Challenge• Protecting a large, distributed network

Solution• SonicWall NSA 3500 and 2400 Series

configured in HA and failover mode• SonicWall TZ 210 Series• SonicWall SRA 4200• SonicWall SonicPoint wireless access points• SonicWall GMS• SonicWall Comprehensive Gateway

Security Suite

Benefits• Next-generation firewall• Application intelligence and control• Real-time visualization• Clientless SSL VPN• Global management

Cal-Maine Foods cuts TCO and boosts productivity with SonicWallBy deploying secure remote access with application intelligence, Cal-Maine Foods saved thousands in monthly costs

Customer profile

Company Cal-Maine Foods, Inc.Industry AgricultureCountry United StatesEmployees 2,500Website www.calmainefoods.com

“SonicWall application intelligence maximizes our bandwidth for accounting and ERP applications.”Norman Bennett, Manager of Network Systems

2

“ Consolidating on a uniform SonicWall platform has given us a lower total cost of ownership than if we had tried to patch together different vendor solutions.”

Norman Bennett,Manager of Network Systems

The challenge: protecting a large distributed network Corporate acquisitions have resulted in a distributed enterprise network connecting approximately 60 servers spread over 36 locations in 12 different states. Critical network applications include Citrix-based ERP software for payables, receivables, payroll and purchasing, as well as a cloud-based software-as-as-service (SaaS) solution for the tracking and maintenance of the company’s trucking fleet.

“Secure connectivity between our remote locations is our first concern,” said Norman Bennett, manager of network systems at Cal-Maine Foods, Inc.

“Secondly, we need to block access to inappropriate web sites that stifle productivity or expose our network to attacks.”

As a publicly-traded company, Cal-Maine Foods must also maintain compliance with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regulations.

“If sensitive data gets out, it’s more than just frustrating—it can actually cripple a company,” said Bennett. “To prevent this, we need to both harden our perimeters and establish secure remote access over SSL VPN.”

The solution: secure remote access with application intelligence Today, every Cal-Maine Foods location with Internet access is secured by a

SonicWall firewall at the gateway and connected with other sites via SSL VPN using the SonicWall Secure Remote Access (SRA) 4200 appliance.

“SonicWall gives our users a secure connection to easily access their files and use Outlook for email no matter where they are,” said Bennett.

“We not only use SonicWall to secure our data, but also to prioritize bandwidth for Voice over IP, which saves us money on long distance calls.”

Bennett cites ease of management and value as primary considerations in selecting SonicWall.

“We’ve looked at Cisco® and Fortinet® over the years, but continue to find they’re a lot more cumbersome to configure and their prices are prohibitive,” noted Bennett.

To meet the company’s network security needs, Bennett has deployed SonicWall solutions for over a decade, including Network Security Appliance (NSA) Series and TZ Series solutions, which can be deployed as either unified threat management (UTM) or next-generation firewalls and SonicPoint wireless access points.

Bennett continued: “The SonicWall products have scaled as our company has continued to grow. CDW, our primary vendor, connects us with the right people at SonicWall if we ever have a question or concern.” Bennett has seen an increasing need for next-generation firewalls featuring application

Based in Jackson, Mississippi, Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. (CALM) is the largest producer and marketer of shell eggs in the United States, with approximately 2,500 employees. In 2010, the company sold 805 million dozen shell eggs in 29 states, representing about 18% of domestic egg consumption in the United States, resulting in nearly $1 billion in net sales. The company has grown extensively through acquiring individual farms.

3

intelligence, control and visualization. The SonicWall Application Flow Monitor lets Bennett gain actionable insight into the network and determine which applications are using up bandwidth. Armed with this information, Bennett is well-equipped to protect employees from web-based threats.

“Without the help of SonicWall visualization, I can’t differentiate the applications on my network. It would be like trying to drive a car blind,” said Bennett.

As an example, Bennett cites users watching non-business critical activities like YouTube or downloading MP3 files that reduce bandwidth for mission-critical applications such as ERP.

“If somebody says my response is slow, SonicWall gives me the visibility to find out what is causing the problem so I can fix it,” said Bennett.

In addition, the company has deployed secure wireless local area networks (WLANs) using SonicWall TZ 210 Wireless-N Series firewalls and SonicPoint wireless access points.

“SonicWall lets us provide guest wireless connectivity to the Internet while restricting access to our network,” said Bennett.

To manage these security solutions across the distributed enterprise, the company has implemented the SonicWall Global Management System (GMS®).

“The inventory accounting functionality is worth the price of GMS,” said Bennett.

“Plus I can make a change and push it to any size group of units at once, instead of one unit at a time. It also automatically generates reports I need to provide to my VPs and general managers.”

The result: TCO, higher productivity and visibility Consolidating on a uniform SonicWall platform has given the company a lower total cost of ownership than if it had tried to patch together different vendor solutions.

“The hardware costs are less expensive, the learning curve is shorter and the network is easier to manage,” said Bennett. “Using SonicWall SSL VPN alone saves us thousands of dollars a month over leasing dedicated circuits between sites.”

In addition, SonicWall solutions contribute directly to the productivity of the company.

“SonicWall helps us keep our business running,” said Bennett.

“Application intelligence maximizes our bandwidth for accounting and ERP applications.”

Keeping current with upgraded SonicWall technology has also enhanced the company’s network performance.

“Upgrading to the TZ 210 Series made a major difference,” said Bennett. “I’ve actually had people tell me they noticed performance was faster.”

“ The hardware costs are less expensive, the learning curve is shorter and the network is easier to manage. Using SonicWall SSL VPN alone saves us thousands of dollars a month over leasing dedicated circuits between sites.”

Norman Bennett,Manager of Network Systems

View more case studies at www.sonicwall.com/casestudies

4

With a four-person IT team, Bennett also appreciates ease of management.

“SonicWall is the easiest solution I have worked with,” said Bennett. “It is a breeze. A manual configuration that used to take me three hours can be downloaded in five minutes.”

Bennett has also benefited from SonicWall’s granular policy enforcement.

“Creation of policies is very flexible and easily learned. I can get as granular as I want,” said Bennett. “In addition, SonicWall lets me generate a multitude of reports on our security levels to demonstrate compliance with SEC regulations.”

Bennett is evaluating the SonicWall Continuous Data Protection (CDP) 6080B backup and recovery solution.

“Besides simple data backup, CDP would allow us to rapidly restore critical servers at remote locations should one go down,” said Bennett.

CaseStudy-Cal-Maine-AMER-Metia-D1.pdf

This case study is for informational purposes only. SonicWall Inc. and/or its affiliates make no warranties, express or implied, in this case study. SonicWall and [add any other trademarks in this document here], are trademarks and registered trademarks of SonicWall Inc. and/or its affiliates. Other trademarks are property of their respective owners. © 2016 SonicWall Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.