Distribuidora de Electricidad La Paz
Bolivian Power Distribution Company Upgrades IT and OT Networks to Improve Service for 1 Million People
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Distribuidora de Electricidad La Paz (DELAPAZ) is the electric power distribution company for La Paz, one of Bolivia’s nine federal states. DELAPAZ faced security challenges from outdated equipment and a lack of network visibility, which exposed it to frequent cyberthreats and hindered effective network management.
Looking for a unified connectivity and security solution, DELAPAZ consolidated its systems on the Fortinet Security Fabric. Thanks to secure networking and security operations (SecOps) solutions from Fortinet, the company now benefits from an integrated and secure network that provides visibility into network activity and simplifies device management. For connectivity across its 81 locations, DELAPAZ deployed Fortinet Secure SD-WAN, enabling a high-availability network that helps ensure constant communication. Finally, DELAPAZ implemented FortiGate Rugged Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFWs) with FortiGuard AI-Powered Security Services for enterprise-grade threat protection across its OT network. Both the SD-WAN and OT network are supported by wireless and switching solutions for network segmentation, secure wireless access, and redundancy. With Fortinet, DELAPAZ has dramatically cut down on costs and the system-management burden, while reducing network outages and avoiding associated fines.
“Fortinet offers scalable solutions that allow us to shift from a manual operational model to a more controlled and automated management system. Besides being a great value, Fortinet solutions are robust and feature-rich.”
– Rolando Quisbert, Head of the Information Technology Department, Distribuidora de Electricidad La Paz
Business Impact
Significant time savings with a centralized platform for controlling and monitoring security threats
Reduced operational costs and improved IT and OT teams’ response times
Over 95% cost savings by replacing MPLS links with internet connections supported by Fortinet Secure SD-WAN
Reduced fines due to enhanced network reliability and preventing power service interruptions
Reduced downtime in rural areas from an average of eight hours of communication loss per month to mere seconds
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