Grays, one ofthe largest industrial, auto and commercial eCommerce businesses in Australasia, is reaping benefits from the Citrix SD-WAN by optimizing its application delivery on cloud. Using it in conjunction with AWS Transit Gateway, Grays is able to ensure seamless connectivity across all its branches.

Grays operates warehouses and offices across 17 locations. When the pandemic hit, the company saw its online traffic double, which it was ready to handle with its move to modernize its network and shift to cloud with the help of Citrix Systems.

“To deliver the simple, secure and reliable experience that buyers and sellers expect, we must be able to bring new sites onboard fast and ensure they stay connected at all times,” said Ayaz Ahmed, Head of Technology, Grays.com.

For years, Grays relied on Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) technology to do this. But the technology made it difficult for the IT department to move quickly – spinning up a new site could take up to six months. So, the company went in search of more agile technology that would allow it to pick up the pace.

“With Citrix SD-WAN, we have the ability to scale up and down, which helps us move much more quickly – we can now spin up a site in a day,” he said.

In addition, Grays can support new services that its customers require in the COVID-19 era. In the face of lock downs and social distancing protocols, many buyers, for instance, have been unable to make in-person inspections of auction items on which they had bids. With Citrix SD-WAN, Grays is able to power video linkups on mobile devices like iPads which its employees can use to show customers their merchandise including cars, auto parts, restaurant equipment, and more.

“Without Citrix SD-WAN, I’d probably be under a lot more pressure to resolve customer buying issues,” Ahmed said. “It has definitely set us up for success.”