Transcript
Case study Industry sector: manufacturing
Remote access security solution allows global rest equipment manufacturer to sleep soundly Spanish rest equipment manufacturer Flex chose a managed and highly secure BT remote access solution to underpin its international expansion Executive summary “Sourcing a cost-effective security solution that would satisfy an increasing mix of access methods was a
Following unprecedented domestic success, Spain’s largest rest equipment manufacturer Flex embarked on an ambitious international expansion programme, which drove an escalating demand for remote access to corporate information and shared applications. A review of the company’s network security was essential.
challenge that BT accepted and responded to extremely well. The tailored solution meant we could integrate our expanding international communications network without sacrificing security or quality of service.” Javier Encinas IT Manager Flex
Flex already enjoyed a BT-provided virtual private network (VPN) solution, and BT responded to the company’s potential security problem with a BTSeda managed remote access solution based on Aventail’s award-winning Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) VPN technology. The service is specifically tailored to meet the increasing variety of access
methods used by Flex employees. By accommodating laptop, home PC or PDA access – from kiosks, airports, offices or wireless hotspots – the system allows any internet access method to be used. BT’s unrivalled expertise in security technologies (including firewalls, encryption and authentication) has produced a bespoke service that accurately meets the Flex global requirements. This bespoke package furnishes Flex with a scalable, secure and reliable solution, providing an effective means of access to corporate business applications through a range of telecommunications media.
Case study
Remote access security solution allows global rest equipment manufacturer to sleep soundly
“Without a fast, secure and
Marketplace
Business opportunity
reliable way of accessing and
Over the 100 years that it has been in business, Flex has established an enviable reputation for providing quality of service. Spain’s largest manufacturer of rest equipment products, Flex has also expanded into other European markets and has opened manufacturing plants in Portugal, Brazil, Chile and Cuba. Around 10 per cent of its annual sales are derived from these foreign operations.
Through a rapid global expansion programme, Flex successfully established manufacturing, distribution and sales functions in a number of different countries, laying the foundation for successive year-on-year growth. The effective communication of shared goals and corporate business processes is critical to successfully capitalising upon this investment.
The company has a workforce of over 1,500 who are supported by a manufacturing and distribution network unrivalled in Spain. With more than 4,000 distributors, 75 retail outlets, and over 19 million satisfied customers, Flex recently issued a forecast anticipating sales for 2004 of €200 million.
Providing remote access to corporate applications and information system resources has therefore become essential to the company’s future. In particular, employees working from locations outside Spain required access to the Flex email and SAP systems to enable them to work effectively without compromising quality of service or security.
working with critical business information, our international teams would be unable to operate effectively. In terms of our global strategy, it is a prerequisite to our success.” Beatriz Nogueras Marketing Manager Flex
Its market-leading status is underpinned by the importance placed on sourcing quality materials and environmentally friendly corporate policies. As important, is the relentless Flex research and development programme, that has made a real impact on the quality of life enjoyed by the company’s loyal following, through an unwavering commitment to innovation.
Javier Encinas, IT Manager at Flex, explains: “The company’s success in Spain is based on an impeccable understanding of the rest equipment market and a comprehensive network of outlets and production facilities. In order to replicate this success outside Spain, it has been important to establish a similar international infrastructure based on our communication needs.” The Flex estate of factories, warehouses, commercial offices and shops is connected via a BT-provided virtual private network (VPN). Using Frame Relay, the system offered a robust, secure and flexible operating environment entirely managed by BT. However, with a growing army of remote workers requiring a huge variety of information, a remote access solution was required that would safeguard the integrity of Flex corporate data while enabling quick and flexible access through a variety of telecommunications media. Beatriz Nogueras Marketing Manager at Flex says: “Without a fast, secure and reliable way of accessing and working with critical business information, our international teams would be unable to operate effectively. In terms of our global strategy, it is a prerequisite to our success.”
BT solution
Why BT?
With escalating remote access to online information, the potential for network security breaches has steadily grown as Flex manufacturing and service operations have spread across the globe. It became clear that a specific IT security solution was required.
