How Agilitec IT Simplified Firewall Management and Strengthened Security with WatchGuard
Challenge
Agilitec IT, a managed service provider (MSP) based in Las Vegas, specializes in delivering IT solutions to small and midsize businesses. Over the years, they worked with multiple firewall vendors before standardizing on one that aligned with their tech stack. However, after the vendor was acquired, the partnership began to weaken. At the same time, Agilitec IT was experiencing rapid growth, expanding its customer base nationally and internationally. This growth brought new challenges in managing and installing remote devices efficiently.
As Allan Jocson, President at Agilitec IT explains, “We were going through a significant period of growth, with many new customers across the country and internationally. As we expanded, managing and installing remote devices became increasingly challenging. It became clear that we needed to find a new solution.”
The difficulties in managing remote deployments and the strain on technical support from the expanding customer base led Agilitec IT to seek a more reliable and stable firewall provider.
Solution
When searching for a new cybersecurity vendor, Agilitec IT prioritized solutions that were easy to manage and deploy, with strong remote deployment capabilities and Cloud management. Stability was also a critical factor in the decision-making process.
The team quickly turned to WatchGuard as a solution. Their partnership with Pax8 played a key role in their decision. Jocson shares, “We were already familiar with WatchGuard, but what really sealed the deal was that they were part of Pax8’s marketplace. The fact that we could easily integrate WatchGuard into our existing Pax8 stack with no extra hassle or added costs, made it an easy choice. Being able to activate a subscription on a hardware firewall without disruption to service was key for us. Plus, having the flexibility to upgrade without any service interruption was a huge advantage.”
After evaluating WatchGuard’s Firebox series, Agilitec IT deployed the T45 and T85 models. The transition was smooth, and the support provided by WatchGuard was exceptional.
“Our team was able to get comfortable working with the firewalls really quickly,” Brian Ellis, CTO notes. “We didn’t want something that required a master’s degree to configure. Now, one of our L1 techs handles all of our WatchGuard configurations.”
Results
“The Firebox line of firewalls has been a huge asset to us in addressing some of our challenges,” Ellis shares. “The WatchGuard Cloud Management Console has allowed us to effectively manage all of our customers’ firewalls across the country. Before, we were really struggling with locally managed firewalls, and WatchGuard Cloud has made our lives so much easier.”
Beyond simplifying remote management, the Firebox firewalls have also delivered the stability Agilitec IT was looking for in both the product and vendor relationship. “I wanted to ensure that our new firewall line would provide us with a stable product suite and a stable vendor partner. The Firebox models have shown great stability so far, and we’ve been very impressed with the support we’ve received,” Ellis adds.
Agilitec IT’s partnership with WatchGuard has not only solved the immediate challenges the company faced but has also positioned the company for scalable growth. With a stable, reliable firewall solution and exceptional support, Agilitec IT is well-equipped to manage its expanding customer base and remote deployments effectively.