Columbus, Ohio - July 14, 2003 - Intellirisk Management Corporation (IRMC), a leading multinational provider of customer contact business process outsourcing solutions, has selected Nokia (NYSE: NOK) to secure its national network of 24 sites. Integrated with leading VPN-1®/FireWall-1® software from Check Point Software Technologies (NASDAQ: CHKP), the total Nokia solution will enable IRMC employees from 15 different acquired companies to interact seamlessly and securely, with the added protection of a tightly-integrated firewall at each location.
Purchased through Qwest Communications International (NYSE: Q), a leading provider of voice, video and data services to more than 25 million customers and a long-time customer of Nokia IP security platforms, the Nokia solution is delivered to IRMC as a service - providing IRMC the opportunity to leverage a high-quality security solution and achieve economies of scale to reduce costs, while retaining full focus on core competencies.
"We looked at several alternatives and found that only Nokia had a best practices approach to everything from the platform itself to how a total solution could be implemented as a managed service," said Mark Rose, director of network services at IRMC. "Outsourcing with the right partners really does make attaining a comprehensive security solution both affordable and convenient."
Prior to enlisting Nokia, IRMC used an Internet-based VPN through a managed service provider to securely integrate its multiple networks. Although the service initially worked well for e-mail applications and simple file sharing, the design was difficult to manage and not cost-effective. The basic VPN service also lacked a tightly integrated firewall - a critical component for IRMC given the sensitive customer information it is responsible for.
Today, the Qwest managed security service leveraging the Nokia/Check Point solution is implemented in customer located equipment installed at 24 IRMC sites nationwide. The entire infrastructure is managed remotely by Qwest according to IRMC-specified security policies. Both Qwest and IRMC benefit from Nokia's world class "First-call Final-Resolution" global service and support, which eliminates finger pointing associated with best-of-breed arrangements by providing a single point of contact for both appliance and application.
"With a managed service implementation of the Nokia best-of-breed approach, IRMC is able to eliminate up-front capital expenditures and can more readily budget for its network security needs," said Dan MacDonald, vice president of product management and marketing at Nokia Internet Communications. "The IRMC deployment is a complete best-of-breed outsourced security strategy - the best of VPN/firewall technology layered on a pre-configured, purpose-built security appliance, all remotely managed by a world-class managed services provider."
As a result of leveraging the Nokia solution, IRMC has realized a number of benefits, including more robust security, increased flexibility, reduced outages and network downtime and lowered costs.
"Before using the Nokia solution, we would incur about 100 hours per month of downtime - now we've had only 12 hours of outages over a course of eight months and none of these outages were due to Nokia equipment," said Rose. "We feel this is a huge success story. For the same amount of money we may have spent elsewhere, we have a far more flexible solution with very tight security, excellent performance and absolutely no problems or hassles. Our trust in our three security partners - Nokia, Check Point and Qwest - has been well placed."
About Intellirisk Management Corporation (IRMC)
IRMC's primary brands (First Contact, Allied Interstate, Canadian Bonded Credits Limited, Legal & Trade Collections and Revenues Management Services) specialize in accounts receivable management, customer contact and outsourcing solutions for major credit grantors. IRMC is the third largest company of its kind in the United States. Canadian Bonded Credits and Legal & Trade are the largest companies of their kind in Canada and the United Kingdom, respectively.
About Nokia Internet Communications
Nokia Internet Communications, headquartered in Mountain View, California, provides world-class Network Security, Virtual Private Network and Internet Traffic Management solutions that ensure the security and reliability of corporate enterprise and managed service provider networks. Nokia is committed to enhancing the end user experience by bringing a new level of security and reliability to the network, enabling and Internet transaction that is personal and trusted-each and every time. For more information, please visit www.nokia.com/securenetworksolutions.
Nokia Internet security and virtual private network appliances span the spectrum of price/performance points, and secure the widest range of network environments-from the smallest branch office to the largest Internet data center. The expansive product line, backed by world-class global support and services, provides customers the ability to deploy multiple solutions from a single product to secure all elements of a distributed enterprise.
About Nokia
Nokia is the world leader in mobile communications. Backed by its experience, innovation, user-friendliness and secure solutions, the company has become the leading supplier of mobile phones and a leading supplier of mobile, fixed broadband and IP networks. By adding mobility to the Internet, Nokia creates new opportunities for companies and further enriches the daily lives of people. Nokia is a broadly held company with listings on six major exchanges.
For More Information: (Media and Industry Analysts Only Please)
Nokia Internet Communications:
Americas (California based)
Amy Grenier, Interactive Public Relations for Nokia Internet Communications
Tel. + 1 415 975 3354 or amy@ipri.com
EMEA (UK based)
Claire Backhurst
Tel. +44 7788 145460 or claire.backhurst@nokia.com
Asia Pacific
Azwar Ghazali, Ogilvy Public Relations for Nokia Internet Communications
Tel. + 852 28848563 or azwar.ghazali@ogilvy.com
www.nokia.com