Application for evaluation machine
- FAQ
Cato Networks
Cato Networks
Lion Corporation
Establishing an environment where all employees can comfortably telework
- Recently, with the increase in cloud services, I have come to feel the limits of DC-centric inter-site networks.
- It has become difficult to control the conventional inter-base network
- In order to respond to the Olympics/Paralympics and COVID-19 (COVID-19), a network environment that could support the telework system was required.
- Problems with networks and cloud services were visualized, we were able to grasp the situation by ourselves, and the speed of solving problems was greatly improved.
- Realized an infrastructure that integrates network and security functions that embody SASE
- The network has been strengthened, creating an environment in which all employees can comfortably telework.
Lion Corporation
Integrated System Department Information Infrastructure Team
team leader
Mr. Eiichi Kobasako
Lion Corporation
Integrated System Department Information Infrastructure Team
Mr. Atsushi Shiina
[Previous issues] Internet communication overtakes in-house communication in terms of data volume Communication control is a problem
As a major manufacturer of daily necessities in Japan, LION offers a wide range of products, from toiletries such as detergents, soaps, and toothpaste, to pharmaceuticals, pet supplies, and chemicals. The company, which will celebrate its 130th anniversary in October 2021, has adopted the company motto of "Practicing the Spirit of Love" since its founding in 1891, and in recent years has said, "Creating better habits and contributing to people's daily lives (ReDesign)." Our Group's Purpose as the starting point, we have been working on various activities to realize healthy, comfortable, clean and hygienic lives for people and contribute to a sustainable society.
The company was aware of many issues such as the complexity of the network, the increase in the amount of data, and the shortage of personnel to deal with these issues amid the rapid progress of digitalization in recent years. I felt that there was a limit to what I could do.
In the meantime, we were asked to strengthen the telework environment for the Olympics/Paralympics, and as a result, we decided to consider not only strengthening the remote environment but also reviewing the company-wide network in order to rebuild the entire network. Mr. Eiichi Kibasako, the information infrastructure team leader who is in charge of the operation and management of the network (WAN) connecting more than 20 bases in Japan and the network (LAN) within the head office and each base in the integrated system department, says the following about those days. look back.
“In terms of networks, LANs, WANs, VPNs, etc., which used to be implemented individually without any problems, are now centered on the Internet, and I feel that boundaries are disappearing. As the scope expands, the demands for agility and scalability for changes are increasing, and it is becoming difficult to secure human resources to operate these.In order to solve these many problems, at the design level We were looking for an integrated solution, something that hadn't been there before."
[Product selection] Adopted Cato, which embodies SASE by changing the shape of the network to the Internet.
When LION rebuilt its network, it also felt it was necessary to change its form. Kibasako explained, "Conventional legacy solutions considered the Internet to be an extension of the in-house network. But in reality, the form and operation of networks are changing, so we told each vendor that the solutions should change accordingly."
In addition, in preparation for the Olympic and Paralympic Games scheduled to be held in 2020, there was a need to develop a telecommuting system and strengthen cyberattack countermeasures. For this reason, the requirements included the ability to grasp and control the network status in real time, and to be accountable after a problem occurred.
Furthermore, the infrastructure was selected from the perspective of inheriting 100% of what had been done up until now, while also allowing them to do what they wanted to do in the future.In addition, the selection was made from the perspective of not requiring special skills to operate, and not increasing the load.
The company received proposals from several vendors, but Cato was the one that particularly caught their eye. "Cato is a unique solution that changes the network structure that had been centered on data centers to one that is centered on the Internet. The key to this is that it embodies SASE (Secure Access Service Edge), that is, an infrastructure that consolidates network and security functions, which we thought would enable integrated management and reduce operational burden. The low cost and short migration period were also attractive," says Kibasako.
In addition, Atsushi Shiina from the Information Infrastructure Team emphasized the benefits of easy management in an SDWAN environment.
"With typical internet breakouts, you have to install dedicated routers, firewalls, and other equipment at each location, which requires management. On the other hand, Cato has SD-WAN functionality, but it doesn't require any equipment at the location. All you need to do is set up a VPN between the PoP (access point), so there's no need to worry about managing that equipment."
