination that 1st Peak Manufacturing Solutions continues to value.

Once onboard, the top-notch engineers at Chi Networks were ready for this unique set of challenges, and they worked with Siemens NX support staff to create customized solutions for 1st Peak Manufacturing Solutions that no one out there had tried before.

The need for performance

In addition to the need for Chi Networks to develop an innovative path to pull off running Siemens NX in the cloud and do it securely using Chi Networks Data Armor Managed Security performance was also a consideration along with reliability. But, Chi Networks was ready to provide a new cloud based infrastructure to 1st Peak Manufacturing Solutions that soon became a huge competitive advantage on several levels.

For one thing having everything available in the cloud enables 1st Peak Manufacturing Solutions to work with the most talented designers in the business no matter where they are located. Also, having all the tools available in the cloud on demand has enhanced collaboration across the team.

“We are able to pull from the best talent nationwide. They log into the cloud, and all the tools are there at their disposal,” Griffeth says. “It’s made it very easy to cross pollinate ideas and to set our employees up with the technology and applications they need to be productive and share our work easily with our clients in real time.”

Enabling virtual access of the CAD programs that 1st Peak Manufacturing Solutions uses requires a high performance network infrastructure that supports the data center all the way to the customer site.

CAD programs are some of the most difficult to support with Desktop as a Service (DaaS) delivery due their unique IT requirements. Few Cloud Computing companies have the expertise to deliver the combination of best of breed technologies and reliable services to meet these requirements and fewer do it at a reasonable cost.

Top 5 considerations when outsourcing CAD. Ask yourself:

1. Do you have adequate bandwidth at all of your sites?
2. Can your vendor provide service level guarantees for availability and low latency bandwidth?
3. Does you vendor have the capability to manage a customizable list of complex applications?
4. Does your vendor offer data security by design ensuring your system is continuously protected and monitored?
5. How will your company be informed of service changes?
6. Does your vendor answer the phone when you call?

Mobile & secure

Chi Networks has also met the demand for enabling the modern workforce to work from anywhere with its Ultimate Managed Services. By providing 1st Peak Manufacturing Solutions with secure remote access Chi Networks is also helping with another level of data security and cost savings to 1st Peak Manufacturing Solutions.

“We no longer have to ship laptops, or collect laptops when the contract ends,” Griffeth says, “and it’s much less expensive to maintain our infrastructure in the cloud. On a security note too there are quantifiable improvements. It’s difficult to lock down a laptop. Now all of the drawings and other intellectual property stay in the cloud, and there’s no way to pull that out.”

By centralizing apps, software and desktops in the data center and securely delivering them to users on demand anywhere 1st Peak Manufacturing Solutions is able to leverage a form of design collaboration and design only offered by their firm enabling them to thrive in a very competitive marketplace.

Success with ultimate managed services

1st Peak Manufacturing Solutions continues to provide industry leading CAD-CAM design services using the infrastructure built and managed by Chi Networks. This partnership offers some the best IT security possible through Data Armour? Managed Security. Protection within the system prevents outside attacks and tampering from inside users. With the amount of data being stolen by client competitors, 1st Peak takes pride in ensuring that their customers’ valued information is secure in a system that meets today’s stringent standards.

Is it possible to advance the success of a company through outsourced DaaS? In 1st Peaks Manufacturing Solutions case the answer is yes and it’s been critical to the company’s success.

“Making sure that a cloud service provider understands and cares about how your company actually does business and is a partner in making sure you are successful is what companies large and small alike really need, and we are delighted by how Chi Networks has risen to the challenges we were facing around security and speed.” Griffeth says.

“At Chi Networks we pride ourselves on creating affordable customized solutions for our clients like 1st Peak Manufacturing Solutions. We provide them with specialized support that offers them competitive advantages as well as peace of mind knowing that their data is secure at all times, and that our help is available to them 24x7x365,” adds Sanjiv Bawa, Chi Networks CEO & founder.