Satellite Communications · Government Services
Keeping a global network in orbit
When sudden staffing changes left a global satellite communications operator without coverage for government-grade network infrastructure, our embedded engineers stepped in — and stayed to deliver a multi-site security transformation: firewall replacements on two continents, VPN modernization, and teleport upgrades.
Fortinet-to-Palo-Alto replacements with 10G LAN upgrades
Ground-station network modernization
Architect-level engineers embedded within days of the staffing loss
The challenge
Where things stood
Unforeseen staffing changes left the operator's infrastructure without adequate engineering coverage — in an environment where government customers and satellite ground infrastructure leave no room for degraded operations.
The backlog wasn't maintenance; it was transformation: headquarters network redesign, aging internet-edge firewalls at two international gateway sites, a legacy remote-access VPN, and teleport networks awaiting upgrades — plus strategic architecture decisions (MPLS backbone, datacenter fabric) that needed senior judgment, not just hands.
What we did
The engagement
Immediate embedded coverage
Architect-level engineers from a pooled bench integrated with the operator's IT organization — strategic program participation and stakeholder partnership, not ticket-taking. Coverage continuity was the first deliverable.
Edge modernization on two continents
Internet firewall replacement at both the US and European gateway sites — Fortinet retired in favor of Palo Alto Networks — each paired with a 10-gigabit LAN upgrade. Headquarters got a firewall installation and full network redesign; small-office sites were redesigned and redeployed.
Access and backbone transformation
Remote-access VPN migrated from Cisco AnyConnect to Palo Alto GlobalProtect. Approximately three teleport ground stations received network upgrades, alongside switch, terminal server, and PDU lifecycle replacements. Strategic architecture leadership spanned the MPLS backbone and Cisco ACI leaf/spine datacenter fabric.
The outcome
Where things landed
- Continuous engineering coverage through a period that would otherwise have stalled both operations and transformation.
- A modernized, single-vendor security edge across international gateways — with the LAN capacity to match.
- Strategic architecture (backbone, fabric, remote access) advanced with senior-level judgment while the internal team rebuilt.
Client identity withheld by design — the same confidentiality we extend to every engagement. Scope, figures, and outcomes are drawn directly from the delivered statements of work.
Want an outcome like this one?
Every engagement starts with a 45-minute scoping call. Straight questions, no pitch deck.