One of the top concerns for companies is business productivity during this pandemic. On a varying scale, employees depend on access to their corporate internal resources to perform their work. Virtual Private Network or VPN is a trusted but costly solution to establish secure private connections over the internet. Some companies may already have VPN solutions in place for selected employees. With business uncertainties caused by lockdown, the current challenge for CIO and CFO is to decide which is the right solution, and how much to invest for additional VPN access.
Here are a few key considerations for deploying VPN solutions when most people, including the IT team, are working from home.
- How easy is the installation for employees to set up at home
- How easy are the access management, and support for network administrators
- Can your network support the increased traffic over VPN
- How much does the remote access system cost
- How secure is the VPN solution
It is quite a challenging task for enterprises to support end-to-end network, and security technologies in between the data centres, and remote users. VPNs usually depend on home internet connection, and this is beyond businesses’ control.
Traditional remote network options are complex, and not designed for a wide-scale business continuity application – specifically in our current pandemic situation. Scaling up remote access involves not only the VPN, but it may also require additional server or network infrastructure, access management software, and supplementary network bandwidth. A versatile remote networking solution should be able to ease network administrator’s challenges to securely extend the corporate network to employees working from home, at a greater scale but with lower cost.
So, what are the solutions?
1. Extend corporate network to home
To create an office-like network experience at home, Aruba Remote Access Points (RAPs) which include controller-managed access points, and cloud-managed access points with VPN (IAP-VPN) offer multiple options for a secure solution that supports Wi-Fi, and Ethernet connectivity.
2. Leverage the power of the cloud
One key facet of cloud service delivery is the ability to grow capacity as needed. This current pandemic is an important example of how this capability proves valuable. Aruba Central allows businesses to manage new (and existing) networks simply, and without on-site presence. When the need for these temporary installations pass, you can scale back to normal delivery.
The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed unprecedented challenges for IT teams tasked with ensuring business continuity by enabling a workforce to engage from their home environments. AceTeam Networks is honoured to help our customers maintain their business momentum in this trying time.
Here’s a list of Aruba solutions for remote working:
Easy & Secure Remote Access
Work from home or set up a temporary site with a solution that’s easy to deploy and manage. Any Aruba access point (AP) can be provisioned to operate as a RAP to leverage the wireles,s and wired features of an Aruba AP from a remote location across the internet – which will be managed by a Mobility Controller with IPsec-protected sessions. RAPs are automatically configured, so employees just plug them into any existing Internet connection, and they’re ready to go. Supporting the latest Wi-Fi standards and multiple WAN uplinks, Aruba RAPs provide blazing-fast connectivity, and SLA-grade application assurance.
Your employees, and students can download the Aruba VIA VPN app for mobile phones, laptops, and desktops. An easy to deploy and use software client – VIA provides secure remote network connectivity to corporate resources. Use the same corporate authentication credentials. Dynamically apply, and enforce access policies based on the user’s role. Automatically scan, and select the best secure connection back to corporate. Aruba’s VPN client uses hybrid IPsec/SS,L and works on most mobile devices.
Remote and Scalable Management
The cloud-native single-pane-of-glass solution allows IT staff to work remotely while maintaining visibility, and control over all vital network services at HQ, and all branch offices. It is a command centre for all-in-one LAN, WLAN, VPN, and SD-WAN operations across remote, campus, branch, and data center locations. Utilizing AIOps, Zero Trust Security, and integrated help desk services, organizations embarking on new work from home initiatives can use Aruba Central to easily connect end-users to cloud, and on-premises services for an in-office experience at home or on-the-go.
A powerful network operations system that provides granular visibility into multi-vendor wired and wireless networks. Role-based access, and VIA enable remote access to keep IT staff safe, and healthy. With its easy-to-use interface, AirWave provides real-time monitoring, proactive alerts, historical reporting, and fast, efficient troubleshooting. It also offers tools that manage RF coverage, strengthen wireless security, and demonstrate regulatory compliance.
Keep your business moving even during this pandemic by safely connecting your employees to corporate internal resources to any mobile devices, laptops, or in-home network.
Aruba solutions for remote working are easy, secured, fast, and cost-effective. If you have questions on this solution, please contact AceTeam Networks, Authorized Gold Partner of Aruba in Malaysia. We are ready to help.