Colubris Networks, a leading provider of VPN-based secure wireless networking solutions, today announced that it has been chosen by McGill University as the wireless networking provider of the university’s campus-wide wireless network. The deployment is currently providing the more than 30,000 students, faculty and administration with secure wireless access in university public areas and libraries.
The idea to implement a wireless network was born out of research into a proposed new Library Commons for students. When students were asked what they wanted in a new facility, the overwhelming answer was wireless connectivity, so that they could maintain access to their essential server-based information (class notes, research, music, etc.) and to McGill intranet applications as well as the commercial Internet at all times and on a campus-wide basis.
When considering a wireless deployment, one of McGill’s top concerns was the potential security risk associated with wireless networks. After reviewing solutions from a range of leading vendors, McGill chose Colubris Networks based on its robust security and overall management flexibility. In contrast to the offerings from other vendors, which require customers to purchase several costly additional network-security and management products to create a secure solution, the Colubris solution, including Colubris VPN servers, dovetails seamlessly into McGill’s VPN-based approach. The Colubris solution also provides remote and secure management capabilities that, in tandem with other technological advances in the Colubris solutions, significantly decrease the overall relative deployment cost.
In total, McGill has deployed approximately 150 CN300 Wireless LAN Bridges as access points throughout the campus — with plans to scale to as many as 1,000 by year’s end – and eight Colubris access controllers for enhanced security and management.
“The prospect of a wireless network was exciting to us in terms of faculty and student benefits, but at the same time we had reservations about the perceived insecure nature of these types of networks,” said Gary Bernstein, McGill’s Director of Network and Communication Services. “We selected Colubris based on a number of factors: the security of their products; the level of support provided to us; and our ability to influence product direction. Another consideration was cost. Specifically, the availability of a highly functional, inexpensive VPN server within the Colubris product line was a bonus that generated savings of an order of magnitude over alternative offerings.
Securing the Airwaves
In addition to Colubris’ VPN functionality, the company’s offerings contain a wide range of additional security functionality. For instance, the product’s ability to interoperate with the university’s RADIUS database allowed McGill to segment network access on various levels – public, semi-public and private – allowing individuals from different groups (students, faculty, administration) to access different information based on their level of authentication.
“As far as security goes, the way we are going about this deployment is the only way to go. By deploying a wireless network in conjunction with VPN-tunneling functionality, we are able to constantly ensure the integrity of our transmissions, which is a critical aspect in an educational environment like ours,” adds Bernstein.
“The fact that McGill University has centered its campus-wide deployment of wireless networking on Colubris solutions and technology is something we derive great pride from,” said Barry Fougere, Colubris Network’s President and CEO. “The McGill team is incredibly savvy, they have been a great source of input and ideas into our product development process, and we look forward to continuing our close collaboration well into the future.”
About McGill University
Founded in 1821 in Montreal, McGill University is often referred to as “The Harvard of the North,” as it is home to more Rhodes Scholars than any Canadian university. The university boasts 22 Faculties and professional schools offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in some 300 disciplines. For more information on McGill University, please visit them on the web at http://www.mcgill.ca.
About Colubris Networks
Colubris Networks provides the world’s most secure Wireless LAN solutions for enterprise networks and public space deployments. Its award-winning Wi-Fi certified product family integrates Virtual Private Networking, enhanced Security and Firewall technologies into scalable solutions that are easy and cost-effective to deploy and manage. Colubris is a member of the Wi-Fi Alliance and is the first wireless LAN vendor to be awarded RSA Keon-Ready certification. Colubris embeds strong security tools in an open, industry-standard implementation that fully integrates into any existing network structure. Colubris markets its products worldwide. For more information visit the company website at http://www.colubris.com.
