The Savola Group

Fast-Growing Multinational Saves Time and Cost with Highly Secure Messaging Solution

The Savola Group requires secure, highly available messaging for communication between international offices and with customers and vendors. Savola had problems with its existing e-mail security solutions, so it deployed Microsoft® Forefront™ Protection 2010 for Exchange Server along with Microsoft Exchange Server 2007. The company has seen dramatic improvements in spam filtering and system management, and has saved U.S.$80,000 in personnel costs.

 

Business Needs

The Savola Group is a Saudi Arabian holding company with facilities in 12 countries. The Savola Foods sector manufactures and sells fast-moving consumer goods, like edible oils and sugar, and the company’s retail sector runs a well-known supermarket chain. Savola also has operations in plastics packaging, real estate, and franchising.

Savola places a premium on the security and reliability of its messaging system. “Savola believes its messaging system is business-critical,” explains Dr. Khalid El Maadani, IT Executive Director, The Savola Group. “In the commodity business, timely and accurate information is essential. Small delays or incomplete information can cost millions. Therefore, we require high levels of availability, security, and reliability.”

IT staff at Savola manage spam filtering and e-mail security for 25 regional offices. The company had mixed security solutions, with Trend Micro software for internal desktop and e-mail security, and an external-facing Linux-based freeware security solution at the network edge. The Trend Micro solution was causing problems. “We were getting inconsistent and weak support, both remotely and from local vendors,” says Khalid. “User frustration with poor spam filtering and blocked messages reached unacceptable limits.”

Savola replaced its Trend Micro software for desktop security with Microsoft® Forefront Client Security. Over 15 months, security incidents dropped 95 percent, from 10 per week to 2 per month on average. Savola standardized most of its business units on Forefront Client Security, resulting in faster response and more efficient support.

Although Savola was pleased with Forefront Client Security, its external security solution was insufficient. “Due to the number of incidents we experienced, and the challenges we had supporting and tuning the Linux software in-house to meet evolving spam and malware threats, it was obvious we had to replace it,” says Khalid.

Solution

Because of its positive experience with Forefront Client Security, and based on a strong relationship with and guidance from Microsoft Premier Support Services, Savola entered the Technology Adoption Program for Microsoft Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server in conjunction with deploying Microsoft Exchange Server 2007. The company felt this would provide the full benefit of the Forefront offering, while also taking advantage of interoperability with built-in Exchange Server 2007 features like recipient lookup. “We considered dedicated security appliances, but we were concerned about cost, lack of flexibility, and the level of support from vendors in our region,” says Khalid. “We felt comfortable with a solution from Microsoft. It was cost-effective, and we were confident we would have the right technical resources when we need them. I estimate we are saving at least U.S.$60,000 in initial investment, and $20,000 in annual costs.”

By implementing Forefront Security 2010 for Exchange Server, we have saved the equivalent of one full staff position, which represents approximately $80,000 in hard savings. Dr. Khalid El Maadani IT Executive Director, Shared Information Services, The Savola Group

Savola initially deployed two internal Exchange Server 2007 Hub Transport servers and two Exchange Server 2007 Standard Edge Transport servers, all running Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server. The hub servers also act as client access servers, replacing the company’s previous front-end of Microsoft Exchange Server 2003. “This move fits perfectly with our phased migration plan toward Exchange Server 2007, starting from the network edge and finishing with our mailbox servers,” says Khalid.

Migration to the new products went well. “Implementation was very smooth, with no major difficulties,” notes Khalid. “The Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server user interface is straightforward and is complemented by a management shell for more sophisticated tuning and reporting. As a result of the simplified management, we’ve freed up IT resources.”

Savola plans to use additional features of its solution to further enhance messaging security. “We intend to deploy Exchange Information Rights Management using Active Directory® Rights Management Services to better control the exchange of classified information, both within Savola and externally. This will protect our information assets by preventing accidental leakage of sensitive data.”

Benefits

Savola has used Exchange Server 2007 and Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server to improve spam filtering, ease messaging management, and reduce resources needed for messaging security.

Improved Spam Filtering

By using robust, interoperating security solutions from the same vendor, Savola has dramatically improved spam filtering and reduced the associated user frustration. “After implementing the secure messaging solution, we have observed a drastic drop in e-mail incidents and spam," says Khalid. “Each incident costs about two employee hours and $50, so the savings are great. We can also better limit high volumes of unwanted e-mail messages,” says Khalid. “We have also had a very low—if not zero—rate of messages being incorrectly identified as spam.”

Easier System Management

Unlike its previous solutions, Savola has found that its new highly secure messaging solution requires much less hands-on management. “Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server requires very limited manual tuning, and fits nicely into our existing monitoring solution,” says Khalid. “Previously, someone had to manage our spam filters daily. Now we can go two or three weeks without any problems.”

Cost and Time Savings

Now that Savola has a highly secure messaging solution that requires less manual supervision, it has been able to reduce the personnel resources necessary to manage it, saving IT time and money. “The support and management of our legacy external-facing Linux-based freeware security solution was taking up to 70% of a full-time IT administrator’s time. Our old internal security system with manually managed filters took another 30% of an administrator’s time. By implementing Forefront Security 2010 for Exchange Server, we have saved one full staff position, which represents approximately $80,000 in hard savings.”