VAR of the Year: iGOV

After serving the federal government for nearly a decade, iGov underwent a recent reinvention, recognizing the need to offer agencies more than hardware alone.

"Two years ago, we decided to revert our focus toward a balance of service and product," CEO Patrick Neven says. "It's not an easy transition--you leave a lot of people behind as you look for different sets of qualifications."

VARBusiness chose iGov for VAR of the Year for Advanced Technology Deployment: Security because it has successfully made this transition and developed superior wireless systems, tailoring solutions for specific needs.

"The first year into the wireless market, we did a lot of preparing, planning and evangelizing," Neven says. As a result, iGov offers a wireless-network solution that passes all federal litmus tests. Specifically, iSolutions for Wireless provides an end-to-end secure, mobile and manageable connection for Wi-Fi voice and data users. It incorporates Layer 2 encryption, Quality of Service (QoS), GIGE Millimeter Wave, and free-space optics (FSO) at the core; expansive distribution points; and Wi-Fi 802.11a/g for in-building and outdoor coverage. The infrastructure also features wireless intrusion-detection systems and Near Line of Sight point-to-point links.

The Layer 2 encryption provides a "significant increase in security because hackers or would-be attackers cannot see the encrypted data or the IP source and destination addresses of each packet," explains Oscar Fuster, iGov's vice president of consulting services. "This prevents denial-of-service attacks, man-in-the-middle vulnerabilities, rogue access points, ARP poisoning, and others."

Typically, Layer 2 encryption introduces several challenges. A "frame" containing the encrypted information (header and data) must be created, meaning a new overhead layer. Some 40 percent or more of bandwidth potentially could be lost in the case of voice applications, for example. And Layer 2 encryption requires the entire packet to be encrypted, including QoS information. While QoS lets a network offer improved service to selected network traffic over various technologies, it also causes the information to be hidden from the encryption device.

Fuster says iGov's iSolutions for Wireless solves such issues through its combination of technologies and design practices, which has caught government's eye. Already, the company is charged with most of the Army's wireless requirements. In addition, iGov won a five-year, $300 million contract with the DoD to develop mobile networks for special forces operations.

The biggest challenge for iGov is handling potential business. "It's really about putting meat on the bones for wireless now that we have a market to go after," Neven says.