NEW YORK – October 14, 2009 –
Columbitech, Inc., a leading security software provider, today announced that Westar Energy, the largest electric utility company in Kansas, has deployed Columbitech Mobile VPN to provide secure and persistent wireless access for its mobile workforce.
“Thanks to Columbitech, our mobile field workers now have secure and reliable access to the latest information, enabling them to provide the critical services required to help our customers,” says Mike Brozek, director of telecommunications of Westar Energy.
Westar Energy deployed Columbitech after thorough tests and evaluation of several VPN products, including an open source VPN and other mobile VPN solutions. The other VPN solutions did not meet Westar Energy’s requirements for roaming and session persistence and were thus not efficient for mobile users who constantly move around and switch networks.
Columbitech met all the security requirements, including the FIPS 140-2 certification, and offered mobility features such as seamless roaming between Wi-Fi and public cellular networks, and persistent access during coverage gaps. Unlike other VPN solutions tested by Westar Energy, Columbitech Mobile VPN did not require any additional hardware for its server software, considerably lowering costs for support and maintenance. Yet another benefit was that Columbitech offered support for Linux. Overall, Columbitech Mobile VPN met all Westar Energy’s requirements and provided the lowest total cost of ownership.
“As a critical infrastructure provider, it is important to follow best practices for security to ensure systems are protected from unauthorized access,” says Lars Resenius, CEO of Columbitech. “Columbitech holds a FIPS 140-2 certification and has already been thoroughly tested by the U.S. military and government, among others.”
Currently, Westar Energy has rolled out the Columbitech Mobile VPN to a small group of users, but eventually more than 550 users will be using this solution for wireless access.
About Columbitech
Columbitech, the world’s most deployed mobile VPN provider, enables fearless enterprise mobility. It allows organizations to protect their entire workforce with one, cost-effective VPN solution while improving productivity. The software-based solution offers secure, persistent remote access from laptops and other mobile devices, with seamless roaming between wired and wireless IP-based networks, including Wi-Fi, 3G and WiMAX. The Columbitech Mobile VPN provides transparent access to any enterprise application without any software changes.
The embedded solution is OEM licensed by leading companies such as Motorola, Ericsson and TeliaSonera, and holds a FIPS 140-2 certification. With over two million users, customers include three of the top ten U.S. retailers, public safety agencies, all military branches in the U.S., postal and logistics companies as well as several large telecommunications service providers. Columbitech has been recognized with Frost & Sullivan’s 2008 Global Market Strategy Leadership Award. The company is privately held with offices in Stockholm, Sweden and New York, U.S.A.(www.columbitech.com)
Press Contacts:
Columbitech, Inc., Tobias Englund
Phone: 646-331-0116
tobias.englund@columbitech.com