o Centralised network and security management in Concern’s Dublin HQ improves application speeds, reliability and security globally
o Concern rolling-out innovative new technologies across the world including a handheld digital device which is improving direct support for farmers in Malawi, Nairobi and Sudan
o Instant remote access for new emergency relief centres removing operational delays
o Improved mobility with increasing use of smart phone technology

Integrity Solutions, Ireland’s largest IT security specialist, today announced the installation of a unified network and security platform at Concern Worldwide’s headquarters in Dublin. This new solution is improving global communications and accelerating the deployment of frontline services for Concern in more than 50 countries.

Concern Worldwide is Ireland’s largest aid and humanitarian agency, employing 3,500 staff in offices and emergency relief centres across the world. It’s engaged in long term development work and ongoing emergency relief in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean.

Following a successful pilot, Integrity Solutions improved the performance and security of Concern’s global VPN (virtual private network). It implemented secure services gateways at Concern’s Dublin HQ which is optimising network performance throughout the world, with 350 mbps of voice and data traffic now securely available at all times.

Integrity has also rolled out secure gateways to all of Concern’s global offices and emergency relief centres using remote connectivity from the Dublin head office. This allows approved staff at any location to securely access Concern’s online systems and communications. This is particularly important when it needs to set up relief centres and get people working in a matter of hours when an emergency or disaster occurs. Concern staff can now even use their smart phones securely to access information and use applications in the most remote areas.

The more powerful network is enabling Concern to roll-out innovative new technologies and applications in parts of the world that they are most needed. It recently provided handheld digital devices to staff working with farmers in Malawi, Nairobi and Sudan. This enables users to gather all necessary information from the farmer such as the number of livestock, the price of grain, pest issues and this data is transmitted back to head office in real-time, where decisions can be made quickly to directly assist farmers to improve self-sufficiency. Prior to this, paper-based systems were used and were time consuming, expensive and prone to errors.

Integrity designed the new platform to provide the highest levels of security, including proactive protection from worms, spyware, trojans, malware and anybody seeking unauthorised access across its global network, including all temporary offices and mobile devices. This is all managed centrally from Dublin by Concern’s IT team which can now access every desktop and device around the world to provide remote support and set-up new users straightaway.

Advanced monitoring capabilities also give Concern the ability to manage bandwidth use across the world to achieve consistent levels of global service and be adaptable to variations in local requirements. This also saves vital money for Concern as it can now optimise and share global bandwidth capacity, thereby often removing the need for extra investment in expensive local bandwidth, particularly in developing countries.

Eoin Goulding, managing director, Integrity Solutions, said, “Working so closely with Concern has given us a real insight into the incredible work they perform around the world. It’s fantastic that their technology team in Dublin can deliver such innovation and dedication on so many projects and to so many locations. Our integrated and scalable solution will give them added protection and reliability as they roll-out new services worldwide.”

Barry Roche, enterprise services manager, Concern Worldwide, said, “Our primary concern is to provide food, clean water, healthcare and education to the people who most need it. To help us do this, we’ve built an international technology infrastructure that allows us to co-operate very effectively as a global team. With this new platform, Integrity has taken performance, speed and security to the next level. We can now get our people securely connected to all of our systems and applications almost instantly, even in the most remote regions. This is invaluable in times of crisis.”

“In addition to Integrity’s technical expertise and credentials, our decision also came down to cost. Integrity provided us with this solution considerably below market rates. All savings are being re-directed into the most deserving projects, “added Roche.