Zscaler > Case Studies > Swisscom's Initiative: Connecting Schools to the Internet

Swisscom's Initiative: Connecting Schools to the Internet

Technology Category

Cybersecurity & Privacy - Application Security
Networks & Connectivity - Gateways

Applicable Industries

National Security & Defense
Telecommunications

Use Cases

Tamper Detection

Services

Cloud Planning, Design & Implementation Services
System Integration

About The Customer

Swisscom is a major telecommunications provider in Switzerland. They have been providing free internet access to Swiss schools for over a decade as part of their corporate social responsibility. This initiative directly and sustainably supports the Swiss education system. Swisscom offers the cantons and the Association of Swiss Private Schools (VSP) free educational networks that connect all local networks (LANs) of the schools to a single communication infrastructure. All schools that already have a LAN installed receive an internet connection with generous bandwidth and are connected to the canton's educational network.

The Challenge

Swisscom, a major telecommunications provider in Switzerland, had been providing free internet access to 7000 Swiss schools, 100,000 teachers, and 1 million students for over a decade. However, they faced the challenge of managing a large volume of data while ensuring the highest security standards. They needed a centrally managed solution for the educational network that could handle the large data volume and reduce administrative and cost efforts. The solution also needed to be able to filter web content to ensure that students were only accessing age-appropriate content, and protect the educational network from malware and advanced threats.

The Solution

Swisscom partnered with Zscaler in 2013 to use their Direct-to-Cloud Network for web security. Zscaler's solution was evaluated based on the requirements of large customers for web security. Due to its performance and suitable functionality, the solution was introduced for the school project. Zscaler's granularly adjustable options allowed each cantonal school network to be equipped with individual policies. The solution reduced costs and administrative effort for Swisscom and provided individual reports at the push of a button through the Zscaler analysis portal. The Direct-to-Cloud Network took over the task of the gateway in the educational network. Web requests were filtered through the cloud, so that only the allowed content arrived at the schools. The security updates for newly emerging threats were made once in the cloud, significantly reducing Swisscom's administrative effort.

Operational Impact

The implementation of Zscaler's Direct-to-Cloud Network has significantly improved the operational efficiency of Swisscom's initiative. The solution's granularly adjustable options have allowed each cantonal school network to be equipped with individual policies, ensuring that students are only accessing age-appropriate content. The security updates for newly emerging threats are made once in the cloud, significantly reducing Swisscom's administrative effort. Furthermore, the solution's automated reporting functionality has further reduced administrative effort. The solution has also proven to be capable of handling the large data volume of the schools and providing advanced threat protection.

Quantitative Benefit

7000 Swiss schools, 100,000 teachers, and 1 million students have been benefiting from free internet access for over a decade.
Significant reduction in administrative effort and costs for Swisscom.
Individual reports can be generated at the push of a button through the Zscaler analysis portal.