Several years ago, a global investment bank embarked on an ambitious plan to automate its network configuration deployment process and use internal teams to run all aspects of network operations. The move was made, in part, because of the fluidity of the bank's network, which is constantly undergoing configuration changes.
As a longtime Forward Networks customer, the bank utilized the Forward Networks platform to achieve this goal. For example, as IT teams integrated automation software throughout the network, the Forward Networks platform was used to validate that the correct configurations were deployed to achieve the desired outcomes on the network. Additionally, the platform proactively identified issues created by both human error and the automation software, providing quick remediation options for both.
When the bank’s developers write applications, firewall changes are necessary so that the application can securely flow across the network from servers, hosts, and so on. Traditionally, doing so has required the creation of a trouble ticket for someone to manually perform this process.
Using Forward Enterprise, the bank decided to automate that process, enabling developers to indicate the connectivity that's required, including the source, the destinations, the protocol, and the ports that need to be reached, etc. Forward Enterprise clearly delineated which firewalls were in the path, as well as the changes that needed to be made in those firewalls. Post implementation, those changes were verified for accuracy by Forward Enterprise.
Not only did the Forward Networks platform save the bank's IT team time in terms of the number of people hours required to implement such a process, it also increased the rate at which applications could go live. For developers, that translates to a significant reduction in the amount of time between an application being developed and when it's rolled out to users. It also helped them recognize revenue from these applications faster than before without compromising security.
As this banking customer has learned, the Forward Networks platform helps IT teams make more judicious use of expert services versus hunting down specific devices or specific problems. Likewise, it enables IT teams to operate more efficiently and cost-effectively.
To learn more about how you can use Forward Networks to verify your networks and automate timely processes, schedule a demo today. Be sure to read our other blogs in this series about how Forward Networks is impacting enterprise networks around the world, including Six-Figure Savings: How A Financial Institution Banked On NQE For Massive Returns; From Days To Minutes: Digital Media Provider Uses Forward Networks To Overhaul Reconciliation; and $6 Million Savings: How Rapid Insights Led To Valuable Network Upgrades.
