BELMONT, CA--(Marketwire - July 1, 2010) - Concerned over Facebook usage and unseen Web 2.0 and internet applications running over its network, leading packaging company Schur turned to FaceTime Communications Inc. (www.facetime.com).
Schur is one of the oldest family-owned packaging organisations in the world employing over fifteen hundred people located throughout Europe and the United States of America. Over half of Schur's employees use computers to carry out their jobs. Email is one of the main communication tools, but more recently this has been supplemented by real-time communication applications such as instant messaging and Web 2.0 applications including Facebook and LinkedIn as employees look to collaborate with colleagues, partners and customers in the most effective manner.
"There is a much wider range of communication tools available over the internet today than even just a short while ago," says Tom Nielsen, IT-Technical Manager of Schur. "We wanted to be certain that users were adhering to our IT policies, but at the same time didn't want to curtail activity that is actually of benefit to the company. We were aware that users were using Windows Live and Skype as part of their everyday communication, but we wanted to ensure that other, less welcome, applications such as BitTorrent weren't being used."
Schur contacted RanTek, an IT infrastructure specialist and their trusted advisor on WAN optimisation, to discuss the issue further. RanTek recommended deploying FaceTime's Unified Security Gateway (USG) as it would provide visibility of all internet and Web 2.0 applications running on the network and then enable granular control of those applications and social networking sites.
"One of the first things we were pleased to notice is that most employees were keeping to our acceptable usage policies with sites such as Facebook," continues Tom Nielsen. "One surprise though was the discovery of an unauthorised server turned on, and potentially being used in a way that was not acceptable to our organisation. Although, we did not have a serious problem with people misusing internet applications, FaceTime enables us to point out employee usage and has definitely altered their habits, making users more aware of what they access, when and how often."
FaceTime's USG has enabled Schur to continue to allow employee usage of many of today's modern communication tools, but in a way that is acceptable to the organisation. For instance only the newer, more secure, versions of Skype can be installed and used. Users are forced to use authorised FTP applications when transferring large graphic files and access to potentially unproductive social networking sites can be monitored and restricted where necessary.
About FaceTime Communications
FaceTime Communications enables the safe and productive use of Unified Communications and Web 2.0 -- including social networks, blogs and instant messaging. Ranked number one by IDC for five consecutive years, and visionary by Gartner, FaceTime's award-winning solutions are used by ten of the top ten US banks, and worldwide for the security, management and compliance of real-time communications. FaceTime supports or has strategic partnerships with all leading public and IM network and unified communications providers, including AOL, Google, Microsoft, Yahoo!, Skype, IBM and Cisco.
FaceTime is headquartered in Belmont, California. For more information visit http://www.facetime.com or call 888-349-FACE. The FaceForward blog, at http://blog.facetime.com, offers thoughts and opinions about the changing nature of Internet communications.