Keeping Ford’s critical global network operations moving
For more than 45 years, Getronics has supported Ford Motor Company with IT services built around consistency, responsiveness and scale. Today, that collaboration includes global network support for critical operations, Ford PartsPlus infrastructure and service delivery across regions, sites and asset types.
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- Industry: Automotive, Manufacturing
- Region: North America, Europe and APAC
Ford is one of the world’s largest automotive manufacturers, with millions of vehicles produced each year and a global footprint spanning plants, production centres, offices, data centres and warehouses. Getronics’ relationship with Ford began in 1980 through Wang Global, which Getronics acquired in 1999, creating a collaboration that now runs for more than 45 years.
When Ford needed a global IT support provider for demanding network services across critical facilities in North America, Europe and APAC, Getronics provided the governance, technical reach and on-site support model required to keep essential operations connected. The collaboration later expanded to network planning, remote network expertise and infrastructure support for Ford PartsPlus in Europe.
Challenge
Ford needed a global provider that could support critical network operations across complex sites, demanding SLAs and a large estate of network assets.
Solution
Getronics delivered on-site network services, hardware support, fault isolation, physical network changes, centralised planning, remote expertise and infrastructure support for Ford PartsPlus.
Results
Ford gained consistent global governance, support for more than 15,000 network assets across 290+ sites, service deployment in 35 countries and stronger resilience for critical operations.
Supporting critical operations across a global network estate
Ford’s global operations depend on reliable networks across plants, data centres, warehouses, hubs and offices. A delay or unresolved fault at a critical site can affect production, parts availability and the teams responsible for keeping vehicles and services moving. Ford needed a provider that could support this estate at scale, with service levels matched to the operational importance of each location.
The brief combined reach and urgency. Critical sites required 24/7 support with a two-hour resolution target, while hubs and smaller offices required reliable service models of their own. Ford also needed infrastructure support for Ford PartsPlus, its direct-to-market parts sales service in Europe.
One global model for on-site, remote and planned network support
Getronics built a global network services model covering hardware support, on-site troubleshooting, fault isolation and physical changes to network devices. The service combines dedicated on-site resources in major countries with dispatch-based support for local sites, supported by centralised planning and consistent governance across regions.
The scope grew as the relationship proved its value. Getronics added network planning and implementation services, including Wi-Fi surveys across more than 35 countries, and remote network expertise for Ford’s global layer 2 and layer 3 LAN and WAN. The team also supported Ford PartsPlus with infrastructure projects and cybersecurity compliance in Italy.
Scale, consistency and resilience for a flagship global client
Ford now has a consistent global delivery model for a highly distributed network estate. Getronics supports more than 15,000 network assets across 290+ sites in North America, APAC and Europe, with service deployment across 35 countries and five regions.
The model provides Ford with a single global provider, centralised governance and a reliable bridge between Ford’s internal teams, regional operations and specialist network resources. It also strengthens business continuity, ensuring production stability. Getronics also supported the launch of Ford PartsPlus in Europe, delivering IT infrastructure with efficient support.
45+ years of collaboration
Long-term operational partnership
15,000+ network assets
Global network support across 290+ sites
35 countries across five regions
Multi-region service deployment
“Ford is a flagship example of what long-term IT partnership really requires. The network estate is large, critical and globally distributed, so the service model has to combine local responsiveness with central governance and specialist expertise.
Over more than 45 years, Getronics has built the operational knowledge, trust and consistency needed to support Ford’s critical sites, network assets and new services such as IT for Ford PartsPlus in several countries in Europe”
– Mechtild Franken
Global Client Director,
Getronics
