Lion Street

Lion Street's implementation of Azure Virtual Desktop by 360 Visibility has allowed the company to mitigate challenges of allowing outside contractors devices and access to their network.

Project at a glance

Lion Street is a rapidly growing, national network of elite firms and financial professionals serving high-net-worth, high-income and business-owner clients with sophisticated life insurance, wealth management and financial planning solutions. With an increasing number of contractors working on various projects, the company faced a challenge of providing them with secure access to machines and business applications without having to provide outside contractors with a company laptop or access to the company network.

To address this challenge, Lion Street, with advice and assistance from their Microsoft Cloud Partner – 360 Visibility – decided to implement Azure Virtual Desktop, a service that allows for the creation of isolated virtual machines with apps pre-installed, making it easy for contractors to sign in and start working immediately.

75%

Implementing Azure Virtual Desktop reduced the need for IT support related to remote access issues by 75%, freeing up resources for other critical tasks.

50%

Contractors experienced a 50% increase in productivity due to the optimized performance and easy access provided by Azure Virtual Desktop.

The Tools

Products and services implemented

Service

Cloud Infrastructure Advisory

Implementation

Azure Virtual Desktop

The Challenge

Providing secure and efficient access to its network for an increasing number of contractors

Lion Street, a rapidly growing national network of elite firms and financial professionals, faced a significant challenge in managing secure access for a growing number of contractors. As the company expanded, it increasingly relied on external contractors for various projects, from sophisticated life insurance solutions to wealth management and financial planning. However, providing these contractors with the necessary tools to work efficiently while maintaining high security standards became a critical issue.

The primary challenge was to ensure that contractors had secure access to the necessary machines and business applications without compromising the company's network security or provisioning new devices. Traditionally, providing contractors with company laptops or granting access to the internal network posed substantial security risks, including potential data breaches and unauthorized access. Additionally, managing the logistics and costs associated with distributing and maintaining physical devices for a dispersed contractor workforce was becoming increasingly untenable. Lion Street needed a solution that would allow contractors to seamlessly and securely access the required resources without exposing the company to security vulnerabilities or incurring excessive costs.

"Implementing Azure Virtual Desktop has revolutionized our approach to managing contractor access. The security improvements have been remarkable, as we no longer need to provide physical devices or expose our internal network to potential vulnerabilities. The process efficiencies gained from this implementation are significant, enabling our contractors to work securely and effectively from anywhere. The expert advisory support and best practice guidance provided by 360 Visibility were instrumental in achieving this seamless transition."

Ryan Vanstone

IT Operations Manager - Lion Street

The Solution

Enabling secure, remote access for contractors without compromising network integrity

To address these challenges, Lion Street partnered with 360 Visibility to implement Azure Virtual Desktop, a comprehensive cloud-based service that enables secure, remote access to virtual machines. This solution provided a way to manage contractor access efficiently while maintaining high levels of security and performance.

The implementation process involved several key steps:

Setting Up a Virtual Network: The first step was to establish a secure virtual network within Azure. This network served as the foundation for creating and managing the virtual machines that contractors would use.
Creating and Configuring Virtual Machines: Once the virtual network was in place, Lion Street and 360 Visibility collaborated to create virtual machines within this network. These virtual machines were configured with all the necessary applications and software that contractors needed to perform their tasks. Additionally, robust security measures were implemented to protect the data within these virtual machines, ensuring that sensitive information remained secure.
Ensuring Secure Remote Access: Contractors were granted access to the virtual machines through a secure remote desktop connection. This approach eliminated the need for new physical devices, as contractors could use their own equipment to connect securely to the virtual environment. Strict security policies were enforced to ensure that no external connections were made to the internal network, further mitigating security risks.
Ongoing Management and Optimization: Lion Street's IT team, along with 360 Visibility, continuously monitored and managed the virtual machines to ensure optimal performance and security. Regular updates and patches were applied to maintain the integrity and efficiency of the virtual environment.

By implementing Azure Virtual Desktop, Lion Street effectively provided contractors with a secure, efficient, and cost-effective solution for accessing the necessary resources. This approach not only addressed the immediate challenges but also positioned Lion Street to handle future growth and increased contractor engagement with confidence.

The Results

Adoption of Azure Virtual Desktop leads to substantial improvements in security, performance, cost savings, and efficiency

1

Enhanced Security:

Mitigated security risks associated with providing external contractors with network access. The isolated virtual machines were equipped with stringent security measures, safeguarding sensitive data and reducing the likelihood of data breaches.

2

Optimized Performance:

Optimized for high performance, ensuring contractors could handle any workload efficiently. This optimization enabled contractors to maintain productivity levels without encountering performance issues, contributing to overall project success.

3

Significant Cost Savings:

The shift to Azure Virtual Desktop eliminated the need for purchasing and maintaining company laptops for contractors. Additionally, it reduced expenses related to managing remote access solutions such as VPNs, resulting in considerable cost savings for Lion Street.

4

Increased Efficiency:

The streamlined process of providing contractors with immediate access to virtual machines enhanced workforce efficiency. Contractors could quickly sign in and begin work without the delays associated with provisioning new devices, leading to faster project execution and improved operational efficiency.

"At 360 Visibility, we are dedicated to helping businesses enhance their security posture through innovative cloud solutions like Azure Virtual Desktop. Our commitment to guiding our clients with expert knowledge and building trust through our delivery is unwavering. By partnering with Lion Street, we were able to provide the expertise and support needed to implement a secure, efficient, and scalable solution that meets their growing needs."