Development Bank of Southern Africa deploys Enterasys` secure network across 300 sites

Enterasys Networks, a global provider of secure networks for enterprise customers, today announced that the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) has selected Enterasys WAN and LAN solutions to build a secure network spanning its 300 sites across southern Africa.

The DBSA is a $307 million lending institution servicing 14 countries in the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The new solution enables DBSA to create a "virtual branch network" to improve client service, increase staff productivity and facilitate information sharing and collaboration.

The DBSA`s mandate is to address socio-economic imbalances and improve the quality of life of people living in SA and southern Africa. It does this by investing in infrastructure and other development projects across the region.

As part of an ambitious strategy to aggressively grow DBSA`s loan portfolio by 2005, the Enterasys solution powers the "Local Government Network" (LGNet), an information portal and communications system designed for local governments, municipalities and utilities - the DBSA`s primary clients. LGNet creates an e-community for information sharing and collaboration by providing e-mail, Internet access, live communications via instant messaging and portal-based services.

This information sharing helps to accelerate development projects for physical infrastructure and, in turn, fosters economic development in the region. It also provides DBSA with timely, accurate information on its clients for risk assessment and capacity planning. And, because of Enterasys` Secure Networks solution, DBSA has pinpoint control over its network, protecting its information assets while ensuring that only authorised users participate in LGNet.

"Previously, our staff would spend the majority of their time travelling around the region to meet with clients. Now, with our new infrastructure in place, we are utilising the network to communicate with our clients faster and more efficiently," said Graham Tate, manager of information and technology services for the Development Bank of Southern Africa. "With Enterasys` Secure Networks solution, we have been able to build a state-of-the art network of virtual offices to improve our client contact and customer management processes, increase operational staff productivity, and facilitate access to local government knowledge and information. This will enable us to invest our resources faster and more effectively, and to speed the progress of development projects across the region."

The network includes Enterasys` XSR Security Routers, including the XSR-3150 at the central site with XSR-1850s and XSR-1805s at regional locations to create a managed, secure WAN. The DBSA is also utilising Enterasys` user-personalised network to administer and enforce user and security policies in conjunction with Microsoft Active Directory, as well as provide single sign-on capabilities.

Enterasys was selected based on its standards-based solution and cost-effectiveness, as well as its broad range of integrated security features as part of the company`s secure networks solutions approach.

"The Development Bank of Southern Africa`s LGNet is another example of an Enterasys secure network in action - one in which security is pervasive across all elements of the network. Enterasys` secure networks approach is vastly superior to the traditional security method, in which security devices are added on to the existing infrastructure," said Mark Aslett, president, Enterasys Networks. "Our integrated approach enables customers to build high-performance, convergence-ready secure networks that deliver continuity and control for real-time business communications."