KPN Networks and Extreme Networks® Help Santa Barbara Regional Health Authority Care for its Network
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Santa Barbara Regional Health Authority (Authority) administers three publicly funded health care plans serving nearly 55,000 residents of Santa Barbara County. Its primary plan, the Santa Barbara Health Initiative for Medi-Cal beneficiaries, is acknowledged to be the oldest Medicaid managed care program of its kind in the country. The Authority also manages two other health insurance programs for those who do not qualify for Medi-Cal. In order to ensure the highest level of service to its members, providers and the community, the Authority wanted to upgrade its network and provide a migration path to gigabit performance. The increased performance was necessary in order to meet the growing needs of subscribers as well as the implementation of new mission critical applications.

A Customer Challenge
Santa Barbara Regional Health Authority strives to be a model for innovative, comprehensive reform of the health system, ensuring access to needed medical services and improving the health status of the population of Santa Barbara County. Not only does the Authority act as a vital link between providers and members, it also serves as a healthcare educator to the community. With so much riding on timely and reliable access to information, the network is critical to helping the Authority meet its mission.

In addition to the data intensive applications found in a healthcare environment, the Authority also relies on video surveillance via the network, as well as a web-based application that allows subscribers to determine program eligibility 24/7. With these mission critical applications, network uptime and performance are key to delivering the information necessary to fulfill its commitment to the residents of Santa Barbara County.

The Authority relied on KPN Networks, an Extreme Solutions Partner located in Ventura, CA, to design and implement a network solution that met its requirements for maximum uptime and performance. But, because of the mission critical nature of the Authority's applications, KPN also recognized that the right network infrastructure was only part of the solution. Ensuring minimal downtime and timely problem resolution on an on-going basis was also vital to the long-term success of the network.

An Extreme Solution
"As an organization committed to delivering the highest levels of service to our customers, we need a partner who can provide the responsive support we need to ensure our customers' requirements are met," explains Kim Paul, CEO, KPN Networks. "Extreme's staff of network professionals provide the knowledge and expertise we need to respond quickly to our customers' network concerns."

In addition to working with KPN to leverage existing network capabilities and resolve issues, KPN also recommended that the Authority take advantage of ExtremeWorks 4 Hour On-Site Maintenance. The ExtremeWorks program allows KPN to escalate network concerns with access to Extreme expertise and the parts necessary to resolve issues and keep the network up and running.

KPN is also committed to ensuring that its customers have the skills and knowledge required to run daily network operations smoothly. With the Authority's limited IT resources, KPN believed it was especially important that Authority staff have a comprehensive understanding of the network and its capabilities. Once again, KPN was confident that an ExtremeWorks Education program would provide the skills and knowledge necessary to maximize the Authority's network investment and allow the successful on-going management of the network. Because the Authority didn't have prior experience managing and administering an Extreme network, its network staff attended an introductory course that provided a solid foundation of configuration and troubleshooting skills upon which the staff can build. In the future, as the Authority adds new applications and takes advantage of advanced network functionality, additional courses are available to help maximize staff proficiency and productivity.

"We work closely with our customers to provide the knowledge transfer necessary for self-sufficiency," says Ms. Paul. "Extreme's education programs are designed to assist us in those efforts with learning environments designed to provide in-depth knowledge and hands-on experience."

Beyond is Partnering for Your Success
Today, Santa Barbara Regional Health Authority has the high performance network it needed and the reliable, responsive on-going support its missioncritical environment required. KPN Networks continues to work closely with the Authority to help it meet the evolving healthcare needs of its members, providers and the community.

"Our success is directly related to our ability to provide the right solutions for our customers," notes Ms. Paul. "As an Extreme Solution Partner, we're confident that Extreme has a vested interest in helping us succeed. We have access to additional technical expertise we need to meet network challenges, and the support services necessary to help our customers maximize their network investments."

Beyond is Trusting the Network to Deliver
Extreme Networks offers KPN Networks, an extensive portfolio of support solutions designed to maximize network performance and enhance the ongoing management of the network. Staffed by networking professionals, these solutions include a global network of TACs, online support, a worldwide system of parts depots, on-site service contracts, professional consulting services, and comprehensive training and certification programs.