• With unrivalled levels of experience in remote access and security technologies, BT was able to provide an effective, tailor-made and secure solution
BT’s response was to design a tailormade remote access solution based on Aventail’s award-winning Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) VPN technology – the world’s most widely deployed SSL VPN managed security platform. The system allows Flex users to access shared files and applications from any internet gateway, thereby providing a practical and easyto-use means of connection. It also enables administrators to incorporate a degree of manageability as well as significant levels of risk mitigation. The bespoke package, embodied in the BTSeda managed remote access service, enables Flex to provide remote access to a wide range of corporate applications. Users can access their business applications using a web-browser from anywhere on any device, safe in the knowledge that security is maintained throughout their visit. Managed, supported and housed by BT, the dedicated gateway solution was provided alongside an additional BT service that controlled connections to and from the Flex Spanish data centre through a BT internet link and a private connection to the data centre. The specially designed BTSeda solution, incorporating Aventail’s SSL VPN technology, fulfils three basic functions: • User authentication in the system – By using strong authentication mechanisms, the identity of users accessing information can be assured. This security is based on a validation process that users must complete prior to entering the system. With the help of BT, Flex successfully set up user profiles that ensure only the highest levels of authentication can access confidential information. • Data encryption and access control – Aventail’s SSL VPN technology encrypts data between the remote
• The BT solution accurately addressed the need for a flexible and scalable system designed for an expanding international network • A unique combination of BT managed services, best-of-breed technologies and 24*7 support minimised pressure on the Flex internal IT team • Knowledge of the customer’s objectives and infrastructure meant that BT was able to respond promptly to the Flex secure access challenge
user and the BTSeda gateway, ensuring corporate information remains hidden from prying eyes when traversing the internet. The Aventail technology includes a fine-tuning process that ensures appropriate users are granted access to the right information. The system also verifies that a user’s machine is secure before granting a secure connection to the Flex network. • Auditing and control – Access to the Flex corporate applications is controlled at the BT gateway. As importantly, however, this gateway can provide an audit trail that shows which users accessed which applications at which times, as well as recording where they were accessed from and for how long. The Flex internet gateway is connected to its data centre by means of a Frame Relay connection that provides 10kbps for each concurrent user, ensuring optimum performance for each session.
Results The intent was to introduce a secure access control solution based on best-of-breed technologies tailored to meet the growing worldwide needs of Flex and delivered with the highest levels of service and availability. Jointly, BT and Flex analysed the company’s global requirements, with cost and service provision as the main considerations. The financial objective of the remote access project
was to maximise return on investment for Flex derived from a payment model based on concurrent usage. Javier Encinas says: “Sourcing a costeffective security solution that would satisfy an increasing mix of access methods was a challenge that BT accepted and responded to extremely well. The tailored solution meant we could integrate our expanding international communications network without sacrificing security or quality of service.” BT’s response to the Flex challenge was a flexible and scalable solution that met the needs of the increasing range of remote access users. For instance, the BTSeda solution facilitates the expansion of accessible applications as well as the growth of the number of users who access them. By accommodating access by laptops, home PCs or PDAs – from kiosks, airports, offices or wireless hotspots – the system allowed any internet gateway to be used. This innovative service is the product of BT’s broad-ranging knowledge and expertise of managing VPNs and related security technologies such as firewalls, encryption systems and authentication methodologies. It is this combination of skills and technology that enabled BT to deliver an effective access solution that met the rigid security requirements of Flex, yet allowed its employees to work hassle-free from anywhere with confidence.
Case study
Remote access security solution allows global rest equipment manufacturer to sleep soundly As risks from unmanaged access points rise, technology must offer secure remote access to complex applications while reducing system and management costs. An increasing number of companies are turning to SSL VPNs for their flexibility, ease of administration, and proven security.
devices and locations, even from high risk locations such as wireless hotspots, public kiosks, and home PCs. The company’s End Point Control™ (EPC) technology enables companies to enforce policy, based on the level of trust that IT has allocated to the user and their access environment, ensuring maximum control and data protection from any remote access location.
The 24*7 BTSeda service is a totally managed SSL VPN solution that minimises disruption and relieves IT departments of additional burdens during implementation and operation. BTSeda uses Aventail technology, the recognised leader in the fast-growing SSL VPN market. With Aventail’s Smart SSL VPN remote employees and business partners gain transparent access to critical business data from multiple
The SSL protocol has been thoroughly tested for remote access and extranet VPNs, and Aventail technology delivers industry-leading network protection and granular access control. Although a proactive BT team is constantly available to provide assistance on any matter that may arise, customers retain autonomy through an end user management tool that enables them to activate or revoke users’ access rights.
Technology blueprint
BT products & services • BTSeda managed secure remote access platform • Aventail SSL VPN security technology • BT security and global networking consultancy services
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