A pioneering flexible working initiative launched by Watford Borough Council - enabling staff to work remotely - will increase efficiency, boost overall productivity and play an important role supporting the authoritys business continuity plans.

Watford Borough Council has deployed a network security solution from specialist AppGate, enabling council employees to work from home or remotely with secure remote access to key applications including email, file directories and bespoke customer management systems to ensure the smooth running of council services in any eventuality and to increase overall efficiency in working practice.

Lieven Hermans, Head of Business Information Systems at Watford Borough Council said: "With AppGate, we now have a proven mobile access solution, which represents a significant part of our business continuity plans. The council has the reassurance that should employees be unable to come into the council offices, services will nevertheless continue to run as normal.

"Flexible working also improves choice and working options for council employees whilst boosting productivity and helping us to achieve maximum efficiency and best value as set out in the Gershon efficiency agenda."

Remote network access is controlled by the IT department, ensuring staff have access to the designated files and programmes necessary to work effectively and productively from any location.

With users accessing the corporate network via wireless connections, laptops and home PCs, the AppGate solution ensures the network remains secure, with personal firewalls installed on every PC and laptop, and council acceptable usage policy automatically enforced to help prevent malware such as spyware and Trojans from entering the network. Client-check functionality also ensures remote PCs are running the latest anti-virus software before any connection is made to the network.

The AppGate solution is a scalable one, and Watford hopes to extend the remote access to additional departments within the authority, to develop a wide-reaching business continuity strategy for the whole borough and promote flexible, home-working on a larger operational scale.

Goran Marby, CEO AppGate Network Security AB +46 730 66 77 20, goran.marby@appgate.com

In a world with fewer borders, the demand for network security changes from security at the perimeter, to security at the source. AppGate is the leader in this space, with a solution that protects applications, protects communication and secures end point devices. The AppGate solution supports all types of transmission, fixed, wireless and mobile and is easily integrated into any customer environment. AppGate has customers in 19 countries, many from market segments like defence, government and Fortune 500 companies

AppGate, AppGate Network security, the AppGate logo, MindTerm, Single point of power, all trademarks and logos that contain AppGate or MindTerm, and certain other trademarks and logos appearing on this website, are trademarks or registered trademarks of AppGate Network security in the United States and other countries.

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