Avenda Systems Provides Secure Guest Access Deployment to University of San Diego

Avenda Systems, the provider of identity-aware network security, announced that the University of San Diego has selected its eTIPS solution as the key component in the university's innovative campus-wide network access security initiative.

 

USD has deployed secure, differentiated wireless guest access by Avenda's (News - Alert) eTIPS platform and self-registration module. The solution will provide wireless access to its on-campus guests particularly in time of summer rush of conferences and guest activity.

 

"We looked at a number of competing guest access solutions that could not offer the level of security and access features that we required," said Doug Burke, IT Director at USD. "My team did a fantastic job working with Avenda to put together a wireless access solution based on identity. This is a big win for us, since it was very easy to implement and customize, and meets all our requirements and standards for web access."

 

The Avenda's eTIPS  solution authorizes network access based on a user's identity. It supports USD's entire wireless network infrastructure, as well and users' various computing platforms. The solution provided the ability to offer self-registration and payment or promo code payment options.

 

The university officials say that it was a requirement for the solution to remove the IT team from the account creation process, and integrate with USD's existing CASHNet PCI compliant payment tool to verifying the identity of campus visitors in real-time.

 

"The Avenda product is exceptionally easy to use and deploy, it provides good classification between users, and delivers amazing reporting tools," Burke added. "Users tell us that the new portal is very logical and easy to walk through. As an added bonus, we no longer receive calls that there's a problem using wireless guest access."

 

Avenda's solution easily integrates with USD's existing Aruba Wireless Controllers, which is important due to a move to 802.1X network access control. USD also plans on integrating Avenda into their Cisco (News - Alert) switched network as future plans include extending guest access to USD's wired network and implementing port-based switch security.

 

"USD's requirements and phased deployment are a classic example of how our product can satisfy immediate network security and access needs," commented Krishna Prabhakar, CEO of Avenda Systems.

 

"And along the process, customers are finding new ways to leverage our flexible architecture and policy model," said Prabhakar.

 

The eTIPS solution is comprised of a hardened network appliance, a flexible policy platform, GuestConnect and Microsoft (News - Alert) NAP health agents. It centrally manages policies across access methods, operating systems, managed and unmanaged endpoints, and existing identity stores.