Škoda relies on Claranet VPN for secure and cost-effective dealer networking
As one of the oldest car manufacturers in the world, Škoda looks back on a long tradition. Škoda Auto Deutschland GmbH maintains a nationwide network of over 1,400 dealers and was an early adopter of a virtual private network (VPN) to integrate dealers cost-effectively and, above all, securely into the shared infrastructure.
Summary
- Challenge: Increased security requirements, maximum availability and a future-proof solution were crucial for the nationwide dealer network
- Solution: VPN for secure dealer connection with dedicated firewall and IP filter at each location
- Result: Flexible and cost-effective solution with high security and reliability for the dealers
The VPN solution
In accordance with Škoda Auto Deutschland's high security requirements, Claranet implemented an IPsec-based VPN, which enabled a dedicated firewall and IP filter at each company location. A web-based portal for dealers was also created.
The VPN is characterised, among other things, by its high flexibility and enables secure networking of locations, partners, and mobile or home-office employees. Confidential, internal company communication is implemented by default through tunneling and encryption of transmitted data.
All Škoda locations included in this virtual network are assigned public IP addresses. Non-public IP addresses are routed in encrypted form only within the location LANs via IPsec within the corporate VPN. By using IP gateways or routers, the communication relationships of the individual locations can be defined in such a way that it effectively forms a completely closed corporate network. Only authorised participants have access to sensitive company data.
What distinguished Claranet's offering, among many other factors, was its extraordinary flexibility. We wanted a modern, future-proof solution, but also, not least for the benefit of our dealers, one that would allow existing equipment to be integrated into the concept as far as possible.
High security and flexibility
The introduction of Claranet's new VPN solution at Škoda was carried out in stages.
We initially conducted pilot installations at just a few dealers. The resulting positive experiences and satisfaction of these initial dealers contributed significantly to the rapid acceptance by the remaining dealers.
As the IT expert further explains, Claranet not only met the most important requirements but also scored highly with the best price/performance ratio.
Positive experiences from test installations, dealer satisfaction, the high level of security and reliability, and last but not least the flexibility and cost-effectiveness of the Claranet solution have contributed to other car brands choosing Claranet for the technical renewal of their dealer networks.
