The Story

Don Cheney is the Senior Network Administrator and Wireless Engineer for Washington Trust Bank. He and his team are responsible for the network and device functionality at all of the bank's 40+ sites. Don shares his experience using Cisco CX Cloud, the unified digital platform for Cisco Success Tracks, and how it has impacted his day-to-day work as well as his vision for WTB.
 

Washington Trust Bank is one of the oldest commercial banks in the Pacific Northwest, working with customers across three states. As an institution that protects people's money, we hold ourselves to a high standard of network integrity. After all, when we talk about secure data or maintaining connection points, we're talking about keeping our customers' money safe. Cisco already had a large presence in our IT environment, but Cisco CX Cloud has expanded our relationship with Cisco by improving how we plan for and execute our IT projects.  

Previously, my work monitoring our network was scheduled and intensive. I had to spend my time and energy making sure that each of our devices was healthy and had no issues. Every morning was early and tense, not knowing whether an issue arose overnight. With CX Cloud, I can see everything I need to know about the network environment on one screen, knowing that the system will alert me if there is an issue. I also have a single point of entry that makes it easier for us to keep an eye on the system and dig into whatever details we need with a user-friendly interface. This helps us easily plan for and execute updates to our system.  

Quick access to solutions and industry experts  

Not only does CX Cloud provide an up-to-date 360-degree view of our network, it has numerous other features that accelerate our projects and provide time for innovation. 

Previously, the process of submitting a TAC case was complicated. I needed to open multiple spreadsheets and tabs in my browser to find device license information, serial number, contract details, the end-of-life date, and then go to the website to submit a TAC case. With CX Cloud, all that information is right there in one screen. I can open a TAC case with just a few clicks and quickly get to the solution.  

Additionally, CX Cloud enables us to easily collaborate with the broad community of Cisco experts. If I have a question or an issue, before I even raise a case with TAC, I can get help from an expert in the Cisco online community directly through the CX Cloud platform. Someone may already have the answer, but often we discuss issues and come up with a solution ourselves. Having a community of experts at our fingertips lets us move faster and dive deeper into our projects.

The platform also allows me to provide feedback to the CX team so that I can increase value for WTB. I can post any suggestions I have in the feedback section and often we see that feedback translate into real features within days.  

Increasing value and focusing on innovation

When I can rely on my network and have a community of knowledgeable engineers and advisors at my fingertips, I can look at our network and our business in new and impactful ways. In other words, CX Cloud has opened innumerable possibilities for our business.  

Confidence in the network and having resources also brings me peace of mind. Not only is it better for our customers, but it's also better for me–in the way I work and live. Previously, I arrived at the office as early as possible to confirm the network was up and running for the business and our customers. Now, I still get to work early, but–because I don't need to spend time on mundane network tasks–I can concentrate on new, innovative projects. I can also leave earlier and enjoy activities that I'm passionate about outside of work, like a nice bike ride to end the day.  

Next stop: migrating to SD-WAN

CX Cloud is more automated and more centralized than any system we've had before. That alone makes the investment worth it. Looking ahead, we see the banking industry changing and evolving faster than ever. To give us the flexibility of making changes and updates to our network, we'll be migrating to SD-WAN. Having CX Cloud allows me the time to research, plan, and begin the work on that as well as other innovative projects. I'm excited to see what we can accomplish with CX Cloud.