Regional Government Boosts the Security of Directory and Authentication Services

Vastra Gotalandsregionen (VGR) is a 24,000-square-kilometer area in Sweden. The region's government consists of 37 separate entities that include hospitals as well as departments that promote culture and tourism. In the past, seven separate IT departments supported the entities. Over the last year, however, VGR consolidated its IT groups into one for greater operational efficiency. Rather than immediately replacing server and workstation technologies, VGR decided to first consolidate its 15 directories into one and 100 domain controllers onto six domain controllers running Active Directory in Windows Server 2008. The new solution provides the foundation for a unified system that promotes data sharing, collaboration, and specialization. In addition, VGR will be able to realize significant cost savings and improvements in security and productivity.