‘We implement our standards!’

From the inflexible managed multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) solution to good IT security with a clear structure: eight locations of ‘Autohaus Thomsen’ were networked securely and without interruption using Securepoint firewalls and Antivirus Pro. The Hamburg-based system house elbcloud's most important arguments in favour of Securepoint: cost efficiency, the ‘Zero Trust’ principle, an outstanding content filter - and conviction in the matter.

The task was to network all eight locations of the car dealership with the head office so that the entire team has access to servers and the manufacturer's intranet. At the same time, network and internet security were to be significantly increased. The challenges of the project were extensive.

‘It was also about simplifying IT. We replaced an MPLS network with low bandwidth that was difficult to manage and now work with strict network separation. Thanks to the firewalls, the diagnostic devices and digital signage solutions are now optimally protected in a separate network,’ explains Sören Pawlowski.

This protects, for example, the dealership's company and customer data from third-party solutions that cannot be managed for technical reasons and are now no longer vulnerable thanks to the firewalls.

For Sören Pawlowski and elbcloud, IT security is a business of trust, both in the direction of the customer and the manufacturer. ‘As a system house, we have a duty to provide advice and implement IT security correctly. As elbcloud, we consistently implement our standards. Zero trust, i.e. scrutinising everything, is indispensable. Anything that we cannot view, configure or patch, we cannot keep up to date. That's why we only rely on Securepoint: firewall, network separation, content filter, endpoint security, home office only with VPN. Made in Germany is also absolutely relevant for me. We pass on our experience to our customers.’

Expertise and a clear conviction combined with lower costs were the most important arguments for the car dealership's site networking.

The successful project implementation is one reason why Sören Pawlowski is a repeat offender: ‘As a result, we have reduced costs for our customer and increased their IT security. We are satisfied with Securepoint and have also replaced all other manufacturers in other projects - out of conviction!’