How can you become an indispensable Trusted Advisor? It starts by looking beyond the surface-level renewal event and uncovering the operational complexity hiding underneath.
In this opportunity, the customer’s Dedicated Internet Access (DIA) services were approaching end of term and facing a price increase. At first glance, this looked like a cost-reduction exercise. But once the team dug deeper, it became clear the customer was managing a fragmented connectivity environment across hundreds of dealership locations, with inconsistent ISP configurations, varied support procedures, and limited proactive visibility.
The win came from reframing the conversation from “Who can lower the DIA bill?” to “Who can deliver a more consistent, monitored, scalable network foundation across every dealership?”
Deal Snapshot
Technology Category: Connectivity, Dedicated Internet Access, Managed Edge Monitoring
Customer Type: Automotive Retail / Car Dealership Group
Size and Scope: Approximately 300 dealership locations
Bandwidth Profile: Mostly 100M sites, with 200M, 300M, 500M, and 1G needs by dealership size and manufacturer standards
Current Environment: Aggregator billing with many ISPs, circuit configurations, Autonomous System Numbers (ASNs), and support paths
Potential Providers: GTT, incumbent Nitel, Verizon
Product(s): DIA with EnVision Edge as a monitoring bridge
Compelling Event: Existing services reaching end of term and subject to price increase
The Win Wire
What was the customer’s ask?
The customer needed to evaluate DIA across approximately 300 dealerships as current services approached end of term. The aggregator simplified billing but hid many ISPs, designs, configurations, support experiences, and the need for a more supportable model.
At face value, the customer wanted to avoid a price increase. In reality, they needed a predictable model across a distributed footprint.
How did the TA define the need?
The TA reframed the need around control, visibility, and consistency. The issue was the complexity of hundreds of sites across different providers, ASNs, support paths, and configurations. The TA positioned standardization as a stronger network foundation:
- Consistent circuit design across locations.
- More uniform support experience.
- Proactive monitoring & improved performance.
- Clear path to SD-WAN, SASE, and advanced edge services.
The discussion shifted from lowest price to the provider best able to manage the dealership network.
What was the solution?
The selected solution was DIA with EnVision Edge monitoring. It reduced cost while addressing limited monitoring, inconsistent design, and varied support procedures.
The solution created value in several ways:
- Reduced spend compared to incumbent services.
- Added proactive monitoring across all sites.
- Positioned the customer on a Tier 1 IP backbone.
- Moved sites toward a single Tier 1 ASN instead of multiple ASNs.
- Standardized circuit design and created a more consistent support experience.
- Opened an easier path to SD-WAN and SASE via EnVision Edge.
The solution replaced basic access with strategic dealership network architecture.
How did the TA leverage AVANT?
The TA used technical and sales expertise around distributed connectivity, managed DIA, and future edge service evolution. Internal collaboration validated the technical story and strengthened the business case. Support clarified why architecture mattered: Tier 1 backbone, single ASN strategy, monitoring, standardized support, and edge readiness. That gave the customer confidence in a long-term strategy, not just a lower-cost replacement.
How did the Trusted Advisor close the deal?
The TA tied the renewal pain to a broader business outcome. Price pressure created urgency; the solution reduced current spend. The larger win was lowering operational friction across hundreds of dealerships with proactive monitoring, consistency, and stronger support.
The TA emphasized moving beyond an aggregator model. A single Tier 1 ASN and uniform design across the dealership base would improve performance, simplify troubleshooting, and prepare for transformation. Cost savings, visibility, consistency, and future-ready architecture made the decision clear.
Indispensability in action: the TA turned a DIA renewal into a stronger growth foundation.
Winning Provider: GTT
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