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 Client Success Stories-Virtual Private Networking (VPN) |
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Business Need:
Design and implement a new a Wide Area Network expansion
to bring together 5 separate sites and tie them together using the same set of
enterprise-wide applications, including MAS200.
Solution:
This midsize concrete product manufacturer developed an
ambitious growth plan that would expand from a single location to five sites and
90 end-users (twice as many as before). The foundation of the business plan was
the need to share the same financial, customer and sales order applications
throughout the enterprise.
The company had already begun deploying Active Directory and Exchange, when
Hermes Group was asked to design and implement a Wide Area Network that you meet
the business requirements. We responded with a VPN-based network that used a mix
of T-1 and DSL, depending on number of users and applications. The same design
also provided for VPN-based access to home-office users, dispersed throughout
the US.
The WAN implementation
was spread over a period of four months. The Cisco-based VPN was integrated with
the Active Directory to eliminate redundant VPN accounts and passwords. The
Active Directory was also revised to better support authentication, file and
print-sharing over the new WAN. Finally, the MAS200 clients were configured to
optimize WAN bandwidth.
Business Need:
This manufacturer of specialty papers needed to streamline its sales order and
resource planning between the CA and NC facilities. Since there was no
economic way of establishing a WAN between the two facilities, sales
orders were accepted in either facility and then collected in CA using
manual methods over phone and fax. The inefficient sales order process
made scheduling of the production in NC difficult and non-optimized.
Solution:
Part of the solution involved installing MAS90 in the CA facility, but it had to
be able to be shared and accessed from NC. Both facilities had Internet
access through local ISPs, but the cost of a coast-to-coast WAN based on
frame-relay was prohibitive.
The Hermes Group recommended a VPN solution based on second-generation
products that provide high value and easy, browser-based configuration and
management. The products were ordered, tested and pre-configured off-site,
and shipped. They were installed with minimal disruption to the network,
the VPN tunnel was operational within hours and the private, encrypted WAN
was finally in place. MAS90 thin-clients were tested and worked
immediately.
Later on, we added their traveling salespeople to those that can access the
MAS90 sales order module. Salespeople use laptops with the VPN clients
installed that access the corporate WAN over dial-up Internet access.
Business Need:
The company engineered and manufactured hydrogen sensors, but business process
were divided between two facilities in CA and one in WI. Since there was
no economic way of establishing a WAN between the inter-state facilities,
the sales order and engineering processes were divided and taking longer
to complete, with phone and fax being the only means of communication.
Solution:
Part of the solution for streamlining the sales order process involved installing
MAS90. The engineering development also needed a way to share documents
and conduct electronic design review meetings. Both facilities had
Internet access through local ISPs, but the cost of a inter-state WAN
based on frame-relay was prohibitive.
Since DCHT was already using equipment from Cisco and was comfortable managing
it, the Hermes Group recommended a router upgrade and deployment of Cisco
PIX firewalls to implement VPN and improve network security. The equipment
was ordered, tested and pre-configured off-site, and shipped. During the
installation, the VPN tunnel was established and the private WAN was
operational.
MAS90 thin-clients were immediately functional and streamlined the sales order
process. The WAN also allowed engineers to begin sharing technical
documents and specifications and therefore reduce modifications and
development time.
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