How a Healthcare Provider Increased the Strength and Security of their Multi-Site Network
Published: October 27, 2020
During Extreme NOW NYC, I had the pleasure of speaking with Interfaith Medical Center’s AVP of Information Security Chris Frenz. Interfaith is widely known as one of the first hospitals in the country to implement a zero-trust security model and Chris was able to share insights with me as well as explain how Interfaith has relished benefits from their network solution.
A Healthcare System with a Network Refresh on the Horizon
Interfaith Medical Center is a multi-location community teaching healthcare system, delivering a range of medical services throughout Central Brooklyn, New York. The institution operates a modernized 287-bed hospital facility along with a network of ambulatory care clinics across the Central Brooklyn communities of Crown Heights and Bedford-Stuyvesant.
Chatting with Chris Frenz, AVP of Information Security, Interfaith Medical Center
Chris shares why Interfaith made the switch to Extreme, what they were looking for as a healthcare organization when they were seeking a network upgrade, results of the implementation, and their relationship with Extreme in this video:
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Interfaith Environment
- 1,500 employees
- 4,000 networked devices
- 6 satellite locations
When Interfaith Medical Center set out to evaluate network vendors, they were dealing with an aging network. “Our switches needed to be replaced. We evaluated multiple vendors, and Extreme offered the best feature to price ratio,” Chris said.
The Interfaith implementation was comprised of an ExtremeSwitching solution, including Extreme Intrusion Prevention System (IPS), ExtremeManagement, and ExtremeControl. The products worked well in their environment while delivering the best value and allowed Interfaith to replicate the operations of their physical network within their virtual network.
“The use of ExtremeControl has allowed me to do for my physical network what I’ve been doing for my virtual network.” - Chris Frenz, AVP of Information Security, Interfaith Medical Center.
A Superb Network Built on from a Great Relationship
“Extreme was willing to work with us to achieve the goal we wanted instead of just pushing a pre-packaged solution.” - Chris Frenz, AVP of Information Security, Interfaith Medical Center
Post-implementation, the IT team at Interfaith saw an immediate improvement over the older switches they’d been using; latency decreased significantly. In addition, they were able to achieve a zero trust security model, which decreases security incidents on the network.
When it comes to an effective network, the right products and solutions are key, but a strong relationship with your chosen vendor is equally important. Chris and his team continue to enjoy a great relationship with Extreme to this day, after having been a customer for six years. “We’ve had great experiences with the GTAC and sales,” Chris said. “They’ve always been helpful. Extreme has been a partner to us.”
Interested in the complete story on Interfaith’s Extreme implementation, including establishing a zero-trust network? Read the full case study, or check out the infographic on their zero-trust environment.