Juice Producer Improves Reliability by Migrating Firewall from Linux to Microsoft

Situation

Originally established in Mexico, Sucos del Valle is a fruit juice producer that began its Brazil operations in 1997 by importing prepared products.In 1999, seeing opportunities for growth in the Brazilian market, it set up its first Brazilian factory in the city of Americana where it has also recently opened a distribution center.Headquartered in the capital of São Paulo, the company employs a workforce of nearly 320.

Up until mid-2004, Sucos del Valle had outdated IT equipment and usedSUSE Linux version 8.0 with Squid as a firewall.That scenario began to change in July 2004 with the hiring of a new IT manager.It was followed, in November of that same year, by the approval of a project that called for the restructure and modernization of all company equipment. The project included updating the software and trainingIT staff.

One of the main concerns of the IT professionals at Sucos del Valle was computer security. The number of threats to the corporate network was increasing daily, and the market of new products and technology promising to prevent unauthorized access was also growing. The choice of the best solution was far from simple. It required assessing not only the initial purchase cost, but also the expense involved in implementation, customization, and maintenance. That is exactly what IT management at Sucos del Valle did before it decided to adopt Microsoft® Internet Security and Acceleration Server (ISA) 2004 as its new firewall.

Solution

The process of overhauling the technology infrastructure began with anupgrade from the Microsoft Windows NT®Server operating system version 4.0 to the Microsoft Windows Server™ 2003 operating system.The more critical stages, such as establishing communication links and multiplant configuration, were outsourced, but most of the projects were carried out with company resources.The new infrastructure is based entirely on Microsoft technologies.The company uses a Microsoft SQL Server™ 2000 database, the Windows® XP operating system, and Microsoft Office Professional Edition 2003. In addition, Sucos del Valle uses Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 as its e-mail server.

In January 2005, 15 days after migrating and testing Windows Server 2003, Sucos del Valle identified the need for new security resources.Seeking a reliable and secure solution, the company embarked upon implementation of ISA Server 2004 to replace SUSE Linux.“We were really concerned about the lack of specialized employees trained in Linux who would be able to maintain our previous system,” recalls Douglas José Januário, IT Manager, Sucos del Valle.“We didn’t feel secure because we’d been unable to find certified personnel.”

The IT staff implemented ISA Server in only one day and spent less than a week establishing rules and planning implementation.Net Tech Informática of Campinasand telecommunications provider Embratel designed the communication links. Net Tech Informática also assisted with server configuration and passed that knowledge on to the Sucos del Valle network administrator.

Benefits

By switching from Linux to Microsoft software, Sucos del Valle has improved system reliability. ISA Server 2004 has also eased system management and sped decision-making.

Improved Reliability

For Januário, the greatest benefit of Sucos del Valle’s technology equipment restructuring project has been the reliability offered by the Microsoft platform, because certified professionals are available to perform maintenance on the system. “We have to work in a secure environment with the certainty that we have specialized personnel to support us,” saysJanuário.

Easier System Management

The new solution has been easier to manage than the previous Linux system. “Apart from the ease of implementation, ISA Server 2004 has enabled us to achieve an excellent cost-benefit ratio and greater ease in managing the environment,” says Januário.

Faster Decision-Making

Previously, the IT division had difficulty obtaining reports quickly.For example, every time the staff needed a survey of the number of Internet users during a particular time period, they had to ask an administrator to extract the data, which was then inserted into aspreadsheet.This process took nearly four hours.ISA Server 2004 has sped up receipt of the reports, which are now in the hands of management in less than 30 minutes.As a result, decision-making has become much faster, leading to better IT management.

Microsoft Windows Server System

Microsoft Windows Server System is a line of integrated and manageable server software designed to reduce the complexity and cost of IT. Windows Server System enables you to spend less time and budget on managing your systems so that you can focus your resources on other priorities for you and your business.

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