WEB ZONE CASE HISTORY
Back to Case Studies Networking reseller Web Zone, Inc., of Santa Clara, California, has been praised in the
press as a company that, without a risky investment in infrastructure or losing track of its core business, offers the range of networking equipment and services typically requiring both an Internet service
provider and a value-added reseller. While customers turn to Web Zone for high-performance Internet connectivity as well as equipment, software, and integration services, the company pursues a novel business
strategy where it leases rather than owns expensive bandwidth infrastructure. "We assist our customers in all aspects of Internet and intranet connectivity, including remote access, Web servers and
desktop computers, as well as providing Internet access," said Todd Krepick, Web Zone account executive. The Internet: a great tool to be taken seriously Web Zone began in 1996 as a reseller of
Silicon Graphics workstations and servers. In the course of selling and customizing Silicon Graphics systems, the company came in contact with many small businesses that were looking for an Internet service
provider as well. "The space and budget restrictions of small businesses led us to think about delivering solutions that would meet their needs," Krepick said. "The Internet is a great tool but
must be taken seriously. Many small companies don't have an e-mail server, much less something as sophisticated as a firewall to protect their internal network from hackers who might get in through the
Internet." Krepick pointed out that after companies are connected to the Internet and put up a Web site, they often begin considering the advantages of an intranet. But, because this raises the bar for
security and control, companies are uncertain about how to get started and what it will cost so they keep putting off action. An incredible solution to keep the network simple "We found an
incredible solution that makes things easy for us and for our customers in FreeGate's system, which offers everything in one box. The FreeGate Multi-services Internet Gateway is directly in line with our
operating philosophy which is to keep the network simple," Krepick said. "One of the first things that comes to a customer's mind is that they can use the FreeGate unit to create an internal site to
share employee information. Most companies quickly see the possibility of creating a close bond with employees to make company information more accessible, as well as activities, personal bulletin-board items,
and the like." The FreeGate system is a complete solution for small and medium size companies. It combines an Internet e-mail server, firewall, router and more in a single unit. Because its designed from
scratch as a networking system with built-in dual mirrored disk drives and an uninterruptible power supply, the FreeGate system can maintain a reliable, permanent connection to the Internet to support company
e-mail and Web services. "People can get frustrated and confused trying to implement routers, e-mail, FTP and firewalls into their network," Krepick said. "The FreeGate system is such a
straightforward solution that we can tell our customers, since they need a router in any case to connect to the Internet, they should buy FreeGate's unit and take advantage of the additional functions it
offers." Nearby partners such as AboveNet Communications provide Web Zone an Internet point- of-presence with high-speed connections. "We can offer Internet access to meet any company's needs, while
keeping costs down and concentrating our resources where they're needed," Krepick said. "By dealing only with the corporate environment, we don't overload our staff. We can provide customers with
Internet connectivity from 56k frame relay to full T1s, in addition to supplying everything they need on-site, from servers to workstations. If the customer needs high-end access and Web server management, they
can collocate their servers with Web Zone which utilizes AboveNet's facility." Web, e-mail and intranet fully installed with time left over Web Zone had been selling Internet access hardware from
Internet Devices, as well as separate security products from Checkpoint and Raptor. The FreeGate system proved to be a simpler and lower cost solution that was particularly easy to maintain. A customer can
purchase a FreeGate system, fully installed by Web Zone for as little as $6,000USD, Krepick said. Web Zone can get e-mail, Web and intranet services up and running very quickly. The customer has no need for a
corporate information manager or technician to manage the network connection to e-mail and Web services. Typical customers are companies with from five to 250 employees. Web Zone sales for 1997 exceeded $1
million, and are expected to reach more than $3 million in 1998. In addition to FreeGate and Silicon Graphics equipment, Web Zone also offers solutions from Cisco Systems, 3Com and Netscape, to name a few. The
firm offers servers and desktop computers from Hewlett-Packard, Compaq and NetPower. Some customer sites where Web Zone has installed a FreeGate system include a telecommunications company, a printing firm, a
manufacturer of video game controllers, a semiconductor company and a computer memory supplier. There are many prospects waiting in the wings, according to Krepick. "A special strength of the FreeGate
system is its Web-based user interface. Users can maintain control over their own internal Web page to bring employees and partners closer together in a reliable, secure environment," Krepick said.
"With our help and the FreeGate solution, even small companies can get complete Internet e-mail, Web publishing/hosting and virtual private networking. They can get everything working from the front to the
back end of their business all in one box," Krepick said. "FreeGate offers Web Zone an efficient and straightforward way to introduce customers to a broad range of services that we can support. As
companies grow, the FreeGate system has the scalability features to grow with them and we can leverage these features to increase our own business with customers." |
