Cloud computing, as is the case with most newer technologies, obviously has a “cool” factor, but there are some very practical reasons that it makes sense for a lot of organizations, not the least of which is some major cost savings.

To quote Josh Gervey, Managing Consultant and National Practice Director for Enterprise Management Services at CompuCom, “…because of this solution we now have a better performing, significantly more secure, flexible and adaptable environment.  It’s managed better, with fewer resources, and at a much lower cost.”

How much lower cost?  Well, the hospital did an ROI calculation after implementation and determined a cost savings upwards of $471,000 and 1,600 hours of downtime…per year.

Now that…is a “cool” factor.

Check out the case study here and see how practical, and secure, a VDI solution can be for you.

This is an important release for us as there are a number of valuable features included.  Here are some highlights of the key new features:

• One Session Enforcement:  This feature is designed for those shared system environments where the computers are close together.  Close enough that when a user would leave one workstation and go to another, they might not actually leave the Active Zone long enough for the system to lock and stay locked on the first computer they just left.  With this feature, when they unlock the “new” computer the original computer will lock automatically and the grace period on the first computer will be cancelled.
• System-wide Two-Factor Timer:  This is not to be confused with the Hands-Free grace period that has always been in XyLoc.  That setting only applies to the same computer and only if there hasn’t yet been any change of user on that computer.  This feature is in addition to that and allows a timer to be defined where a user would not have to enter a second factor (password or fingerprint) for a period of time no matter what computer they use and no matter who else has used it.   So, for example, a user might enter their password when they initially login to a computer, but then they will only have to select their name from the list  with NO password the next 4 hours.  The hands-free grace period is still applicable as that is completely hands free and allows a user to conveniently go in and out of range of the specific computer they are using hands free.
• Passive Prox Support:  The XyLoc client now fully supports Passive Proximity cards using the RFIdeas PCProx readers.  This allows a customer to use existing technology of they don’t want to use the Active Proximity cards from XyLoc.  So the user would “tap” their passive badge down to signify their proximity and then authenticate however they are defined (i.e. Hands Free or Must Enter Password) and then when they leave they would tap back out again.  There is an inactivity timer that is used in the event a user forgets to tap out.  There is also an option for a second user to be able to tap “over” the previous user and take control if the original user is no longer present.  Obviously, we strongly recommend the Active Prox based solution as it is a much more convenient and secure solution with the built-in walk away security, but if Passive cards are the desired solution we can support it.
• Active Prox “Tap-in”:  This solution provides some of the benefits of a Passive Prox workflow without sacrificing the walk-away security aspect of XyLoc.  Essentially, we’ve added a mode where the RF signal of the active badge has to be so strong that the user almost has to put the badge on top of the lock, simulating a “tap-in” action.  Then once they’re in control, their normal lock and unlock ranges apply for walk away and returning to the computer within the Grace Period.  Once the user is gone past their grace period they would have to “tap” back in again.  This gives some help to the issue of picking up signals from another room because the user has to get very close, but also allows some customers where two-factor security may not be as critical to be able to use a more Hands-free approach without having the inherent issue of ambiguity with the users with standard Hands-Free mode when multiple users are close enough to unlock.

There are additional features and fixes in these releases that are documented in the respective client and server release notes.  Those release notes can be downloaded here:

XyLoc Security Server (XSS)

XyLoc Client for XP

XyLoc Client for Win7

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By now, “cloud computing” and “VDI” have become household terms in the IT industry.  Being mostly a front end PC security solution, Ensure Technologies has always taken a fairly VDI-agnostic approach to cloud computing.  The core purpose of the XyLoc Client has been to add a nice middle ground between convenience and security.  To, as much as possible, meld the security needs of organizations with a seamless user desktop experience.  

