Case Study: Solutia achieves centralized, simplified Exchange messaging and reduced bandwidth costs with Riverbed Steelhead appliances

Riverbed Steelhead® Appliances Enable a Simpler, Centralized Messaging Architecture

Solutia, a $2.7 billion St. Louis–based manufacturer with nearly 6,000 employees across 40 North American offices, needed to consolidate Microsoft Exchange servers from ten remote sites to simplify IT and cut costs. CIO Eric Nichols had already added ten incremental T1 lines to support a centralized messaging architecture but sought a more efficient, cost-effective approach without disrupting users.

After testing Riverbed Steelhead appliances, Solutia deployed eight devices across its sites, immediately reducing Exchange WAN traffic and allowing the company to cancel the ten added T1s. The appliances enabled the planned centralized Exchange infrastructure, lowered bandwidth and management costs, helped rationalize IT staffing, and positioned Solutia to optimize additional TCP-based applications.

Solutia

Eric Nichols

Chief Information Officer