Challenges
In early 2017, Virgin Atlantic began the retender process for its technology network services. This was with a view to identifying opportunities for improvement, cost saving and new technologies, while simultaneously planning on simplifying and consolidating infrastructure with Virgin Atlantic Holidays. Exponential‐e had already acted as a technology supplier to Virgin Atlantic Holidays for several years, providing a range of services including data centre hosting and UK‐wide connectivity. Following this, the business was invited to tender for a series of network services including WAN, network security, WAN management and managed switching, with the aim of providing high‐performance, secure, and resilient infrastructure.
Beyond the stringent technical requirements, the tender process was focused on identifying technology partners who would be a good cultural fit with Virgin Atlantic. Both businesses share fundamental values of partnership, agility, an aligned approach to engagement and a drive to innovate. As an organisation that prides itself on creating deeply personal connections, Virgin Atlantic was keen to identify partners that would help drive the ongoing evolution of their infrastructure, rather than simply a transactional service provider.
