“I love the fact that eMazzanti is always there for you when you call. Their techs resolved the operating system issues and came on site to ensure the firewall was activated and running properly. Their timeframe is impeccable.”
Al Vizzone, IT Director, East Hanover Township, New Jersey
Background
One-Man IT Staff
Like many small townships, East Hanover has a one-man IT staff. IT Director Al Vizzone shoulders the entire weight of protecting critical data and systems while providing staff with the technology they need to work efficiently. When the township ran into problems with critical security infrastructure, a chance meeting with eMazzanti saved the day.
Challenge
Security and Speed Concerns
With 100 municipal employees spread out among multiple offices, East Hanover Township needed an IT infrastructure that combined high security with low latency. In particular, the existing firewall could not handle the amount of data the town needed to push through, and employees complained that speed issues brought their work to a crawl.
To complicate matters, New Jersey ranks among the top three most regulated states in the nation, according to a recent study by George Mason University’s Mercatus Center. This means that the township must demonstrate adherence to numerous strict regulations to maintain insurance and achieve regulatory compliance.
“We have assessments every six months, so we have to make sure everything is always up to date,” explained Vizzone. “I have to show regulators that I’m doing updates on the servers, the computers, the firewalls, everything.”
Upgraded Firewall Problems
To improve processing speeds, increase security for critical data and systems, and maintain regulatory compliance, Vizzone purchased an upgraded firewall. Unfortunately, however, he kept running into problems with the installation.
“The firewall wouldn’t activate properly because the operating system was so far out of control,” explained Vizzone.
The town had a technology provider that they dealt with, but the provider did not offer support for the firewall, so Vizzone was on his own. By chance, he ran into Gabrielle Taylor from eMazzanti Technologies at the New Jersey League of Municipalities (NJLM) annual conference in November 2023. That meeting turned out to be a godsend.
“When I told Gabby some of the incidents I was having with the firewall, she said, ‘No problem. We’ll take care of that.’ It was great!” Vizzone recounted. And that was the beginning of a productive partnership.
Solution
Enhanced Security Supported by WatchGuard Solution
Taylor connected Vizzone with eMazzanti techs who helped him work through the operating system issues. When they ran into problems they could not solve remotely, the techs drove to East Hanover the next day to ensure the firewall was activated and running properly.
Impressed with eMazzanti’s responsiveness and expertise, East Hanover engaged their services moving forward. In addition to managing and maintaining two firewalls, eMazzanti also provides ongoing maintenance support, as well as timely guidance on technical issues.
WatchGuard security solutions purchased and supported through eMazzanti form an essential component of East Hanover’s cyber security, including state-of-the-art firewalls and access points. In his 32-year career in IT, Vizzone has grown to love WatchGuard.
“I’ve used WatchGuard on every single site I’ve been on. I love their reliability, their speed, their management capabilities, and the fact that they’re easy to connect gateway to gateway,” Vizzone commented.
eMazzanti’s Security Expertise
As a five-time WatchGuard Partner of the Year, eMazzanti brought critical understanding and experience. By enabling advanced features and providing continuous monitoring, they have helped East Hanover optimize their use of these solutions.
Additionally, eMazzanti helped the township improve their security posture by setting up a fallback in case the main internet goes down. Previously, an internet failure would necessitate an arduous process of swapping out wires and changing IP addresses. Now, if Verizon fails, a port set up by eMazzanti will automatically take over, saving time and headaches.
Streamlined Purchasing and Licensing
eMazzanti also provides assistance with technology purchasing and licensing. This includes purchase and licensing for all East Hanover’s WatchGuard technology. eMazzanti’s collaboration with partners such as WatchGuard has proved pivotal in delivering state-of-the-art security solutions to the township.
Purchasing assistance extends to other essential technology, as well. For instance, East Hanover recently acquired a more robust SQL Server through eMazzanti to improve the reliability, scalability, and performance of the township’s server infrastructure.
Benefits
Improved Vulnerability Assessment and Streamlined Compliance
Optimized equipment, combined with continuous monitoring of firewall logs and alerts, allows eMazzanti to proactively identify and address security threats for the township. And Vizzone reported that the efforts to strengthen the township’s security profile have already paid off.
“The nice thing is that I had a vulnerability assessment done before and after we upgraded the system. We did very well with the assessment,” he explained.
The improved security helps satisfy regulatory requirements, as well. With upgrades to firewalls and other critical equipment up and running, and with licensing now on a regular schedule, semi-annual regulatory assessments no longer need to send the township scrambling.
Decreased Latency Drives Productivity
The much-needed upgrades also mean fewer disgruntled employees knocking on Vizzone’s door to complain about speed problems, meaning he can focus on other key projects.
“The firewall is performing extremely well now,” he reported. “The whole throughput has been upgraded to over a gigabit per second, so there is no more latency. Everything works much, much faster.”
Thousands of Budget Dollars Saved
By enrolling in eMazzanti’s maintenance program, East Hanover was able to realize substantial financial savings. Without a maintenance program, unexpected costs add up quickly. License renewals for software and equipment, as well as pricy hardware upgrades, drive a hefty blow to the budget once a year. And breakfixes add additional unplanned expenditures.
However, with the maintenance program, these costs are absorbed into a regular monthly fee, eliminating unplanned expenditures and providing a predictable budgeting framework. This has saved East Hanover thousands of dollars in the annual budget.
Additionally, eMazzanti was able to extend a complimentary license for the township, thus enhancing their technological capabilities without additional financial burden.
For Vizzone, having a partner that is really invested in the town’s success makes all the difference. “Whenever I need any help, I just give eMazzanti a call, and they’re there. They are easy to work with and very quick on responses, and that makes my job so much easier.”
