Case Study: Geiger Grows with
Akibia and Check Point Security

The Geiger Challenge

Five hundred Geiger employees in 20 offices across the United States rely on the company's centralized order management system in Lewiston, Maine, and on its document image system containing 3 million documents, including all orders, sales receipts, and expense reports. "We run a nearly entirely paperless operation," says Rob Herman, technical infrastructure supervisor who oversees the company data and voice networks.

In 2005, as Geiger Brothers acquired four companies and established four new offices, it also faced increasing demands from employees for remote access so that they could work more easily from home or other locations. Some of the demand came from executives who were traveling frequently as a result of the acquisitions, and who planned to attend six annual industry tradeshows, but sales associates also no longer wanted to be tied to their desks.

"Security is the hardest thing we deal with," Herman says. "It's important for Geiger to stay current with the industry." That is why Geiger relies on the partnership of Check Point and Akibia, its long-time consultant for network and security solutions. Akibia keeps Geiger abreast of new technologies, educated on market and industry changes, and provides on-site technical support, helping the company assess its needs and recommending best-of-breed solutions for critical security issues.

The Check Point Solution

Geiger securely connects all its branch offices to the Lewiston headquarters by site-to-site virtual private networks (VPNs) for both data and voice communications, using Check Point VPN-1® Pro™ NGX to provide the most fault-tolerant and secure links. With Akibia's consultation and support, Geiger switched from Frame Relay to VPNs using Check Point solutions. The company saw total payback on its investment in less than one year. Key partners, such as Web-hosting companies and the IT consultant that maintains Geiger's order management system, also connect to the data center via VPNs.

The security and availability of business-critical network services is ensured through a layered defense strategy that includes a pair of clustered VPN-1 Pro NGX gateways in the data center. "With offices across four time zones, any time we are offline we lose sales. If the firewalls are down for any reason, the Web sites go down," Herman says. "With the Check Point High Availability solution, we can do upgrades without disrupting business." In addition, bandwidth is managed to give the highest priority to VPN traffic, providing the quality of service required for voice transmission.

To meet the growing employee demand for remote access, Akibia suggested SSL Network Extender was the easiest solution for users because there is no software to install on their computers. "They just log in, and they are securely connected," Herman says. SSL Network Extender™ is a browser plug-in that gives users access to Web and non-Web applications with all the security features provided by VPN-1 Pro.

The Benefits of Check Point Security and Akibia Support

Herman sums up the overall advantage of Check Point security and his relationship with Akibia in one word. "Stability." To him stability means a security infrastructure that is "always available and does not give us problems." Stability also comes from working with a trusted partner and advisor like Akibia to help create a secure infrastructure.

Stability also comes from working with a trusted partner and advisor like Akibia to help create a secure infrastructure. A consistent and long-term partnership with Akibia has helped Geiger build up its security infrastructure. Herman's security group is supported by Akibia's helpdesk and consulting team. The Akibia helpdesk provides a fast and accurate response to help troubleshoot issues, while Akibia's consulting practice helps identify new opportunities and solutions. Herman cites that Akibia often goes above and beyond the call of duty by working with Geiger to make critical firewall and protection updates overnight, limiting the downtime and effect felt by the company's end users.

For more information about Geiger visit www.geiger.com.