ABERCROMBIE, SIMMONS AND GILLETTE CASE HISTORY
Back to Case StudiesGilbert
Pennison, network administrator at Abercrombie, Simmons and Gillette (AS&G) Inc., a Houston-based insurance adjustment firm, was instructed to reorganize the corporate network when the firm's largest client
complained about the confusion of e-mail addresses among the firm's nine offices. In addition to its Houston headquarters, AS&G maintains offices in Beaumont, Corpus Christi, Dallas and San Antonio,
Texas; Metaire, Louisiana; Mobile, Alabama; Savannah, Georgia; Brandon, Florida; and Norfolk, Virginia. Although the firm currently investigates and manages claims for self-insureds, insurance companies, defense
firms, major general agencies, and risk management firms of all types, the list of mainly port cities reflects the fact that it began in 1983 as a specialist in longshore claims. As AS&G grew and added
locations, each office established a separate e-mail system with a separate domain name, making it very difficult to remember or infer an individual's e-mail address. This, of course, was especially annoying to
large clients who regularly dealt with multiple offices. Unified Internet Services with Real-time Updating and Control As corporate network administrator, the issue for Pennison was not only domain
names but also administration, accounting and policy management which were equally confusing. He mentioned the problem to Networks On-Line (NOL), his Houston service provider and system integrator, while he was
negotiating an upgrade to a high-performance ISDN line for the Houston headquarters. To the NOL representatives, it was a fortunate time for Pennison to raise the issue. They told him NOL had just begun
offering the Multi-services Internet Gateway from FreeGate Corporation. The FreeGate system, they said, could solve much more than the e-mail problem. It's an "all-in-one" Internet system designed for
companies with 10-200 users, including router, security firewall, e-mail and Web servers, FTP networking protocols, with an optional capability to establish and manage virtual private networks (VPNs). "My
initial reaction was that the system was more than I wanted. On the other hand, if we upgraded to ISDN, we'd need new routers anyway. The FreeGate gateway included a router, and for a little extra money it opened
a range of additional opportunities," Pennison said. "We could create a single e-mail system for our offices and, because the FreeGate system includes FTP protocols, we could use it to implement a
wide area network, giving all authorized employees access to the corporate LAN and a central database in Houston. We sell our business on the basis of our highly experienced staff and exceptional service to
clients. A dedicated ISDN connection to centralizing information promised to make a vast contribution to our efficiency and the speed with which we can respond to clients," he said. Pennison pointed out
that there was little risk in trying out the FreeGate system in Houston, as long as it was easy to install and maintain. "The system slipped into our office without a problem, and we began immediately to
organize e-mail under a single domain. That problem was solved beautifully in a few days. "The FreeGate system is not just a passive router and firewall. I can control everything related to the Internet in
the stand-alone FreeGate box, without touching my LAN server. That is a great advantage in simplicity and peace of mind. I dread the thought of changing or installing new software in the vital corporate LAN
server." Web Publishing, Intranet and Extranet Capabilities a Bonus Now everyone in the company is connected to the FreeGate system, and Pennison has launched a corporate Web site. The system
provides the unified Internet services to access multiple locations with the capability for real-time updating and control over the e-mail system as well as a Web site. "The Web server in the FreeGate box
is a bonus. We were quickly able to set up an informational site listing contacts and information about each office, as well as events and news pages for both clients and employees," he said. Pennison
pointed out that the next step for the Web site is to create an intranet where employees can post messages and information, and eventually an extranet where clients can do the same. At that point, AS&G will
be able to take advantage of FreeGate's optional VPN software which opens up a corporate network selectively to clients and business partners, as well as providing secure remote access for branch offices and
telecommuters. Users have access to a limited set of information behind the corporate firewall. Businesses can establish transparent links across public and private networks to branch offices, clients and even
telecommuters. The FreeGate VPN software dramatically reduces the complexity of setting up secure VPNs through a set of tools that provide a single, simplified point of administration from which common services
-- e-mail, name directories, Web access, firewalls, file sharing and access control -- are delivered across multiple locations as if on a single local network. For insurance adjusters Abercrombie, Simmons and
Gillette, an adjustment to a confusing e-mail system has put the company on the road to full use of the Internet and a corporate wide-area network under their control. The company not only has the benefit of more
efficient e-mail, new communication channels with customers and corporate access to centralized data, thanks to the FreeGate system, all of this is available in an environment that simplifies management and
accounting. |
