CoStar Group’s European expansion is supported by Colt
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As CoStar Group continues its digital transformation of the real estate industry, it counts on Colt to connect its expanding European business.
“Consolidating to virtual SIP trunks is more cost efficient, reduces the need to install hardware in our offices, and gives us greater resilience,” says Nelis. “What’s more, the service is easier to manage. I have the simplicity of a single master account for ordering new numbers and number ranges, and all my services on a single Colt bill”
Nelis Stoop, IT Operations Director, CoStar Group
Real estate owners, investors, brokers, agents, landlords and lenders are among the 190,000+ clients who rely on CoStar Group’s global platforms for independently verified real estate data, analytics and data-driven news to help inform their business decisions. Alongside its research and analytics operations, CoStar Group runs leading global online real estate marketplaces, and is committed to digitisation of the world’s real estate industry.
When the company’s IT Operations Director, Nelis Stoop, first contacted Colt in 2015, CoStar Group’s European presence amounted to three offices in the UK and one in France. Nelis needed an IP Access circuit at the Glasgow office but wasn’t getting the responsive service he needed from his incumbent provider.
The Colt Experience
“The experience with Colt was completely different,” recalls Nelis. “They were quick to provide a quote, their process and communications were excellent, and everyone was really helpful. I felt that Colt cared about me as a customer and actually wanted to do business with me and support CoStar Group.”
After a second engagement with Colt provided the same experience, Nelis resolved to migrate as many As CoStar Group continues its digital transformation of the real estate industry, it counts on Colt to connect its expanding European business. Case Study of CoStar Group’s network connections to Colt as he could.
As CoStar Group has expanded through organic growth and acquisitions, Colt now provides connectivity at 10 offices in France, Germany, Spain and the UK and one office in Singapore; as well as connecting the company’s European business to its US data centre.
The simplicity of a single European provider
Over the coming years, CoStar Group plans to grow in its existing European markets and expand into new countries. “Even if Colt doesn’t have its own fibre in a particular location, I’d rather place the order with Colt and have them use a third-party tail to deliver the service,” he says. “It’s much simpler and more convenient for me to go through Colt, using our existing agreement and contract, than having to work with individual local providers.”
In parallel, CoStar Group is rolling out a European SD WAN, primarily to simplify setup of remote offices in new locations. Over time, existing offices will also be migrated to the SD WAN. Colt is supporting the rollout by providing the underlying IP Access connections.
Colt is a partner for service and innovation
“When I first started working with Colt, they stood out for their customer service across all departments, and they continue to do so today,” says Nelis. He appreciates the fact that if an issue arises, Colt proactively raises a ticket so he doesn’t have to, and keeps him updated through to resolution. “I don’t have time to chase things up, and with Colt I don’t have to. Their great communications mean I always know what’s going on,” he says.
Beyond keeping connectivity up and running day to day, Colt is also a partner for innovation. Through workshops and other events, the Colt team keeps Nelis informed about new developments and emerging technologies that can support the CoStar Group business.
“Colt gives us plenty to consider for the future and lets us leverage their expertise based on their work with other customers,” says Nelis. “Put simply, Colt helps me do my job, and ultimately helps support CoStar Group’s growth. It’s why I keep coming back to Colt.”
COMPANY NAME
CoStar Group
INDUSTRY
Real Estate
CHALLENGE
Migration from ISDN to IP voice through SIP Trunking for CoStar's expanding European business
