Fast, Scalable, Secure Internet & Video Communications
Stonesoft's Firewall/VPN solution was installed at FastWeb's customers' sites to secure different types of applications: from simple, fast Internet connectivity to leading edge video communications and video on-demand applications.
With over 249,000 customers in Italy, over 1300 employees in 6 locations and revenues of more than EUR 183.1 million, FastWeb offers its business and residential customers an integrated system for the concurrent and optimised use of telephone, Internet and TV, thanks to an advanced optical-fibre IP network operating in the cities of Milan, Turin, Genoa, Bologna, Rome and Naples.
FastWeb offers its business customers a range of broadband services addressed to different kinds
of users, from small-medium businesses to large enterprises.
The company provides a set of integrated services for telephony, fast Internet access, data transmission and a range of advanced turnkey Internet consulting services, for example: advanced telephony and LAN management services, video-surveillance, VPNs, Web hosting and Web housing, broadband audio and streaming video, and advanced e-commerce.
Large scale security deployment
FastWeb wanted to provide its customers with secure solutions offering enterprise class firewall
and VPN solutions at their clients sites.
The solution had to be scalable to incorporate thousands of client installations across its full range of customers, from very large to very small. The company had a number of other requirements which needed to be fulfilled; the solution should incorporate a firewall and VPN, which could offer high reliability and security, allow access to the whole range of FastWeb's services, minimize the administration impact on FastWeb's organisation, while offering the highest standard in performance and flexibility.
FastWeb was looking for a solution without hidden costs. Costs related to maintenance and upgrade issues, for example, can increase dramatically with an extensive and growing customer base such as FastWeb's.
Easy installation was essential. Incurring the huge costs involved in training existing partners
and their technicians to configure sophisticated security software was not an option and sending
security administrators to each customer site for installations or upgrades was neither practical
nor cost-effective.
"Configuring even one instance of complex hardware and/or software is time-consuming and
expensive enough," explains
Andrea Bigolin, Product Manager Security Top Companies
FastWeb.
Configuring many such servers can overwhelm a support organization. The solution had to allow FastWeb's field technicians to plug in the routers and their security specialists to deploy, manage and upgrade the software remotely.
Finding the Simple Solution to a Complex Problem
FastWeb carried out benchmark testing on a number of different solutions available on the market, verifying the products capability of meeting all the company's requirements not only across their current range of services but taking into account future developments.
StoneGate Firewall/VPn appliances are easily managed from Fastweb's centralized network management center. Even upgrades are performed remotely.
"Once the testing was over, we chose Stonesoft's firewall appliance as it perfectly integrates
with our services providing a solution which can be configured and scaled in an extremely flexible
way according to the application to be protected. This makes the product adaptable to every one of
our customers needs," stated Bigolin.
"StoneGate was the only solution which offered ease of installation, without the need to change existing processes or additional training for FastWeb's IT staff. Plus the centralised management of all firewalls allows seamless remote access for a fast configuration of security policies. In short, Stonesoft gave us a simple solution to a complex problem."
FastWeb chose a single firewall appliance solution incorporating StoneGate software and hardware, from Italian hardware manufacturer Flextel, which could be deployed to all customers regardless of size or requirement. The appliances provided by Stonesoft - StoneVision 7000 - feature a customised chassis (with FastWeb colours and logo) and consists of the hardware developed by Flextel and pre-installed StoneGate firewall software from Stonesoft.
Because StoneGate is already pre-installed on the appliance it is ready to be plugged in by the field engineer without the need for complex training. StoneGate's powerful remote management allows initial configuration, upgrades and administration to be carried out quickly and efficiently without the need for an administrator to visit the customer site.
"The StoneGate solution has already helped us to save time and costs with regards to deployment
and upgrades. For example remote upgrades can be managed through a procedure, which takes minutes
rather than hours or days," says Bigolin.
"Even though e-security is not a telecommunication operator's core business, it is becoming a more and more strategic issue; that's why we needed a reliable partner with a reliable solution. Thanks to its scalability, reliability, ease of management and maintenance, this "all-in-one" security solution has enabled us to increase our service offering to our customers while reducing the total cost of ownership."
About Fastweb
FastWeb is 100% owned by e.Biscom, a holding company listed on the Milan Stock Exchange, and is
Italy's leading provider of broadband telecommunications services. FastWeb has developed a
completely new generation of transmission networks providing an alternative to traditional
telephone networks. The infrastructure covers the main Italian metropolitan areas.
FastWeb has a unique competitive advantage over other telecommunications companies, thanks to a
technological solution that has set a worldwide precedent. Indeed, FastWeb was the first company to
combine the extensive use of IP (Internet Protocol) for the integrated management of voice, data
and video through packet-switching with fibre optics. Therefore, the company was able to reach two
objectives: firstly to offer its clients practically unlimited bandwidth and secondly to maximize
the efficiency of its investments in infrastructure.
With this network platform, which offers the flexibility for advanced applications such as TV-based Video Communication, FastWeb has been able to integrate previously separate functions and develop innovative, value-added services that can be used simultaneously over a single connection. The combination of fixed telephony, data transmission and video broadcasting has created a unique business model, enabling the company to meet the growing communication needs of every user, from the sophisticated requirements of large corporations to the more traditional needs of small family units.