Case Study:
Future-Proofing IT: Live Oak Bank’s Network Upgrade
Case Snapshot
- Client: Live Oak Bank — Wilmington, NC financial institution specializing in business lending
- Partnership since: 2022 (NAR); managed services signed July 2023
- Trigger: Key network devices approaching end of life; proactive network modernization initiative
- Engagement type: Network Analysis Roadmap then full network refresh then ongoing managed
services
Key Outcomes
- 30-day managed services onboarding completed with no major user outages
- Network stability dramatically improved — connectivity issues nearly eliminated
- Persistent random disconnection issue diagnosed and resolved after sustained engagement
- Partnership expanded: managed services, AWS, Office 365, AV, hardware procurement
- Consistently meeting SLA response times
- SDN architecture implemented for centralized management and better visibility
Client Testimonial
— Matt Bosch, Senior Staff Network and Enterprise Observability Engineer, Live Oak Bank
“Katalyst is the company we trust for our network and broader technology needs. I know my network is in good hands with them supporting it and driving all our changes.”
About Our Client
Live Oak Bank is a financial institution specializing in lending and banking services designed for business growth. Headquartered in Wilmington, NC, the bank prioritizes technology-driven solutions to ensure seamless operations, security, and efficiency. As part of its commitment to continuous improvement, Live Oak Bank sought expert insight into its network infrastructure to enhance reliability and scalability for future growth.
Business Challenge
As the bank approached the end of usable life for key network devices, leadership saw an opportunity to strategically assess and enhance their network for long-term growth. They needed an outside perspective on the health and state of their network and a partner who understood not just the environment but what it would take to migrate to a net-new solution.
Key challenges included:
- Key network devices approaching end of usable life
- Needed outside expertise to assess network health and develop a strategic refresh plan
- Persistent random user disconnections requiring deep diagnosis
- Aggressive 30-day onboarding timeline required due to urgency
Katalyst's
Solution
Katalyst conducted a Network Analysis Roadmap (NAR) in Fall 2022, providing a comprehensive assessment and a 12-24 month improvement roadmap including a recommendation to shift to Software Defined Networking (SDN) architecture. Live Oak signed for managed services in July 2023. Katalyst executed a full-scale wired and wireless network refresh and stayed engaged to diagnose and resolve a persistent connectivity issue over several months.
CONNECT — INFRASTRUCTURE AND CONNECTIVITY
- Network Analysis Roadmap (NAR) — comprehensive infrastructure assessment and 12-24 month roadmap
- Full-scale wired and wireless network refresh and redesign
- SDN architecture implementation for centralized management and visibility
- AWS expansion support
- AV setup and hardware procurement
PROTECT — SECURITY AS AN OPERATING DISCIPLINE
- Security posture review as part of network assessment
- Network segmentation and access controls as part of SDN implementation
OPERATE — ONGOING ACCOUNTABILITY FOR OUTCOMES
- Managed services — network infrastructure, Office 365, AV
- 30-day onboarding sprint with no major user outages
- Persistent disconnection issue diagnosed and resolved through sustained engagement
- Quarterly reviews — consistent SLA compliance and ongoing infrastructure planning
SUPPORTS RECEIVED
Business
Results
Live Oak Bank's network is now more resilient, scalable, and secure. The partnership has expanded well beyond core managed services to include strategic guidance, Office 365 support, AV, and hardware procurement.
Network stability dramatically improved — connectivity issues nearly eliminated
Consistently meeting SLA response times
Persistent disconnection issue diagnosed and resolved
Partnership expanded to AWS, Office 365, AV, and hardware procurement
Consistently meeting SLA response times
Ready for a Technology Partner You Can Count On?
Schedule an IT Strategy Call to discuss your current technology challenges and opportunities to improve security, reliability, and performance. Or take our Digital Backbone Assessment to uncover hidden vulnerabilities and digital blind spots across your organization.