Springleaf Grows Consumer Loan Business with HughesON Network Services
Germantown, Md.—Consumer lending company Springleaf Holdings, Inc. (Springleaf) has once again turned to Hughes Network Systems, LLC (Hughes), the world’s leading provider of broadband satellite solutions and a major provider of managed network services, to meet its need for reliable, high-speed connectivity across its nationwide branch network and centralized operations.
Headquartered in Evansville, Indiana, Springleaf has relied on a Hughes satellite network since 1995 for branch office connectivity. As applications became more complex and Internet usage skyrocketed, the company turned to Hughes to upgrade its network through a HughesON™ managed network solution to increase capacity and support new applications for its 840 branch offices across 25 states.
HughesON is a comprehensive suite of innovative, cloud-friendly network and digital media solutions designed for the unique needs of distributed enterprises in industries such as banking, retail, hospitality and retail petroleum. The most cost-effective broadband access technology available is deployed on a site-by-site basis, whether it is DSL, cable, 3G/4G wireless, fiber or satellite. In Springleaf’s case, numerous sites required cable buildouts, which Hughes managed effectively and without any delays. Overall, the HughesON network refresh was well received, as it enhances customer service, improves employee training and allows Springleaf to easily roll out new applications.
“Demand for faster connectivity in our branches just continues to grow,” said Tom Peake, vice president of technology services at Springleaf. “We needed faster performance for credit checks, risk modeling, routing channel loan applications from the web to the appropriate local offices, and getting loans approved quickly for our customers.”
“We are delighted that Springleaf has the confidence to extend our 20-year working relationship and to entrust their enhanced branch network to Hughes technology and operations,” said Mike Cook, senior vice president, North America at Hughes. “The new Springleaf network demonstrates the robust capability of our HughesON solutions to deliver a high-performance and resilient network supporting all of the critical operations required by today’s progressive distributed enterprises.”
The Need for Increased Bandwidth
Springleaf needed from 10-to-20 Mbps bandwidth at each branch, but its existing network was not capable of those speeds everywhere. Springleaf chose to upgrade each office with a Hughes
HR4700 Branch Gateway. The HR4700, with built-in ActiveTechnology™ (Hughes performance optimization technology) increases throughput speeds and ensures quality of service for high-priority applications.
“We now get 10 Mbps at every site, so the optimization played a key role in closing the performance gap,” said Peake.
Network Uptime is Key
Springleaf serves the majority of its customers from its local offices so branch uptime is critical. Springleaf chose to have dual-broadband access into each location to ensure stores stay online in the event of a primary network outage. Using the Hughes High Availability Network (HAN) service, each office has both a high-speed terrestrial connection (cable or DSL) and a diverse satellite backup connection. The satellite backup network also serves as a multicast file distribution channel for software updates and security patches during off hours.
“Outages can happen every day somewhere across our nationwide network,” Peake said. “With satellite backup, customers can continue to make loan payments, submit applications, get fast loan approvals and complete other tasks during network outages.”
To view a series of videos with Tom Peake and hear how Springleaf is using HughesON, go to: Springleaf - Challenges Resolved.