Augmenting GWS for a Complete Email Security Solution

This document is intended to support our enterprise client’s decision to utilize IRONSCALES while recognizing they need a smooth pathway to transition their spam filtering technology. We have identified a transition strategy and specific configuration steps to maximize the utilization of their existing GWS licenses and capabilities. The goal is to help transition Spam services away from their Secure Email Gateways to native email security controls provided to you as a GWS email customer.

High-Level Implementation Strategy  

This guide is intended for enterprise organizations but can be adapted to organizations of any size.

Overcommunicate

Overcommunicate what change you are making (a transition to commercialized Spam Controls), why you are making this change (extracting extra value from tools you’re already paying for),  when you are making this change, and how individuals can quickly receive support.  

Lead from the Front

The IT organization and team members should make the switch first, so they understand any potential impact and what to expect. Collect feedback and quickly document any concerns that may have materialized. Share these documents with your support team, and make sure they know where to find this information quickly as needed.

Prepare your Team

Ensure your support team(s) and/or helpdesk are aware of the transition, support paths, common questions/concerns they may encounter, and how to respond appropriately.  

Focus on VIPs

Start with VIPs of your organization. Once you successfully transitioned these employees you are less likely to face pushback from other groups of employees, as your transitioned VIPs will serve as advocates of this change.

• With VIPs, we encourage taking a white-glove approach. Have the VIP support path(s) communicated in advance personally (an email alone may NOT be effective). If possible, identify a ‘war room’ type location where VIPs can go to get immediate assistance. 

Divide Implementation into Manageable Parts

If the number of VIPs is very large, consider implementing only a few VIP ‘waves’ at a time. People who are traditionally very resistant to change should be mixed with early adopters. Divide the waves up based on your unique knowledge of team

Start to Scale

Scale up the waves for the remainder of the organization. With the VIP leaders on board, now you want to transition to larger groups. If you have many physical sites, break up the waves by function, not location. If your group waves based on location alone, the local support team will become overwhelmed, and local leadership could become resistant to this change, undermining the hard work you did with VIPs previously.

Finish Strong!

Continually add waves to the transition until complete. Remember, the objective of a successful wave is to prevent significant business disruption. Please expect users to object to or question these changes, change is always hard, and this behavior is humans doing human things. Continually focus on the goal: to make the transition as quickly as possible with the least amount of disruption or consternation within your business cycle.