Multilink and CloudFire: Nethesis scalable IaaS solutions for enterprise customers... and more

In the world of MSPs, choosing a cloud provider is never just a technical decision: it means deciding who to entrust the trust of its customers, which standards of service to guarantee, what type of collaboration establish and, of course, which resourcing Technological introduce.

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Every customer brings with them responsibilities, expectations and the need to ensure continuity and evolution.

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The story of Multilink and CloudFire comes right from here: from the need of an MSP to offer its customers reliable, scalable and secure solutions, finding in CloudFire not only a provider, but a partner with whom to grow together.

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Who is Multilink?

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Founded in 2003 in Tavagnacco (UD), Multilink is an ICT reality specialized in innovative technological solutions for companies of all sizes. With a consultative approach based on listening, it supports the digital transformation of its customers by offering services that range from high-performance connectivity to telephony, to the design of complex IT infrastructures.

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Multilink's distinctive ability is to be able to integrate different technologies into harmonized, performing and sustainable solutions.

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As a Managed Service Provider (MSP), it offers a “turnkey” model for a monthly fee: full workstations, Microsoft 365, antivirus, backup and unlimited support. It also offers full IT outsourcing services, allowing customers to focus on their core business, both in the absence of an internal department and alongside the existing one.

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Through its own system of Remote Monitoring & Management (RMM), Multilink guarantees constant monitoring and proactive interventions, preventing problems before they occur.

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The collaboration with CloudFire began in 2023: initially to integrate Microsoft Teams with telephone systems (thanks to the solution Talky Time Direct Routing), and then extended to projects by Infrastructure as a Service and Backup as a Service. The first contact came thanks to Nethesis, a historic partner of Multilink, and quickly consolidated into a real strategic partnership.

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We will never tire of stressing it: people have made the difference. From the account manager to the presale team, to the technical staff, we have always received clear, transparent and effective communications. This is the kind of relationship you would expect in a collaboration of this kind, but it's not always that obvious. - Marco Mattiussi - Managing Director @Multilink

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The challenge: finding a reliable and scalable cloud provider for NethServer8

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Multilink was faced with a concrete challenge: identify a cloud provider with solid skills and reliable infrastructure in Italy, able to support the implementation of NethServer 8 and NethVoice in SaaS mode, for customers with hundreds of active interns and stringent performance and business continuity requirements.

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Previous on-premise solutions involved operational complexities, dependency on local networks, and difficulty scaling. In addition, the need for regulatory compliance and geographical proximity made it essential to rely on an Italian cloud provider, with certified infrastructures and fast response times.

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Thanks to its experience in providing Nethesis services in all possible ways — on-premise installations on physical appliances or virtual machines, the use of different cloud providers and Nethesis's native SaaS — Multilink was able to accurately assess the advantages and limitations of each approach. Hence the choice to look for a partner that would guarantee high performance, scalability, proximity and immediate human support.

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The project: a scalable IaaS for Nethesis solutions

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Multilink has drawn, tested Ed implemented one dedicated cloud project with the objective of provide the centralized, scalable NetVoice solution suitable for managing more than 150 users.

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The choice of CloudFire was guided by a few key factors:

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• IaaS with flexible and high-performance OpenStack technology;
• Data hosted in Italy with the utmost attention to compliance;
• Immediate human technical support;
• Balance between costs, performances and scalability.

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The proposed solution: deployment of NethServer 8 on Openstack as a Service

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The project included:

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• Deploying a dedicated cluster for the customer, with NethVoice as a core application;
• VM with Rocky Linux 9 and installation of NethVoice 8 from the CLI;
• CloudFire centralized firewall configuration + specific rules on NethVoice;
• Activation of a floating IP in addition to the public IP, to ensure external reachability and secure traffic management;
• Integration with Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud for off-site backup (scheduling and retention policy).

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Thanks to the CloudFire platform, VM management and provisioning in OpenStack as a Service proved to be intuitive, allowing the Multilink team to easily replicate and scale the solution.

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The setup, simplified by new version of NethVoice 8, was quick and straightforward: the entire process, including the configuration of the FQDNs and the testing tests, was completed in a few hours.

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Through this pilot project, Multilink has also accelerated its collaboration with CloudFire to create a certified NethVoice ISO ready for the OpenStack infrastructure. In fact, now in Openstack as a Service a minimum certified configuration for NethServer 8: tested and validated together with Nethesis.

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The results: high performance, reliability and fast provisioning

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The benefits obtained were immediate and tangible:

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• Nethserver8's ISOs replicable on CloudFire OpenStack infrastructure;
• Total reliability infrastructure without interruption or downtime;
• High performance even in intensive load scenarios;
• Advanced security, with constantly monitored backups;
• Fast and simplified provisioning, which reduces setup times to a few hours;
• Increased competitiveness: Multilink was able to offer an enterprise solution even to mid-range customers.

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From a Multilink pilot project to a replicable model

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The Multilink and CloudFire experience represents a replicable model for any MSP that wants to offer enterprise-level cloud services to its customers.

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• For MSP: it means having a partner that guarantees human support, flexibility and solid infrastructure on which to build your offer.
• For end customers: it means being able to access secure, scalable and enterprise-quality solutions, regardless of business size.

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The collaboration between Multilink and CloudFire shows how choosing the right partner can transform a technical challenge into an opportunity for growth for everyone.

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On the one hand, Multilink has been able to strengthen its role as an MSP, expanding services and increasing competitiveness; on the other, CloudFire has confirmed its value as a reliable, flexible Italian provider close to people's needs.

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We were able to offer an Enterprise class solution even to medium-low end customers, and this represents, in our opinion, the most significant result. We have always liked to provide smaller customers with technologies that are usually reserved for 'grown-ups'. We believe that each customer should get the most out of their investment possibilities, and with the combination of Nethesis and CloudFire, the result is guaranteed. - Marco Mattiussi - Managing Director @Multilink