"Parallels Secure Workspace makes us feel comfortable about what happens to our data, and vice versa. Because Parallels Secure Workspace works 100% through the browser, I know that I can make Parallels Secure Workspace available to everyone, without fearing that my environment will be contaminated by what might be on the user’s device."
With more than 85 years of experience, Boeckmans is a well-known player in the port of Antwerp. They are active as agents for shipping companies such as Great White Fleet, Normed, Arkas or Chipolbrok and operate six ships themselves. The company has about 40 employees. To enable mobile working in a safe and simple way, Boeckmans chose Parallels Secure Workspace on the advice of their partner ClearMedia.
A new, comprehensive solution
“In the past there was a limited need for mobile working. For example, we had our water clerks, whose job it is to get on board when a ship docks and get all the paperwork done there,” says Peter Lemmens (IT Manager, Boeckmans). “That can sometimes be in the middle of the night, so those people needed secure access to our systems at any time of day. For example, they needed to be able to safely generate reports etc. when our physical offices are closed. In addition, some salespeople also had remote access, and there was a solution for the rare occasions when operational staff had to work from home”.
So mobile working was already a necessity before Parallels Secure Workspace was used at Boeckmans. However, the way in which this was done was by no means ideal: “We used to work with a firewall solution with which you could start a Citrix session with a Java applet. This caused inconveniences, to say the least: it didn’t always work, your Java version always had to be up to date on the end device and Java applets are not exactly known for their airtight security. It was extremely cumbersome to use, and our people were not at all enthusiastic. There were also compatibility problems: Mac users were left out in the cold, and there were issues with different screen resolutions—something that Parallels Secure Workspace handles very well, by the way, and we are very satisfied with that.”
Boeckmans’ IT partner ClearMedia heard these complaints, and soon suggested that we take a look at Parallels Secure Workspace. “After we heard that name, we went to the website and started a free pilot. That VM was actually deployed within the hour, and we were up and running very quickly to test our use cases. Everything worked properly, and we went into partnership with Parallels Secure Workspace’s digital workspace.”
Data security is a must
Managing ships involves a lot of sensitive data, which includes containers arriving in the port. Peter summarizes what was therefore required in a new digital workplace:
"Data security is a priority for us. Parallels Secure Workspace responds perfectly to that need: we were looking for something where the access point (e.g., an end user's laptop) and our environment are completely separate. At Parallels Secure Workspace, there is no integration at all except manual input—no physical data can be transferred from the computer to our environment, and vice versa.""Data security is a priority for us. Parallels Secure Workspace responds perfectly to that need: we were looking for something where the access point (e.g., an end user's laptop) and our environment are completely separate. At Parallels Secure Workspace, there is no integration at all except manual input—no physical data can be transferred from the computer to our environment, and vice versa."
“We are very much against VPN,” Peter adds. “Not only does it require a client to connect to the end users’ devices (who are not always tech-savvy enough to set it up effortlessly), but you are also digging a tunnel to our environment. Parallels Secure Workspace makes us feel comfortable about what happens to our data, and vice versa.
Because Parallels Secure Workspace works 100% through the browser, I know that I can make Parallels Secure Workspace available to everyone, without fearing that my environment will be contaminated by what might be on the user’s device. Every connection to our environment from outside goes through our Parallels Secure Workspace appliance, through our DMZ. The only communication from Parallels Secure Workspace to our own environment is through the RDP and LDAP ports—the absolute minimum.”
"If Parallels Secure Workspace is somehow exposed to the outside, we are sure that we do not have to worry about our data or security."
In addition to the numerous security features to guarantee data security (100% browser-based, built-in MFA, SSL encryption, etc.) at Boeckmans, they are also enthusiastic about the extensive auditing possibilities. “Every week I pull out a report, let my Power BI work on it and see if anything noteworthy happens—we don’t expect it, but if something goes wrong, we can always detect it.”
Lockdown: working from home facilitated in no time
As limited as the use of Parallels Secure Workspace at Boeckmans for the COVID pandemic was, it was as widespread from day one of the lockdown. “Covid turned everything upside down, including our Parallels Secure Workspace usage. Luckily, we already had the digital workplace solution in house, and it didn’t cause us much of a headache—unlike with several of our colleagues. Practically, I added some extra RAM to the Parallels Secure Workspace appliance, and we could get started. The morning of the lockdown, I sent an email and a home-made Parallels Secure Workspace manual to all our employees, helped some of them set up their MFA, and that’s that”, says Peter.
It didn’t go unnoticed that the changeover was almost instantaneous: “Both management and users were very excited about how quickly we could make working from home possible, especially as working with Parallels Secure Workspace felt like they were working in the office.”
Boeckmans provides the portal with a shortcut to a full desktop (something that many companies did to make working from home as safe as possible in no time). They were already working with thin clients in the office, so the changeover was quick: “For end users, Parallels Secure Workspace really is an extension of that, and can make our ERP system available remotely without any problem.”
Excellent support
We launched Parallels Secure Workspace 5.0 in late 2020, but Boeckmans started using Parallels Secure Workspace quite a few versions ago—and a lot has changed since then. “One problem we initially had was working on different screens. Our users really needed that, and our feedback was well received at Parallels Secure Workspace. It came on the roadmap, and since then multi-monitor support has been extended more than enough to cover all our needs,” says Peter.
"I remember we also had a problem with touch screens. When we passed that problem on to your support team, they went to great lengths to replicate the problem— they even bought new devices for it. For us, this is proof that Parallels Secure Workspace not only delivers a great product, but also listens to its customers to make the product better. Both our users and we ourselves are very enthusiastic."
