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Today, any employee with a Web browser can download a wide range of content and software. Unfortunately, this content ranges from the valuable business information employees need to do their jobs to less productive pursuits – time-wasting games, pirated movies and copyrighted MP3 files accessed over peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing networks. When employees access unauthorized Web applications, they pose a costly risk to enterprise network security and productivity by sharing private files, taking up exorbitant amounts of bandwidth and exposing companies to legal liability.
CompUSA, the nation's leading retailer and reseller of personal computer-related products and services, recently solved this problem by deploying the ProxySG™ secure proxy appliance fromBlue Coat Systems to manage and control Web and P2P access for more than 15,000 users. By increasing network bandwidth and improving employee productivity, the Blue Coat solution is providing CompUSA with a significant return-oninvestment (ROI) and savings of nearly $20 million annually.
Company Background:
CompUSA Inc. is one of the largest retailers of personal computer-related products and services in the United States. Founded in 1984, it now operates approximately 225 stores in 90 major metropolitan markets. These superstores serve retail, corporate, government and education customers and include technical service departments. CompUSA's inventory includes all major brands of computers and information products including Apple, Compaq, Epson, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Lotus, Microsoft, Toshiba and more.
The Challenge:
As part of a recent restructuring of its IT organization, CompUSA brought in solution provider Bluecoat BlueVantage to conduct a third-party assessment of the company's network, which had been experiencing performance degradation and other problems. Much to their surprise, CompUSA and BlueVantage discovered that the single biggest drain on the company's wide-area network was employee use of P2P applications. “These applications were literally burning up one-third of their network, even though CompUSA has policies regarding acceptable use,” says Dave Schell, director of business development at BlueVantage. “With 225 locations running T-1 lines, that's a substantial drain on resources.” P2P file sharing poses other risks to businesses, Schell points out. With organizations like the Recording Industry Association of America preparing to take action against companies that allow file sharing, P2P opens up companies like CompUSA to huge legal risks. Finally, if malicious code – like the rapidly propagating Sobig worm – is embedded in a P2P application, it can cross the corporate firewall.
Blue Coat
ProxySG™ appliance improves control of user communications over the Web, saves retailer $20 million annually. |
