Leading Australian assurance, tax and consulting firm overcomes bandwidth bottlenecks and enhances regional service delivery with SD-WAN
14 August 2024
Macquarie Telecom, part of Macquarie Technology Group (ASX: MAQ), recently announced it has signed an agreement with RSM Australia across both SD-WAN network and voice services.
The partnership first began in late 2019 amid a period of significant growth for RSM. From the implementation of cutting-edge SD-WAN technology across its 32 locations, with a significant presence in regional Australia, RSM has seen a remarkable transformation in network performance and user experience. This success drove RSM to extend the partnership to include SIP trunking in 2021 – the use of VoIP – to maintain telephone service across the large and far-flung organisation.
RSM, one of the largest providers of accounting and professional services globally, has a longstanding history of providing the same world-leading professional services to businesses in regional Australia, as those in metropolitan cities. Established more than 100 years ago, what began as a husband-and-wife partnership is now a national firm with over 1900 personnel embracing all areas of business advice. Traditionally an accounting firm, RSM has diversified its services, expanding into areas including Security & Privacy, Technology Consulting, Data Analytics, ESG and Management Consulting.
RSM realised its existing MPLS network was not the best solution to support its rapidly expanding business – particularly in terms of resiliency, capacity, and cost. The previous network, providing private connectivity between RSM’s locations and cloud, did not deliver the expected resiliency. This inadequacy, coupled with the high cost and challenging relationship with the previous provider, prompted RSM to seek a more reliable, cost-effective, and customer focused solution.
According to Andre Bracetti, IT Manager at RSM, the company recognised the potential of SD-WAN technology to greatly improve network bandwidth and resiliency. RSM went to market for a partner to deliver this solution. Macquarie Telecom emerged as the top contender following a rigorous due diligence process. The roll-out began in late 2019, just prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, Macquarie Telecom’s proactive and responsive approach ensured the deployment continued smoothly,” said Bracetti.
Deployment was completed by mid-2020, significantly enhancing RSM’s network performance and reliability as a result. This success was further highlighted by RSM’s recent decision to extend the partnership.
RSM’s commitment to reaching regional areas has been a key component in its decision to initially engage, and now extend the partnership, with Macquarie Telecom. According to Bracetti, a crucial part of the firm’s history and strategy is to be closer to its clients, particularly those in regional areas.
“SD-WAN has completely transformed the service we can provide our clients, from Bunbury to Ballarat and everywhere in between,” said Bracetti. “Previously, we faced limited bandwidth and frequent outages, especially in our regional offices. With the new technology, we’ve increased capacity and resiliency, reducing IT outages, and significantly improving network reliability.”
Previously, some of RSM’s regional offices had access to very limited bandwidth which often led to poor user experiences. With SD-WAN, a secondary link was added to every location which not only improved capacity but also reliability, drastically improving user experience.
Client experience is a top priority for RSM. Bracetti said Macquarie Telecom’s shared passion for customer experience made the partnership a perfect fit.
“We have what we refer to as a ‘priority one’ event. This means any type of disruption that impacts multiple people in multiple locations. We chart the trends of priority one events over time and there is an obvious downturn in network outage events since Macquarie Telecom implemented SD-WAN. Even when we’re alerted to an issue, with the resiliency that Macquarie Telecom SD-WAN provides, there’s no impact on user experience,” said Bracetti.
The partnership has allowed RSM to focus on strategic initiatives rather than managing network stability issues. This shift has enabled the team to concentrate on improving system performance, enhancing security, improving digital literacy, and supporting business acquisitions and office moves.
“The role of an ideal partner in innovation is important. We chose Macquarie Telecom because of its competitive edge and the reliability of service. This partnership has minimised distractions and allowed us to focus on strategic growth and client satisfaction,” said Bracetti.
“RSM is deeply committed to maintaining world-class customer service, said Aaron Tighe, Western Australia State Manager, Macquarie Telecom. “At Macquarie, we seek to make a difference in markets that are overcharged and underserved, with customer experience magic at the centre. It is a privilege to support RSM as the company excels in a challenging market.”
Looking ahead, RSM continues to prioritise innovation and expanding its regional reach, with a recent practice established in Gosford and others on the horizon. The partnership with Macquarie Telecom will play a crucial role in this journey, providing the technological foundation necessary to explore new opportunities and enhance service offerings.
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