Realizing the Benefits of Secure Networking

Room & Board is also deploying an integrated secure access service edge (SASE) architecture, which converges networking and security functions in the cloud. SD-WAN is the backbone for SASE, with Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN enabling the IT team to securely connect users to any cloud and any application, while also extending its visibility beyond the corporate network and into the internet and cloud.

All internet-destined traffic is tunneled through Cisco Umbrella Secure Internet Gateway (SIG) for inspection. Other key components include Cisco Meraki MX, Cisco Secure Network Analytics, and Cisco Secure Endpoint—powered throughout the entire organization by the Cisco network with distributed enforcement, cross-domain security intelligence, and seamless integration across the security ecosystem. This makes it simpler for Room & Board to deliver the right security in the right place at the right time, and to identify potential threats and prioritize real-time remediation.

"To me, the convergence of security and network infrastructure is just that—it's there. It's built in at the base layer of the Cisco solution," explains Rodrigue, who says the IT team no longer needs to worry about layering one solution on top of another, which eliminates the friction users experienced in the past when multiple point solutions had to be stitched together.

To ensure the continued performance of its network infrastructure and key applications, as well as to troubleshoot any issues that may arise, Room & Board relies on Cisco ThousandEyes. This solution provides visibility into the cloud-hosted and internet-enabled services that are outside of their direct control. "ThousandEyes helps us deliver the quality experience that we want to put forward to our employees and customers," said Rodrigue. "It's enabled our customers to feel confident in their interactions with us."

Simplifying and streamlining network and security operations

Operational efficiency is critical for Room & Board, given that Rodrigue's infrastructure team is relatively small. This made a single management platform paramount to ensuring the IT team can manage the network and security infrastructure effectively—especially as the company continues to grow and new retail locations come online.

A key guiding principle for Rodrigue and the Room & Board IT team is, "we don't manage management tools," as he puts it. Instead, they look to their technology partners and vendors to provide simpler and integrated management systems.

According to Rodrigue, the key advantage of a secure networking solution from Cisco is that it enables IT staff to access comprehensive data concerning every network element and the overall security posture, all through a single management dashboard. This includes real-time actionable insights about systems that may reside on another platform, which gives them an end-to-end view of the converged network and security architecture. 

For Room & Board, this functionality is a powerful capability that improves operational efficiency by dramatically reducing manual configurations for automating tasks, and simplifying maintenance and troubleshooting, while freeing up resources to work on more strategic IT projects.

Scaling with a cloud-native approach

As Room & Board continues its journey to a fully converged SASE architecture, it is now able to scale rapidly and securely using the cloud while reducing its reliance on costly Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) circuits, with individual stores having direct internet access.

"When you start moving to a cloud-centric focus and security," says Rodrigue, "you alleviate the scale problem because you're not having to backhaul traffic across distance or potentially expensive links."

With Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN at the center of its SASE architecture, Room & Board is now able to establish direct internet connections from individual stores,  eliminating the need for data to tunnel back. This not only reduces latency but also results in cost savings.

Another benefit of the Cisco cloud-native approach for Room & Board is the ongoing software development cycle that comes with the cloud. With each iteration, important new features and functionality are delivered, making large refreshes or significant new hardware investments unnecessary. Having critical new security features available keeps Room & Board ahead of the constantly changing threat landscape and protects its network, users, applications, and data.

Crucially, with a secure networking solution from Cisco accelerating its journey to SASE, Room & Board is successfully delivering on its mission to provide the best possible experience for its customers, whether they're in the store or at home, and ensure that they're taking advantage of the company's remote design services.

"In my opinion," says Rodrigue, "what Cisco brings is that broad portfolio and deep knowledge with solutions that build that integrated ecosystem."