Client: Saudi Telecom Company (STC)
Sector: Telecommunications
Service: Network Automation & Compliance Using Cisco BPA
Business Challenge
As one of the Middle East’s largest telecom operators, STC manages a vast and rapidly evolving network infrastructure. With continuous technology upgrades, growing customer demand, and stringent compliance requirements, routine network operations were becoming increasingly complex.
Manual processes for OS upgrades, large-scale configuration rollouts, and compliance governance introduced delays, operational bottlenecks, and the risk of human error. Ensuring consistent configuration baselines, security hardening, and version control across hundreds of routers and switches emerged as a critical challenge.
Solution
Flint partnered with Cisco to design and implement an end-to-end network automation framework that modernized STC’s operational model.
Our engagement included:
- Automated OS Upgrades: Orchestration of simultaneous OS upgrades across multi-vendor, multi-location device fleets.
- Configuration Compliance via Cisco BPA: Enforcement of security and operational best practices through automated assessments and remediation.
- Pre- & Post-Validation Workflows: Creation of structured checks to ensure accuracy and stability before and after every rollout.
- Zero-Touch Provisioning & Automated Troubleshooting (ZTPA): Enabling rapid, error-free provisioning and robotic diagnostics.
- Governance & Reporting Automation: Auto-generated reporting, rollback readiness, and test pre-acceptance workflows for auditability and control.
Solution Implementation Process
The program followed a staged automation lifecycle aligned to STC’s operational and compliance objectives:
Phase 1 – Assessment & Strategy Definition
Analysis of existing operational workflows, configuration baselines, and upgrade processes. Defined the automation roadmap, compliance parameters, and device coverage strategy.
Phase 2 – Framework Design & Tool Enablement
Integration of Cisco BPA, development of automation templates, and creation of validation logic. Designed ZTPA workflows and structured device lifecycle governance.
Phase 3 – Execution & Optimization
Automated upgrades, configuration enforcement, and rollout governance. Fine-tuned workflows for scale, reliability, and regulatory compliance while enabling continuous reporting and operational visibility.
Customer Benefits
- Operational Efficiency: Significant reduction in upgrade and rollout timelines through zero-touch automation.
- Reduced Risk & Human Error: Automated validations and BPA-driven compliance eliminated configuration drift.
- Regulatory Alignment: Consistent adherence to security baselines and audit-ready reporting.
- Future-Proof Network: A highly scalable automation ecosystem supporting rapid growth and improved network resilience.
- Increased Reliability: Faster incident resolution through automated troubleshooting and standardized workflows.
Result
Through Flint’s automation expertise and Cisco’s industry-leading tools, STC transformed its network operations into a modern, scalable, and fully governed automation framework. The initiative strengthened STC’s ability to deploy upgrades at scale, ensure compliance across its infrastructure, and maintain a resilient backbone to support future technological expansion.
