If you're like Amica, with 39 branch offices around the U.S. and headquarters in Rhode Island, keeping in touch is going to be the key to your corporate network.

“We’re a direct writer of insurance, which means we don’t have agents like most insurance companies,” explains Ron Rivet, network operations section manager for Amica. “Each branch is responsible for customers in their region.”

The company determined it needed to make some changes to its network architecture to support the demands of voice and data on a converged network – specifically, it wanted to support its VoIP-based call center application and IP phone system, according to Amica officials, as well as a growing number of other business applications.

Sounds good – but there were voice quality issues with its chosen MPLS network and T-1 WAN, Rivet says: “We could run 45 or 50 voice calls with no problem, or we could run a full set of data, but when we mixed the two together, the router just wouldn’t handle it.'

The router vendor said they needed to buy the company's latest 'n' greatest product. Rivet knew they needed to get something. After doing their due diligence, Rivet found his staff preferred the Juniper Networks' J Series, because 'they were easier to manage and provided comprehensive security for VoIP, which would result in reduced operation costs and minimize risks.'

Rivet said his team became adept at configuring and managing the Juniper Networks (News - Alert) routers in just two days. “When it comes down to an IT buying decision, it’s not all about the money. It’s about what product we believe will deliver the best value for what we’re trying to do,” he says, adding that Amica rolled out 60 Juniper Networks J2300 Services Routers to 39 branch offices in a month.

The J Series deployment has since enabled Amica to move forward with its business plan to deploy VoIP over a converged network. “We can run a higher level of data along with voice calls, which we simply couldn’t do before,” Rivet says. And Amica's achieved a return on its investment in less than a year.

Rivet said his goal is for customers to have no idea that Amica has changed its phone system at all: “The Juniper Networks routers enable us to continue to deliver on that expectation of outstanding customer service.”

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