Case Study: Reseller Secures Internet Connection With Check Point
Today, because of products from security vendor Check Point Software Technologies, Redwood City, Calif., Movado's data is safer than ever, and with help from AccessIT, the watchmaker is on its way to developing a high-speed network for its retail division.
"We're using technology in ways we never dreamed," says Mike Torrente, vice president of network operations at Movado. "AccessIT helped us leverage our existing investment in Check Point to develop an interconnectivity strategy with our stores."
>> RESELLER: AccessIT Group, King of Prussia, Pa. focus: Security implementations
>> PROBLEM and SOLUTION: Devise a way for Paramus, N.J.-based watchmaker Movado to upgrade and secure communications between boutiques, retail locations and headquarters
>> PRODUCTS and SERVICES USED: Check Point's VPN-1 Pro software and VPN-1 Edge appliances
>> LESSONS LEARNED:
> Web-based connectivity strategies are cheaper and easier to maintain.
> Two-pronged security solutions are better than a singular approach.
The Check Point implementation began unexpectedly. For five years, Movado ran frame relay connections between headquarters and its major sites around the world. But when the vendor learned that establishing a frame relay connection to a new office in Hong Kong would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, Movado sought other options.
Movado realized a need to improve communications between its numerous retail stores and reached out to AccessIT. After evaluating the situation and discussing various options, AccessIT suggested that instead of opting for frame relay, Movado should deploy Check Point's VPN-1 Pro software and VPN-1 Edge appliances to secure communications.
Nathan Browne, director of technical services at AccessIT, was part of the team sent to convince Torrente that the new strategy would work. In a face-to-face presentation, Browne explained the new system in detail, set up a demo and called on another Check Point customer to provide a testimonial.
"We wanted to move them to an environment where they were paying based completely on usage," Browne said.
The testimonial from the Check Point customer was key to convincing Movado. "Once they heard this could work for other companies in the real world, they were ready to do it," he said.
With Movado on board, AccessIT quickly got to work. In the United States, the solution provider installed Check Point's VPN-1 Pro on a Nokia appliance to secure communications between the New Jersey headquarters and offices in Hong Kong and Japan.
The VPN-1 Pro integrated VPN/firewall enterprise software offers centralized management capabilities, attack protection and traffic-shaping technology.
AccessIT also deployed a total of six Check Point VPN-1 Edge devices for Movado: one at an office in New York, one at an office in Florida and four at Movado retail locations around the country. The VPN-1 Edge integrated VPN/firewall appliance provides secure connectivity between remote sites.
"We took a two-pronged approach to make sure the connections would be as secure as possible," Browne said.
He added that AccessIT provided training to Movado employees to help them manage the VPN-1 Edge devices centrally with the assistance of Check Point's SmartCenter security management solution, a tool that enables organizations to perform all aspects of security management via a single, unified console.
So far, the implementation has yielded impressive results. Movado now can easily and securely communicate between retail stores and headquarters with AccessIT and Check Point's solution.
By the end of the year, Movado plans to expand the VPN-1 Edge rollout to include boxes in all 24 U.S. boutique locations and all 27 retail stores. Torrente said he is happy with the results.
"This project has laid the groundwork for a global high-speed network—a network that would have been cost-prohibitive for a mid-sized company a few years ago," he said.