The Office of Information Technology is pleased to announce that we recently chose a new Network Access Control system, Impulse Point's Safe•Connect, after a comprehensive evaluation of competing products by a cross-functional team. Safe•Connect will replace Cisco NAC, formerly known as Cisco Clean Access, early this summer.

Safe•Connect was chosen because it offered many advantages:

• Designed specifically for higher education institutions, so they understand the complex balance required to encourage academic freedom while still employing security best practices.
  
• Enhanced user experience with easier remediation of security vulnerabilities, wider support for an array of antivirus applications, and full cross-platform support for Macintosh and Linux workstations.
  
• Proven success in transitioning other universities from Cisco NAC to Safe•Connect with a dramatic reduction in NAC-related Help Desk support calls reported by these peer institutions.
  
• Strong industry partnerships, as Safe•Connect is a preferred partner of Dell (AU's workstation manufacturer) and Aruba Networks, Inc. (manufactured the wireless network hardware for AU).
  
• Lower total cost of ownership.

 

More details on the implementation plan will be released soon. Until then, please feel free to contact the IT Help Desk at 202-885-2550, e-mail helpdesk@american.edu, or instant messenger at AskAmericanUHelp with any questions.

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