Deutsche Telekom : Asahi selects Telekom as SD-WAN provider

• Partnership extended for at least another five years
• Software migration from MPLS to a global SD-WAN solution
• Asahi Europe & International pushes the transformation into a data-driven enterprise

Brewery group Asahi selects Telekom as worldwide SD-WAN provider

Deutsche Telekom Global Business Solutions (DTGBS) will supply a comprehensive global SD-WAN solution to Asahi Europe & International (AEI). AEI, custodian of some of the best beer brands in the world, was looking for ways to optimize its service environment and to ensure its IT systems were delivering the best possible value to business operations. Part of this is a migration from MPLS to a global SD-WAN solution, merging what was previously two separate networks together.

Seamless software migration and fully managed services

DTGBS was chosen as AEI's partner to deliver and manage this project. It will now orchestrate a comprehensive migration plan, including the consolidation of multiple suppliers between the previous 'east' and 'west' networks, cost optimization, and future-proofing for further growth.

On the network and connectivity side, DTGBS will oversee a seamless migration from MPLS to SD-WAN for more than 200 sites. However, the service package provided to AEI does not end here: alongside the implementation, DTGBS will also deliver fully managed services to support the SD-WAN solution, including security, cloud services, and all LAN and WLAN technology globally.

Partnership extended for another five years

Deutsche Telekom (parent company to DTGBS) already enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship, as Deutsche Telekom has been AEI's infrastructure partner, providing fully managed services across multiple networks and countries since 2014. This latest deal means the collaboration between the two companies will extend for at least another five years.

Moving to global SD-WAN is expected to unlock a number of benefits for AEI at overall operational level, through hosting all data, voice and security credentials on a single platform. As a result, AEI gains greater access to data and ability to harness it to drive improvements to the customer journey, employee experience and supply chain.

'By closing this deal, we are building a long-term partnership to support our global digital transformation journey,' said Reto U. Sahli, Chief Information Officer, AEI. 'Together we aim for solutions enabling our business to maximize the opportunities technology is offering today. We are glad we found a partner to support us on our journey for better future and who will help us to fulfill our ambitious goals.'

'We are excited to expand our long standing partnership with AEI as it embarks on the next phase of its technology evolution, to deliver a sustainable and world class digital customer experience' said Dirk Lukaschik, Managing Director, Deutsche Telekom Global Business Solutions. 'Deutsche Telekom's innovative solutions, consistent global delivery model and virtualization platform will ensure a successful transformation project at Asahi Europe & International.'

About Asahi Europe & International (AEI):
Asahi Europe & International is the international branch of Asahi Group Holdings, a global beverage and food company listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, Japan. It is the outcome of years of acquisitions, which allowed Asahi Group Holdings, a traditional Japanese producer of beer, whiskey and wide range of food products, to establish and strengthen its business in Europe and around the globe. As of 2020, the business is established under the Asahi Europe and International organization. Building on centuries of European brewing heritage, the business runs 19 production facilities in 8 countries across Europe, and is the custodian of some of the best beer brands in the world, including Asahi Super Dry, Pilsner Urquell, Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Grolsch and Kozel. Within the Asahi Group, the remit of Asahi Europe and International is also to develop and manage all export markets globally, outside of Japan and Oceania. Covering 90 markets and with over 10,000 passionate colleagues on board, the business is well positioned to inspire people around the world to drink better. www.asahiinternational.com

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