Telecom providers are increasingly looking out for network security solutions to meet their critical and diverse security requirements. Spice Telecom has recently deployed Fortinet's FortiGateT-300A, a Unified Threat Management (UTM) system.

S.S. Deshmukh, IT-Head, Spice Telecom said, "We deployed Fortinet's UTM system in February this year and in a month's time we've noticed dramatic improvements in the integrity and flexibility of Spice Telecom's network security infrastructure," he informed.

On the various reasons for deploying the new solution, he told that managing and maintaining a mixed bag of point security products from numerous vendors was becoming a big challenge. This was compounded every time a computer was added to the network. Moreover, with growing complexities in the network, it became increasingly difficult to keep virus and spam signatures up-to-date and to effectively enforce security policies.

"Hence, we wanted to go for a solution that would be easy to manage, develop with the network as necessary and ensure up to date security updates to virus and spam signatures," added Deshmukh.

About Fortinet's system, he remarked, "We were looking for a solution that would support high availability and load balancing operations to eliminate any possibility of a single point of failure. After evaluating solutions from several vendors, we deployed two FortiGate-300A systems in a HA configuration to provide comprehensive, non-stop multi-threat security. Moreover, Fortinet's functional range of security services are ICSA certified."

FortiGate-300A systems provide the performance, flexibility, and security necessary to protect enterprise networks. It's advanced user-definable 10/100 ports can be assigned to provide redundant WAN links, high availability, and multi-zone capabilities, allowing administrators to segment their network into zones and create policies to control network traffic between zones. Another advantage is that FortiGate-300A systems continuously update and ensure protection against the latest viruses, worms, Trojans, and other threats.

About the deployment, Deshmukh said, "The deployment of the FortiGate-300A platforms has not only resulted in flexibility of our network security infrastructure, but also increased efficiency within the IT workforce."

With more than 1.5 million subscribers in Punjab and Karnataka, the company is optimist about its migration to the next generation security infrastructure. Deshmukh feels that this new initiative has simplified the various network complexities faced by today's enterprises.

http://www.cxotoday.com/cxo/jsp/article.jsp?article_id=72636&cat_id=911

Fortinet, a key player in Unified Threat Management and only provider of ASIC-accelerated, network-based multi-threat security systems for real-time network protection, has announced that Spice Telecom, a mobile telecommunications providers, has deployed Fortinet's FortiGate-300A Unified Threat Management (UTM) system as the cornerstone of its network security infrastructure.

Launched nine years ago as a cellular phone service operator, Spice Telecom currently serves 1.5 million subscribers in the Punjab and Karnataka regions with wide coverage in urban areas and road networks.

Spice Telecom's IT department was continuously challenged with trying to manage and maintain a large assortment of point security products from numerous vendors. This challenge was compounded every time a computer was added to the network. As Spice Telecom's network grew, the IT department found it increasingly difficult to keep virus and spam signatures up-to-date and to effectively enforce security policies.

Spice Telecom recognized the need for a comprehensive, streamlined network security solution to meet its critical and diverse security requirements. IT administrators were eager for a solution that would be easy to manage, grow with the network as necessary and ensure up-to-the-minute security updates to virus and spam signatures.

The company was also seeking a solution that would support High Availability (HA) and Load Balancing operations to eliminate any possibility of a single point of failure. After evaluating solutions from several vendors, Spice Telecom purchased and deployed two FortiGate-300A systems in a HA configuration to provide comprehensive, non-stop multi-threat security.

The company says that deployment of the FortiGate-300A platforms has resulted in improvements in the integrity and flexibility of Spice Telecom?s network security infrastructure and a marked increase in IT staff efficiency. The ASIC-accelerated FortiGate systems provide a full suite of network security capabilities - including firewall, antivirus, intrusion prevention systems (IPS), VPN, Web filtering, anti-spam, and traffic shaping ? to protect against content and blended threats in real-time.

Tests performed on the FortiGate-300A systems by Spice Telecom indicated that scanning of inbound and outbound traffic achieved throughputs in excess of 300 MBPS.

According to Navin Kaul, COO - Spice Telecom Karnataka, "Fortinet's unified threat management systems provided us the best functional range of security applications and services, most of which are ICSA certified, and offered the best total cost of ownership. The other real plus we?ve experienced with Fortinet is the fact that we only bear a one-time acquisition cost versus the huge annual maintenance and licensing costs for other solutions."

http://www.crn-india.com/breakingnews/stories/63867.html

Post deployment, Spice enjoyes improved integrity and flexibility in its telecom network security infrastructure as well as increase in IT staff efficiency.

Tuesday, April 18, 2006: New Delhi: Spice Telecom has deployed Fortinet's FortiGate-300A unified threat management (UTM) system as the cornerstone of its network security infrastructure.

The deployment of the FortiGate-300A platforms has improved the integrity and flexibility of Spice Telecom's network security infrastructure and marked an increase in IT staff efficiency. "With Fortinet's UTM systems in place, we've reduced our administration complexities and management headaches, as well as improved the robustness of our network security," said Navin Kaul, COO - Spice Telecom Karnataka.

Additionally, Spice will no longer have to worry about a single-point of failure in our network, which was previously their only gateway to the Internet. "The other real plus we've experienced with Fortinet is the fact that we only bear a one-time acquisition cost versus the huge annual maintenance and licensing costs for other solutions. Overall, this has been an exceptional value proposition for us," avers Kaul.

According to Kaul, "Fortinet's unified threat management systems provided us the best functional range of security applications and services, most of which are ICSA certified, and offered the best total cost of ownership. Additionally, we liked the high-performance the systems delivered, made possible by ASIC-based hardware acceleration."

"Reducing network complexity and maximising availability is a key concern for telecommunications companies," said Hansen Chang, vice president, Asia Pacific, Fortinet. "The integrated security and management that our FortiGate systems provide enabled Spice Telecom to enhance network security and reduce complexity without compromising performance -- a perfect example of the effectiveness of UTM and the value of Fortinet systems."

http://www.efytimes.com/fullnews.asp?edid=11369

Spice Telecom, one of India’s leading mobile telecommunications providers, deployed Fortinet FortiGate systems to protect critical infrastructure for 1.5 million subscribers in India.

Ease-of-use, management and robust network security capabilities has been cited as critical factors for success.

Fortinet – the pioneer and market leader in unified threat management and only provider of ASIC-accelerated, network-based multi-threat security systems for real-time network protection said that Spice Telecom has deployed Fortinet’s FortiGate™-300A Unified Threat Management (UTM) system as the cornerstone of its network security infrastructure.

Launched nine years ago as a cellular phone service operator, Spice Telecom currently serves 1.5 million subscribers in the Punjab and Karnataka regions with wide coverage in urban areas and road networks.

Spice Telecom’s IT department was continuously challenged with trying to manage and maintain a large assortment of point security products from numerous vendors.

This challenge was compounded every time a computer was added to the network. As Spice Telecom’s network grew, the IT department found it increasingly difficult to keep virus and spam signatures up-to-date and to effectively enforce security policies.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1677138,00020020.htm