The ability to tailor a flexible and cost-effective licensing arrangement has won West Australian network security specialist Alpha West a new three-year antivirus deal with the Education Department of WA.
Alpha West will supply and maintain the Department's 8000 desktops and servers with the McAfee VirusScan Security Suite from Network Associates. Despite being the incumbent supplier, Alpha West had to win a nationally-advertised tender to secure the business.
"Flexibility and costs were the winning factors in the department's decision to retain and extend the scope of the McAfee VirusScan Security Suite," said Graham Longworth, the department's network security co-ordinator.
With 768 schools spread throughout Western Australia, "we needed a cost-effective licensing agreement which did not involve us having to requantify the number of sites and computers utilising the virus-protection software," he said.
"Alpha West offered competitive pricing and a flexible licensing agreement which encompassed the whole range of servers and desktops operating within the department's offices and schools."
Richard France, account manager of Alpha West, said Network Associates worked closely with Alpha West to put together a licensing agreement which would specifically meet the needs of the department.
"This enabled us to develop the relatively broad administrative time for the department in tracking and reporting additional computer installations in their 800 schools, and to offer the department the level and quality of support they required.
With more students logging on to the Internet and administration now fully computer-based, it was critical for the department to have a comprehensive virus solution, Longworth said.
"Virus protection is vital to ensure confidentiality of student records, integrity of stored data and security for examination data and other highly-critical information."