Leostream Corporation’s Connection Broker is the industry’s most widely deployed vendor-independent connection broker.  Their model allows enterprises the ability to integrate a variety of complex solutions together without having to be locked into any one brand or vendor.  This vendor agnostic approach to IT is a philosophy we have in common and we’re very excited to be able to announce the integration of XyLoc into the Leostream Connect client for signing into Leostream’s VDI Connection Broker.

To quote the from the official press release, “Using the integrated solution, users with a XyLoc proximity card simply approach a thin client and are automatically logged into the Leostream Connection Broker, which then instantly identifies the user and connects them to the correct virtual desktop using single sign-on. From an end-user perspective, they walk up to a client device and their desktop greets them.”

Simplified sign-on with a badge or token of sorts has been going on a long time.  The real bread-and-butter of this combined solution, however, is the automated walk-away security using XyLoc’s patented Active RF proximity technology.  When a user leaves their defined  “Active Zone” the desktop will lock automatically and secure the desktop, protecting any applications and confidential data from other users.  When a new user takes control of the desktop, the Leostream Connection broker is signaled by the XyLoc client of the new user, automatically disconnects the previous user’s session and starts up the new user’s.  This previous session is still running out in “the cloud” and therefore all their work is retained in that session and the user can reconnect that session at any available workstation.

“Our team has been deploying the joint Leostream and Ensure Technologies solution to over 2000 medical staff members in a large health care organization,” says Josh Gervey, managing consultant at CompuCom, the leading IT outsourcing specialist. “The teams at Leostream and Ensure have created a superb integration that has simplified our job of managing the environment and allowed us to more fully focus on increasing the deployment scope. The HIPAA-compliant nature of this solution is an easy and essential win for health care organizations, and the intelligently transparent access to the virtualized desktop infrastructure decreases complexity while increasing security and productivity for the medical staff.”

See the full official press release here.  You can also visit Leostream’s website for more information and follow them on Twitter: @Leostream

Make sure to follow us on twitter as well: @ensuretech

Professional Services and Support

Ensure Technologies backs its XyLoc hardware and software with a suite of support options, including annual maintenance programs and remote or on-site services for system installation, configuration and optimization, training, customized systems integration, and related technical services.

XyLoc's Active RF proximity technology boosts productivity and security by automatically detecting when authorized users leave and then reapproach a protected workstation.

XyLoc protects workstations at the most critical point – after an authorized user logs on, and then steps away from the machine.

XyLoc consists of a radio transceiver ‘Lock’ that plugs into the protected computer via USB, a wireless radio transceiver ‘Key’ (badge) worn by the user, and client/server software components. XyLoc provides full-time access control by assessing a user’s proximity and automatically locking the computer screen and keyboard when the user leaves the workstation. XyLoc knows when users are approaching and leaving a protected computer, and includes intelligence to handle busy multi-user environments.

XyLoc is highly configurable at user, workstation, and group levels. It can allow completely ‘hands-free’ unlocking of a PC when a user returns within a configured grace period, and also supports a variety of two-factor authentication schemes. XyLoc simultaneously improves workstation security, compliance with security procedures, and end-user productivity.

Protection of information assets continues to be a critical daily concern for organizations around the world. And while much media attention is routinely given to the threats that originate from outside the organization, Ensure Technologies combats internal PC security exposures with its industry-proven XyLoc product family. XyLoc utilizes patented technology to provide the only radio frequency-based (RFID), active proximity ‘walk-away’ security products that automatically protect PCs when their users step away from them.

No more need for users to remember to secure sensitive workstations before temporarily leaving them. And no more periods of vulnerability as a result of timeout-based security settings. XyLoc takes the burden of security compliance off the user and brings a level of personalization and convenience never before possible. XyLoc is the only security solution that continues to actively protect the computer – and therefore the organization’s entire network – after a user has logged on.

With over 200,000 users deployed worldwide today, XyLoc from Ensure Technologies is a proven solution – for hospitals and other healthcare providers, legal and financial institutions, government agencies, and any organization where internal security threats to computers are a serious concern.