Akibia Speeds Up Access to Centralized Files with Blue Coat Solution

Blue Coat Systems, a provider of wide area network (WAN) optimization and secure Web gateway, announced that Akibia, a provider of enterprise-class IT solutions, has deployed Blue Coat (News - Alert) ProxySG appliances that enable faster access to centralized files and reduce bandwidth consumption. 

 

Akibia provides IT solutions for data center consolidation, network security, system monitoring, technical training, and consulting. Blue Coat deployed ProxySG appliance at Akibia headquarters in Westborough, Mass., and at six branch offices around the U.S.

 

According to Akibia’s IT department, prior to the deployment of ProxySG appliances, file access time was sub-par. With Blue Coat’s WAN optimization solution, the company has reduced its bandwidth consumption by 84 percent, resulting in significant operational savings.

 

Akibia used Excel files to quote projects. These files used to take a long time to exchange between a branch office employee and the centralized file server at the company's data center. With the new solution, access of these files has become nearly instantaneous, the company says.

 

“We wanted to accelerate only business-critical applications, while stopping or managing anything malicious or unimportant,” said Rick Onorato, IT director, Akibia.

 

“At the same time, ProxySG appliances give us the ability to secure and accelerate direct Internet connections at each branch office.”

 

Akibia also adopted a direct-to-the-net model by which it could give direct Internet access to branch office. This strategy helped the company reduce bandwidth considerably by eliminating the need to backhaul Internet traffic to the centralized Internet gateway in the company's data center.

 

According to Akibia, the same ProxySG appliance in each branch office serves both to protect the office from malicious threats resulting from a direct Internet connection and to provide acceleration for acceptable Web content and applications.

 

“ProxySG appliances enable enterprises and organizations to regain control of their networks by accelerating business-critical content and applications while stopping, managing or mitigating the unimportant,” said Steve Rowland, vice president of sales, North America, Blue Coat Systems. “Akibia uses Blue Coat appliances to develop a state-of-the-art network to increase efficiency and productivity, reduce costs and minimize threats.”