Beckhoff

Beckhoff LLC is an international corporation whose world headquarters are in Verl, Germany. Beckhoff implements open automation systems based on PC Control technology. Their product range covers a wide variety of industrial technology and automation software used across the globe in all types of industries.

The Story

Beckhoff has a rapidly growing presence in the international market with subsidiaries on all continents. The headquarters for their United States division, located in Burnsville, Minnesota, supports remote offices throughout the US.

The Burnsville headquarters connectivity needs are twofold. First, since the mail server and file servers for all Beckhoff satellite offices in the United States are located at the headquarters, they need reliable, low latency connectivity to the national Internet backbones. No matter how an individual satellite office or home-based employee connects to the Internet, they need a high-performance link to the Burnsville office. Second, the Burnsville office also needs to be in constant contact with Beckhoff’s global headquarters in Verl, Germany. Beckhoff’s central development, production, administration, marketing and support divisions are all located in Germany. Their US headquarters needs Internet access that provides fast, seamless international communication.

In early 2007, they were starting to feel the limitations of their T1 line. After investigating local and national ISPs, Seng Yang of Beckhoff chose a Metro Ethernet connection provided by ipHouse. “ipHouse offered a Metro Ethernet solution while other ISPs only had bonded T1s.” Yang states. Metro Ethernet is a true Ethernet-based solution that allows offices to connect to each other over long distances just by plugging in an Ethernet cable. It offers fast, relatively low-cost, scalable and secure bandwidth with a 99.95% uptime.

Beckhoff’s Metro Ethernet connection to ipHouse gives them a high-performance Internet solution for today on a connection that is ready for tomorrow. The best part about Metro Ethernet is how easy it is to upgrade. When their business grows, Beckhoff can dramatically increase their bandwidth without adding a new line.

Seng Yang appreciates the knowledgeable support team at ipHouse but has rarely had the need to contact them. Since their Metro Ethernet line was installed in 2007, it has “just always been there” allowing Beckhoff to focus on their automation business.