Zscaler enables a secure, connected workplace for Primetals Technologies

Global steelworks builder, Primetals Technologies recently announced its adoption of cloud-based security and connectivity from Zscaler for its digital transformation initiatives. The global roll-out of SD-WAN for local internet breakouts across 65 sites was accompanied by the implementation of the Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange (ZTE) security platform.

The organization’s new security strategy emphasizes application-based, holistic connectivity. This has enabled Primetals Technologies to replace costly, high-maintenance IT security hardware used locally in data centers, reduce Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) costs and provide high-performance security for approximately 7,500 employees worldwide. Through a cloud-based architecture, with Zscaler as one of the core technologies, Primetals Technologies successfully implemented its vision of an internet-based IT workplace with optimum security and a great user experience.

Legacy architecture issues escalate in a remote work environment

The timing of Primetal Technologies’ strategic infrastructure realignment coincided with the onset of the global pandemic. As employees began working from home, the unexpected strain on the organization’s infrastructure required careful planning to help prioritize multiple transformation initiatives.

”With about 25% of the workforce suddenly working remotely, bandwidth demands from online meetings skyrocketed, and we saw significant spikes. At the same time, a complete rollout of Microsoft 365 was carried out. However, the legacy VPN connectivity resulted in heavy backhauling of traffic and looming congestion in the central internet connection in the data centers,” says Norbert Modl, Head of Information and Cybersecurity at Primetals Technologies.

Between high latency, inadequate performance, complexity of the IT landscape due to the hub-and-spoke architecture, high connection costs and dissatisfaction among remote employees, it became clear that it was time to modernize the network architecture.

“As we implemented our cloud strategy, we quickly realized that cloud services require a direct internet connection for an optimal end user experience. Therefore, the security stacks also had to be decentralized,” recalls Modl. To improve performance and lower costs during the transition to Microsoft 365, Primetals Technologies chose a cloud-based security approach with local internet breakouts, which enable employees access to applications from any location.

Implementing the Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange solves multiple problems

The Primetals Technologies team sought out the cloud-native Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange to resolve many of the technical, financial and application issues they were having with legacy solutions.

To secure the SD-WAN project's local internet transitions with Aruba, the IT team relies on Zscaler Internet Access (ZIA) to monitor all internet-based traffic, including SSL scanning for malware. The security hardware in the data centers was replaced by Zscaler Private Access (ZPA), which not only guarantees internet security at every location, but also supplanted their VPN remote access solution.

To improve the user experience, the IT team chose Zscaler Digital Experience (ZDX) monitoring, which provides rapid root cause analysis of bandwidth bottlenecks and performance issues. Today, ZDX is used to monitor the performance of collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams, internet service providers and network connectivity. The information gained through the unified Zscaler administration platform helps the IT team monitor performance and improve user experience, reducing support ticket volume routed to the help desk. Primetals Technologies can now proactively identify affected services or users and, in specific cases, quickly identify and resolve the causes of performance problems.

“A lot has been simplified for IT and our work processes. Now the traffic is routed directly to the Zscaler cloud without the need to define a dedicated proxy. A central control level implements configuration changes in real time for ZIA, ZPA and ZDX functionalities. And we were able to shut down some of the global data centers through the infrastructure conversion and save up to 35% of costs through direct traffic routing and cloud security,” said Ralph Deleja-Hotko, Head of Backend and Cloud Solutions at Primetals Technologies.

Process streamlining is an ongoing effort

The traditional approach to integrating multiple networks from mergers and acquisitions (M&As) was time-consuming and complex. In the future, Primetals Technologies will leverage the ZTE to facilitate the work of the IT department in these scenarios. Zscaler's solution can accelerate the implementation of M&A processes. ZPA enables tunneled access to the corporate resources in acquired networks that authorized users need without having to migrate the entire network. Primetals Technologies is already planning to expand this microsegmentation approach to other areas using zero trust.