Top-100 insurance brokerage selects Windstream SD-WAN to simplify its network and drive expansion

LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Sept. 29, 2017 -- Windstream (NASDAQ:WIN), a leading provider of advanced network communications, today announced that a top-tier insurance brokerage firm has selected the company to provide managed SD-WAN, broadband services and hosted network security that will create a more secure, flexible and cost-effective network across its existing locations, as well as planned future expansion.

“The insurance industry is facing numerous hurdles including rising costs, increased regulatory requirements at the state and federal levels, and increased level of security threats. To address those, there is a growing focus on data analytics to develop more sophisticated and accurate predictive loss models,” said Joseph Harding, executive vice president and enterprise chief marketing officer at Windstream. “Windstream’s SD-WAN is helping insurance carriers address these challenges by affording them maximum reliability and flexibility as they shift these increasing datasets and workloads to the cloud.”

Rapid growth and the need to integrate locations with different network configurations and capabilities forced the company to re-examine its WAN strategy and incorporate a new strategy and architecture that optimizes business efficiencies, protects critical data and enhances the user experience across public, private and cloud paths.

Windstream’s solution was based on converting their existing MPLS network to a private based internet network and replacing the copper infrastructure to Ethernet at all of their locations, while adding more bandwidth to the existing fiber network. A secondary broadband access was provided to all sites with SD-WAN and HNS for a total managed solution. SD-WAN and the secondary broadband circuit allow an active-to-active network for full redundancy and give the client visibility and control over their application over the network.

“Insurance firms are increasingly selecting Windstream for their advanced communications needs because of our ability in meeting their unique requirements to address growing pressures from customers, regulators and financial markets,” Harding added. “We are also becoming the first choice of many insurance providers because of our ability to support current and emerging technology needs at all levels—from smaller firms with several locations to national brokerages with clients worldwide.”

In addition to SD-WAN, Windstream offers a full suite of advanced network communications and technology solutions like UCaaS, Ethernet, Wavelength Services, MPLS  and dedicated high-speed Internet along with voice and data services such as VoIP access and SIP trunking. Windstream also offers managed services, cloud connectivity and network security services designed to help businesses increase productivity and improve operational costs. For more information, visit windstreambusiness.com.

About Windstream
Windstream Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:WIN), a FORTUNE 500 company, is a leading provider of advanced network communications and technology solutions for consumers, businesses, enterprise organizations and wholesale customers across the U.S. Windstream offers bundled services, including broadband, security solutions, voice and digital TV to consumers. The company also provides data, cloud solutions, unified communications and managed services to small business and enterprise clients. The company supplies core transport solutions on a local and long-haul fiber network spanning approximately 150,000 miles. Additional information is available at windstream.com. Please visit our newsroom at news.windstream.com or follow us on Twitter at @Windstream.

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