Floods Remind CCS That Even the Best Network Needs a Lifeboat for When Disaster Strikes
Customer Company Size
Large Corporate
Region
- Europe
Country
- Czech Republic
Product
- LinkProof 100
- APSolute Application Delivery product
Tech Stack
- MultiWAN Switch
- Denial of Service (DoS) protection
- Intrusion prevention
Implementation Scale
- Enterprise-wide Deployment
Impact Metrics
- Customer Satisfaction
- Productivity Improvements
Technology Category
- Networks & Connectivity - Network Management & Analysis Software
Applicable Industries
- Finance & Insurance
Applicable Functions
- Business Operation
Use Cases
- Process Control & Optimization
- Cybersecurity
Services
- System Integration
About The Customer
CCS Česká společnost pro platební karty s.r.o. (CCS) is a major provider of data access cards in the Czech market. The company offers its customers a large variety of modern products and services. Everything from the management of company car-cards, loyalty programs, logistics management and cost checking services for company car pools are integrated into CCS’s network. The CCS cards are accepted at 4,800 stores and service stations throughout the whole Czech Republic, as well as Slovakia. The CCS sales-point network includes gas stations, car service stations, tire shops, car washes, parts shops, hotels, and restaurants. CCS utilizes a flexible network of sales-points. The network is open to expansion through an increase in the number of sales-points. They continue to develop the ability to offer their card and network solutions, including their operation support and ongoing management.
The Challenge
CCS, a major provider of data access cards in the Czech market, needed to ensure its network was continuously available to service several thousand transactions daily. The company's profits are derived from the number of transactions completed, so uninterrupted access to data is integral to its business relationship as a service provider to its partners and customers. In 2002, floods in Karlín revealed a weakness in its existing Internet connection: Availability. CCS decided it must have two Internet providers to handle unexpected events and interruptions caused by natural disasters. The company created two pipelines for service: One at 34 Mb/s and the other at 7 Mb/s. These pipelines would provide availability for essential services such as customer service, e-mail communication with customers and partners, and communications with partners from other business chains to exchange transaction files and payment card blacklists.
The Solution
CCS decided to buy two Radware LinkProofs. The two Internet pipelines were routed through the LinkProofs, which function independently and without human intervention and load balance traffic. This means the LinkProofs can handle any interruption in service automatically and in real-time. In 2007, new partners started to work with CCS which imposed new requirements regarding the transaction processing and the decision to increase the performance of the LinkProofs was evident. The change and implementation took place with the joint help from VUMS DataCom and 2Secure Solutions. CCS upgraded to the LinkProof 100 from the new APSolute Application Delivery product family, which has twice as many ports as the previous generation, and has the capability to load-balance multiple Internet service provider (ISP) connections as well as secure all network entry points by providing Denial of Service (DoS) protection and multilayer intrusion prevention (ISP), mitigating a wide variety of known and unknown attacks.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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