Message Management, Email Archiving and e-Discovery, and Endpoint Protection

Executive Summary

Overview
Media General, Inc. is a multimedia company based in the Southeast with roots that go back more than 150 years. Its business consists of TV stations, newspapers, and an interactive division that provides web site services for its TV stations and newspapers, as well as online interactive advertising and marketing solutions. Its marquee properties include the largest daily newspapers in Richmond, Winston-Salem, and Tampa.

Barriers
The introduction of instant messaging (IM) in 2001 brought new security risks, such as IM-borne malware and the need to limit its use to authorized employees. In 2006, Media General sought a new email archiving solution to address compliance requirements and improve productivity when fulfilling e-discovery requests. Mailbox size limits were hindering end-user productivity, and the cost of storing emails on Microsoft Exchange servers was prohibitive. In 2007, faced with an influx in malware and spyware intrusions, the company’s IT department initiated a search to replace the current antivirus program with a more comprehensive endpoint security solution.

The Solution
Media General’s introduction to Symantec products occurred in 2001, when Symantec IM Manager was deployed. IM Manager allowed control over who could install instant messaging and effectively blocked any viruses and malware from spreading through instant messaging. In 2006, the company integrated two Symantec Mail Security 8160 appliances into its email environment to filter incoming mail and provide better management of its Microsoft Exchange environment.

Also in 2006, Media General rolled out Symantec Enterprise Vault to its legal and management staff, with the deployment including PST Migrator, Offline Vault, and Discovery Accelerator. Symantec Consulting Services provided implementation assistance. Recently, the company migrated from Trend Micro AntiVirus software to Symantec Endpoint Protection 11.0. The new solution provides antivirus and antispyware protection, a desktop firewall, intrusion prevention, and device control for Media General’s endpoints. The optional remote administration console capabilities of Symantec Endpoint Protection 11.0 gives the Media General IT team the ability to monitor and control the installations from a central console.

Benefits
The technology solutions from Symantec are producing tangible business value for Media General. The Alchemy Solutions Group conducted a Total Operational and Economic Impact (TOEITM) analysis of the solutions and quantified realized and projected business value from October 2006 through December 2009 in the following areas:
• Spam Elimination: $2,439,888 in recovered employee productivity, and another $12,060 in reduced IT labor costs with the deployment of two Symantec Mail Security 8160 appliances
• Storage Space Reduction: $1,386,630 in reduced storage costs due to spam email filtered by the Symantec Mail Security 8160 appliances
• Compression of Archived Emails: $15,020 savings in storage space with the deployment of Symantec Enterprise Vault
• e-Discovery Savings: $4,639 in IT cost savings and another $15,081 in recovered employee productivity using Discovery Accelerator
• Endpoint Protection Threat Reduction: $19,482 in IT staff productivity gains through streamlined security management

For more information or to download this document, go to http://www.alchemygroupinc.com/category/research/bva/