The Situation

Since INFOnline was established in 2002, it has become one of Germany’s leading providers of Internet usage analysis. It currently measures the traffic of approximately 1,300 websites. The data collected by INFOnline is then processed by media organizations to market online services in Germany, using comparable, certified and reliable internet traffic information.

For INFOnline, network performance and availability cannot be compromised. INFOnline is contracted to provide a 24x7-service: the quality of their service demands matching network availability.

Eager for personal service

INFOnline is not a giant multi-national. Their core team comprises 22 highlyskilled professionals who work closely with an extended community of 2,500 service users.

Their success is thanks in part to the tools they have exclusively licensed from spring (www.spring.de). These allow them to log and analyze page views in real-time. With a park of more than 200 servers, INFOnline regularly measures around 70 billion page impressions monthly, accounting for some 90% of all German online activity.

Because of their size, however, INFOnline were finding it difficult to get the attention they needed from network service providers. Dirk Wippern, Managing Director:
‘Even though our processing volumes are enormous, we are a compact team. For that reason, we didn’t register on the radar for some telecommunications providers. This was frustrating - even though the business demand was there, we were just not getting the personal service we needed.’

A relationship begins

INFOnline and KPN International first began to talk business in 2006, and from the start it was clear to INFOnline that this telecommunications provider did not consider them too small to merit personal attention.

INFOnline needed a provider of co-location services. They urgently required redundancy in their Bonn location and their existing suppliers had failed to respond. Taking the initiative themselves, INFOnline discovered that KPN International had a Point-of-Presence in Bonn, and made an initial approach.

Andreas Petermann, KPN International Account Director, remembers it well. ‘From the start, INFOnline was clear about their requirements. After we initially offered our Bonn PoP, things developed quickly.’

Both parties soon established good personal communications. The INFOnline team had exceptional technical knowledge, and the joint project team rapidly established a strong professional bond.

Evolution and innovation

Once INFOnline realized that KPN International welcomed dialogue and challenge, they quickly began to develop the scope of service. They needed to maintain high-bandwidth, high-availability links between business hubs in Bonn and Düsseldorf and they were looking to establish resilient co-location in both cities. They also
wanted similarly high-performance network connections between twin sites in Düsseldorf.

KPN International provided full connectivity using its own dark-fiber links across all locations, and provided secure co-location from its PoPs in both cities. INFOnline also requested supply and management of on-site network equipment which KPN International provided through its IT service sister company Getronics.

In addition INFOnline were keen to keep contract relationships simple. KPN International is skilled at putting together flexible service bundles. As a service integrator, it works harmoniously with other providers. For INFOnline, KPN International acts as a one-stop-shop, managing additional services through third parties.

KPN International ensures complete transparency in cost and contract, and manages additional third party providers without price mark-up. Andreas Petermann
explains: ‘The idea of pursuing only reasonable profit is very much a part of our business ethos and helps us build and sustain relationships.’

Business is flexible but continuity is non-negotiable

INFOnline particularly appreciated KPN International’s practical and responsive approach to piloting and capacity evaluation.

‘When we began to experiment with Wavelength and IP Transit services,’ explains Wippern, ‘we did not want to commit until we had a clear picture of requirements. We established a rolling pilot project for three months, varying the parameters as the business model stabilized.’

As the pilot concluded, INFOnline settled on a flexible service, offering a 1 Gbit/s port and 300 Mbit/s usage per month. Requirement is formally reviewed annually, with ad hoc adjustments made at any time according to changing requirements. The net benefit for INFOnline is clear, continues Wippern: ‘We get the performance we need, when we need it-only paying for what we need.’

As KPN International brought the new Wavelength and IP Transit services online, INFOnline could not experience any business disruption. Switchover from the incumbent supplier was executed over the weekend with meticulous attention to continuity.

[[Trust is the foundation for development]]
KPN International is extremely open in its business relationships. Escalation is rare and project teams are encouraged to develop strong, practical working relationships. When, for example, INFOnline wished to implement a second Wavelength contract in just two months, KPN International established an effective work-around in just four weeks.

INFOnline aims to grow its business steadily. In its first seven years it has expanded its client portfolio to include leading names in German industry and commerce. INFOnline is set for long-term viability and success. It has chosen KPN International over smaller local service providers, in part, because of its solid financial position. Having established a good working relationship, built on trust, this commitment is reflected in formal agreement: KPN International has been contracted as a service provider for five years.

As INFOnline grows, KPN International is ready to meet its changing needs. Business is also about reciprocal benefit, and KPN International welcomes the opportunity to introduce its own customers to INFOnline’s exceptional web analysis skills.