Press Release
Grant Joint Union High School District reduces network downtime and IT costs with Stonesoft
StoneGate Solutions Qualified for E-Rate Funding
ATLANTA – December 4, 2007 – Stonesoft, an innovative provider of
integrated network security and resilient connectivity solutions, today announced that Grant Joint
Union High School District, one of the most technologically advanced school districts in
California, has implemented its unified StoneGate VPN/ firewall solutions to secure the district’s
extensive systems network. The school district was able to purchase the award-winning
StoneGate solutions using E-Rate funds available through a federally funded program that helps to
provide technology to qualified educational institutions.
Security and Internet reliability are increasingly critical to the education industry as
technology plays a larger role in learning. However, for many organizations, having access to the
advanced technologies needed to keep pace with today’s learning demands is often limited due to
strained resources. With programs like E-Rate, schools can apply for financial help to
purchase Internet and telecom technologies to address the technology needs of its
organization.
Grant Joint Union High School District, based in Sacramento, Calif., includes four
comprehensive high schools and five junior highs, as well as two adult education centers, two
alternative high schools and one independent study program. The district has approximately 12,000
students and 1,600 employees. With 2,300 users (students not included) simultaneous network
access, the district’s IT staff was challenged to find a robust and cost-effective technology
solution that could deliver always-on and secure Internet connectivity. The IT administrators also
needed a unified platform that enabled them to easily manage the district’s multiple networks to
increase overall efficiencies.
“Our goal is to provide students with a solid education that will prepare them for the
changing economy. This includes a rich curriculum, which relies on the latest technological
advancements,” said
Jim Chapman, IT Director for Grant Joint Union. “With
so many users logging into our network from distributed locations, we needed a reliable solution
that supported continuous network uptime. By deploying StoneGate, we have been able to take a
best-of-breed approach to maintaining our Internet connectivity and network redundancy, while also
significantly improving network manageability.”
Grant Joint Union chose the StoneGate platform because of its patented firewall and VPN
technologies to ensure the highest network and Internet availability, and its ability to simplify
the school district’s network and lower the total cost of ownership.
The StoneGate solutions are designed to protect valuable data and internal systems through
different security levels, quickly detect and react to threats, and ensure continuous availability
thanks to StoneGate’s native clustering, high availability and load balancing features.
Moreover, Stonesoft’s granular-based security controls enable security network administrators to
become more proactive than reactive.
After a testing phase, and seeing immediate improvements in network performance, Stonesoft’s
StoneGate solution was chosen for its superior quality and excellent customer service. Grant
Joint Union worked with Stonesoft and used E-Rate funding to aid in the purchase of the products.
The Schools and Libraries Program of the Universal Service Fund, commonly known as "E-Rate,"
is administered by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) under the direction of the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and provides discounts to assist most schools and
libraries in the United States to obtain affordable telecommunications, internet access and
associated networking infrastructure. The program is intended to ensure that schools and
libraries have access to affordable data and telecommunications services.
For more information on the program and eligibility requirements, please visit
http://www.universalservice.org/sl/.
About Stonesoft Corporation
Stonesoft Corporation (OMX: SFT1V) is an innovative provider of integrated network security solutions to secure the information flow of distributed organizations. Stonesoft customers include enterprises with growing business needs requiring advanced network security and always-on business connectivity.StoneGate™ Secure Connectivity Solution unifies firewall, VPN, IPS and SSL VPN blending network security, end-to-end availability and award-winning load balancing into a centrally managed system. The key benefits of StoneGate Secure Connectivity Solution include low TCO, excellent price-performance ratio and high ROI.
StoneGate Management Center provides unified management for StoneGate Firewall with VPN, IPS and SSL VPN. StoneGate Firewall and IPS work together to provide intelligent defense throughout the enterprise network while StoneGate SSL VPN provides enhanced security for mobile and remote use.
Founded in 1990, Stonesoft Corporation is a global company with corporate headquarters in Helsinki, Finland and Americas headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information, visit www.stonesoft.com.
Contact:
Jennifer LakeLois Paul & Partners
512-638-5313
Jennifer_lake@lpp.com
Laurie Douglas
Stonesoft Corporation
678-578-8429
Laurie.douglas@stonesoft.com
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
