LFB deploys managed SD-WAN and global internet from GTT

LFB is one of the leading companies in Europe, offering globally plasma-derived medicinal products and recombinant proteins to healthcare professionals in immunology, hemostasis and intensive care. LFB employs over 2,500 people in France and worldwide. The firm’s network transformation, in support of its increasing move to cloud applications, entails the migration from its legacy Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) WAN infrastructure to a more cost-effective and flexible software-defined networking approach.

The Managed SD-WAN solution from GTT leverages the company’s global Tier 1 internet backbone to provide an enhanced internet experience for LFB. The network is designed to ensure enterprise traffic stays on the GTT’s global IP network for as much of its journey as possible for quality assurance, best performance and control. The solution connects LFB’s business applications, cloud and hosting sites with its headquarters, branch and regional offices, blood collection centers and four production sites. LFB is supported throughout the service lifecycle by GTT Professional Services, which provides for enhanced planning and implementation, as well as ongoing technical support and service management. GTT is also an active member of the IT LFB governance steering committee.

Service uptime, improved end-user performance and network reliability are critical for LFB, as this ensures the quality and end-to-end product traceability paramount to the safe and continuous manufacturing of its products. Multiple connections are provided at every site, which, combined with SD-WAN traffic steering, serves to ensure a highly resilient setup that achieves LFB’s stringent requirements. In addition, the GTT solution allows LFB to rapidly and securely bring new sites into its network, as well as quickly scale up network capacity at any given site.

“The global pandemic brought about many changes for how we connect our staff and sites, which highlighted the importance of GTT’s network solution in ensuring the continuity of production of our medicinal products for the treatment of serious and often rare diseases, “said Guillaume Castel, CIO at LFB. “As we look to triple our production capacity over the coming years with the launch of our new planned production site, as well as open new blood collection centers in several markets, we know we can rely on GTT as a trusted partner to help us build on our network and security approach for the connected future of our industry.”

Tom Homer, Division President Europe, GTT, said, “We are proud to partner with LFB in support of its critical role as a provider of vital pharmaceutical products. Our Managed SD-WAN, enhanced internet and services capabilities not only increase network reliance and flexibility, but also enable LFB to focus their resources on the advancement of life-saving medical testing and treatments. 

LFB has been a GTT connectivity customer since 2017.