'ICE' Helps Unipart Rail Keep Running During Snow Days
Business contingency solution gets non-remote employees working quickly and securely from home, enabling business continuity
“Network Defence has provided us with a more cost-effective option of providing staff with access to the company network as and when it is required, enabling them to still be productive and continue work wherever they are.”
Shaun Roper, IT manager for Unipart Rail Ltd
Key Benefits
- Simple and easy to use
- Flexible, scalable, secure remote access
- Greater control over access rights
- Reduced IT costs
- Business continuity in emergency situations
The Challenge
Unipart Rail provides products and services to the rail industry and is the leading supplier of replacement components in the UK Traction & Rolling Stock and infrastructure aftermarket, as well as consultancy service for implementing Lean business practices and logistics services.
Handling over 700 accredited suppliers and a product range comprising around 70,000 products, the company’s 800 specialists support customers across sites in the UK and internationally, with offices in Europe, the Far East, Australia and USA.
Unipart Rail required a cost-effective, secure remote access solution, which provided a standard and easy-to-use interface for mobile users using both laptops and smart phones. In addition, it required a flexible access solution, incorporating secure connectivity and strong authentication to accommodate quick and easy connectivity for all non-remote employees in the event of an emergency - such as severe weather, which prevented employees being able to get into work at its offices.
The Solution
Unipart Rail chose Network Defence to implement the AppGate in case of emergency (ICE) licence to extend its 50 concurrent remote access licences to all non-remote users.
The solution provides Unipart Rail with an easy to deploy, secure remote access solution, which enables staff who are not set up with remote working facilities to access company data and applications from any location in the event they are unable to get into or work at the office.
The ICE licence, which sits on an AppGate solution is designed to be part of a company’s contingency plan to ensure business continuity and allows an unlimited number of users to use the system for a limited time during unpredictable events such as, weather emergencies, transport strikes, power shortages and virus outbreaks.
The AppGate solution, installed and implemented by Network Defence, provides secure and strictly controlled access to applications in an organisation’s infrastructure, ensuring close management over access. The solution unifies authentication, authorisation, encryption, access control, client control, single sign-on and monitoring and reporting into one easy-to-manage comprehensive solution, whilst the ICE licence enables the solution to be scaled to an unlimited number of users, providing strictly controlled access for a period of 90 days.
The licence is made available immediately and can be activated in minutes by a phone call.
The Benefits
By delivering flexible working to staff, Network Defence has helped Unipart Rail avoid the cost of staff absenteeism in emergency situations, supporting greater business continuity. The ICE licence is easy to scale and enables unlimited non-remote users to securely access their emails and other business applications from home.
A key benefit of the remote access solution is that it provides a robust level of remote access security, giving Unipart Rail full control over access rights to ensure the network and data are protected at all times.
Shaun Roper, IT manager for Unipart Rail Ltd, said: “The winter 2009/10 severe weather conditions have already cost businesses millions of pounds through lost productivity due to absent staff. We wanted to implement a cost-effective business continuity plan to prepare for any future emergencies such as bad weather or even swine flu outbreaks. “
Another significant benefit of the ICE licence is the cost savings it delivers to organisations. Unlike with traditional remote working, the ICE licence solution lets employees use their own PCs, saving on the cost of corporate laptops.
Shaun Roper continued: “Network Defence has provided us with a solution which doesn’t require us to roll out remote working to all employees, but gives us the more cost-effective option of providing staff with access to the company network as and when it is required, enabling them to still be productive and continue work wherever they are.
“We chose to work with Network Defence as they truly understand our business needs and by giving us a solution which could be integrated into our legacy system – which others we unable to do, they have provided us with the flexiblility we require and a solution that truly works for us.”
Technologies Used
- AppGate ICE Server
- AppGate ICE licence
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