Smoothwall seals web security contract with retailer Halfords

The deal, which is initially worth £20,000, is part of a number of system upgrades which mean all Halfords’ employees, across its 467 stores in the UK and Ireland, now have internet access.

Richard Moore, Smoothwall’s managing director, said: “Halfords required a reliable and robust security system to manage internet usage because they were experiencing major bandwidth spikes at certain times of the day.

“In addition, the company didn’t want to issue a blanket ban on all social media and sites offering streamed content but was keen to limit their usage to specific times which our ‘Guardian’ product has enabled them to do.

“This means staff can work without the distractions of the internet and Halfords’ network managers now have the option to limit bandwidth on certain sites at peak times in order to preserve network performance.”

Smoothwall, which is based in Leeds, has a turnover of around £7m and it employs around 100 people.

Mr Moore added: “Retailers currently face several major challenges when it comes to internet security because they often have large numbers of remote network users that are based in individual stores and in many cases shop floor workers now require internet access as part of their jobs. As a result we’re actively targeting the retail sector and to win a contract with a household name like Halfords is a major coup.”

Smoothwall said the deal marks a successful period for its corporate division which has recently won contracts with plane firm Air Charter, financial trading firm Schnieder Trading and Symphony Group, which manufactures kitchens, bedroom and bathroom furniture.

Smoothwall’s technology helps organisations to manage, control and report on web use across their networks.

The web filtering software examines the content, context and construction of every webpage in real-time rather than blocking websites’ URL addresses.

Smoothwall, which is privately owned, has offices in Leeds, Southampton, North Carolina and California. The firm has seen year-on-year growth of just over 40 per cent since its inception in 2001.

Its clients include local and central government, schools, further and higher education providers, fire services, the NHS and businesses operating in the corporate sector in the UK, Europe and the United States.