The company also recognized Macnica networks track record as an early distributor of Cato, the world's first SASE vendor, and decided to adopt Cato in December 2019.
[Effects of introduction] Realization of a network that supports a telework system for all employees Speeds up troubleshooting
LION began testing Cato in early 2020, and originally planned to introduce it in the second half of the same year. However, the situation has completely changed due to the coronavirus pandemic. As it became necessary for all employees to support telework, the plan was brought forward.
Originally, a VPN was introduced as a mobile network and was primarily used by out-of-the-road sales staff, but this environment was only available to about 20% of all employees. However, by making this a remote work network for all employees, there were initially problems such as the inability to connect to the VPN due to the concentration of access.
"So, while proceeding with Cato's PoC, we rapidly expanded the number of licenses. Macnica networks responded quickly, and we were able to start operating the entire company in June." (Shiina Mr)
The company currently has approximately 5,000 licenses installed at 29 locations nationwide. Regarding the effects of the introduction, Mr. Sako Kiba first evaluates the strengthening of the network. ``Previously, the capacity of the Internet outlet was not sufficient, and I don't think it would have been possible to support the establishment of a telework system in its current state.With the introduction of Cat o, the network has been significantly strengthened, and these concerns have been raised.'' We have completely eliminated any complaints from our users about the slow network or the inability to hold web conferences."
Additionally, despite the rapid increase in the number of people eligible for telework, the operational load has not increased. In the event of a problem, the visualization of the network has enabled us to understand the situation ourselves, greatly improving the speed at which we can resolve it. Furthermore, there is no longer the need to interview the parties concerned and LAN/WAN vendors, and to coordinate between them.
"After introducing Microsoft 365, a spike occurred when adding licenses. It was not possible to determine the cause using traditional network monitoring tools, but with Cato, you can visualize the communication status between applications and users, so you can easily identify the problem. We were able to identify the user with the error, which helped us investigate the cause." (Mr. Sako Kiba)
Furthermore, since they have control over the cloud settings, they are able to respond quickly and flexibly. "We've been hearing from various departments that they want to do new things by utilizing the network, and now we can easily respond to these requests," says Shiina.
[Future Developments] Further improving the quality of the entire network Considering support for mobile devices
LION credits Cato with the unprecedented success of the new solution. Currently, one of the two MPLS networks has just switched to Cato.
“The reconstruction of the WAN is only halfway through, and only about 30% of the total has been completed. Going forward, we would like to steadily proceed with the development of the network that will serve as the foundation for a zero trust environment. When completed, we believe we can expect further improvements in the quality of the entire network.” (Mr. Kibasako)
One of the future issues is compatibility with mobile devices. There are voices from the field that they want to allow the use of mobile devices such as iPhones and tablets in addition to notebook PCs. In order to meet these demands, the company will consider responding to Cato.
Evaluation and requests to Macnica networks
"When introducing Cato, which is SASE with little precedent, we needed to provide explanations to existing integration companies. At that time, we cooperated with WAN vendors and others, and they responded quickly to our technical questions."
Macnica networks, with its rich experience in networks and security, was able to implement the system in a short period of time with its ability to make proposals and provide technical support, alleviating any concerns that the company had even after the decision was made.
“We look forward to hearing from you about good things so that we can use advanced technology with peace of mind.” (Mr. Shiina)
User Profile
| Lion Corporation | |
|---|---|
| location | 1-3-7 Honjo, Sumida-ku, Tokyo |
| Introduction time | June 2020 |
| URLs | https://www.lion.co.jp/ja/ |
| Since its founding in 1891, we have been working to create better lifestyle habits through educational activities and communication, in addition to providing products, with the aim of helping people live healthy and comfortable lives. In recent years, in order to contribute to a sustainable society, we have formulated and promoted the medium-term management plan "LIVE Plan (LION Value Evolution Plan)" based on our management vision for 2030, "Becoming a leading company in next-generation healthcare." there is | |
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