SAIC Transitions to Aruba Wi-Fi to Enable Secure, Gigabit Speed Access for 15,000 Employees

Multi-Billion Dollar Technology Integrator Upgrades to 802.11ac and ClearPass Policy Management System to Support 70 Sites

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Aruba Networks, an HP company (NYSE: HPQ), today announced that Science Applications International Corp. (NYSE: SAIC), a leading technology integrator with nearly $4.4 billion in annual revenues, is upgrading to Aruba Networks’ 802.11ac, ClearPass Policy Management and AirWave solutions for a company-wide network overhaul. SAIC provides full life cycle services and solutions in the technical, engineering, and enterprise information technology market to customers in the U.S. federal government.

With approximately 15,000 employees and 70 U.S.-based locations, SAIC is in the midst of deploying its “Next-Generation Architecture,” a renovation of the company’s entire infrastructure from the foundation up. The network improvements include a transition to 802.11ac, deployment of Aruba’s ClearPass solution to enable Network Access Control (NAC) for both wired and wireless networking, and the addition of Skype for Business (formerly Microsoft Lync) for voice, video and meeting capabilities.

“The network upgrade helps ensure that SAIC’s employees – working from multiple locations and using a variety of wireless endpoints and mobile devices – have reliable and secure connectivity for optimum productivity throughout their work day,” said Barbara Shurtleff, VP of Network and Security Solutions for SAIC.

As part of the new architecture, SAIC is providing ubiquitous Wi-Fi coverage to all locations and provides upgrades to sites that had only partial coverage while upgrading the entire organization to 802.11ac. The new Gigabit Wi-Fi infrastructure includes approximately 2,000 Aruba 802.11ac APs deployed across SAIC’s enterprise.

The primary driver for the network upgrade is to ensure that SAIC employees and guests can easily and securely access the network resources, while making the experience as seamless as possible. SAIC turned to Aruba’s ClearPass Policy Manager to support an integrated approach that supports corporate owned devices, Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) as well as guest access needs via a single management solution. Unique device certificates allow authorized employees using personal devices to directly connect to the corporate network, without requiring them to re-enter login credentials each time they connect.

“The new network currently supports about 40,000 endpoints, but is capable of supporting up to 100,000 in the future,” said Shurtleff. “With a mix of corporate-issued and personal devices coming onto the network, ClearPass is critical to protecting our network security while giving users the freedom to connect when and where they like.”

SAIC also deploys a remote access solution for employees who work from home offices or travel frequently. Using 1,000 Aruba Remote Access Points (RAPs), SAIC provides a highly secure connection from any location, just as if the employee was in the corporate office, without the cumbersome process of establishing a soft VPN connection for each and every device. Coupled with Aruba AirWave technology SAIC is executing a fully integrated network management capability.

“AirWave is a very robust tool and provides broad visibility into our entire network. While we have a technology staff of more than 300, less than 15 percent are devoted to wireless support. Using AirWave allows the much smaller team to successfully monitor, troubleshoot and execute problem resolution,” said Shurtleff.

The Aruba network is also key to SAIC’s successful deployment of Skype for Business, which the company is using for voice, video and meeting capabilities across the organization. Said Shurtleff, “The goal, similar to other Enterprise Business applications, is to significantly reduce or possibly phase out desktop phones eventually. In the future we envision a time when all employees will use Skype for Business app across their devices.” SAIC will benefit from Aruba’s unique integration with the Skype for Business SDN API which enables QoS for quality voice transmission control and uninterrupted service as well as visualization of call performance.

SAIC’s recent acquisition of Scitor Corporation allowed the organization to rapidly support them with wireless and wired network management. The Aruba infrastructure is now deployed in 11 Scitor locations, in addition to SAIC’s 70 sites. With the increased number of employees joining through the acquisition and a continual desire to give these employees the tools to do their jobs efficiently wherever they are located, SAIC views the revamped next-generation architecture as business-critical.

“We’re striving to be exceptionally innovative and collaborative with a specific focus on ease of use – it’s all about simplicity and security,” said Shurtleff. “By providing a solid wired and wireless network foundation for our Next-Generation Architecture, the Aruba infrastructure is a key component in helping us reach our goals.”

About Aruba Networks, an HP company

Aruba Networks, an HP company, is a leading provider of next-generation networking solutions for enterprises of all sizes worldwide. The company delivers IT solutions that empower organizations to serve the latest generation of mobile-savvy users who rely on cloud-based business apps for every aspect of their work and personal lives.

To learn more, visit Aruba at http://www.arubanetworks.com. For real-time news updates follow Aruba on Twitter and Facebook, and for the latest technical discussions on mobility and Aruba products visit Airheads Social at http://community.arubanetworks.com.

© 2015 Aruba Networks, Inc. Aruba Networks’ trademarks include Aruba Networks®, Aruba The Mobile Edge Company® (stylized), Aruba Mobility-Defined Networks™, Aruba Mobility Management System®, People Move Networks Must Follow®, Mobile Edge Architecture®, RFProtect®, Green Island®, ETips®, ClientMatchTM, Virtual Intranet AccessTM, ClearPass Access Management SystemsTM, Aruba InstantTM, ArubaOSTM, xSecTM, ServiceEdgeTM, Aruba ClearPass Access Management SystemTM, AirmeshTM, AirWaveTM, Aruba CentralTM, and ARUBA@WORKTM. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151014005111/en/

Aruba Networks, an HP company
Pavel Radda, +1 408-419-0294
Director of Corporate Communications
[email protected]
OR
LSH Communications for Aruba Networks, an HP company
Lori Hultin, +1 818-879-4651
Principal
[email protected]

Source: Aruba Networks, an HP company

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