CA boosts computer lab security for boys, girls clubs

07.06.2006
The after-school computer labs used by about 4.6 million children at some 3,900 Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) locations in the U.S. will soon have better antivirus, antispam and other IT security protection under a new three-year, $4.6 million partnership with CA Inc.

In an announcement today, the partnership, part of Islandia, N.Y.-based CA's "CA Together IT" philanthropy program, will make a number of CA software applications available to the BGCA's Atlanta headquarters and to each of the group's 3,900 community-based locations where underpriviledged children participate in after-school programs, homework workshops and other structured activities.

"This is a huge deal for us," said Bill Regehr, senior vice president of information technology for the non-profit BGCA. "The member clubs are excited to get the help. The phones are just ringing off the hook."

For the local clubs, the CA software and services will provide student computer labs with technology to better protect children as they explore the Internet and do homework online, he said. The labs have about 56,000 computers nationwide, including about 40,000 used by children and another 16,000 used by staff members, Regehr said. The individual lab locations don't have their own IT staffs, and keeping systems running properly is often a challenge.

"It's a sizable inventory and CA has really stepped up...," he said.

CA will also provide money for the BGCA to hire an IT security engineer for the group's IT systems, he said. All of the software will be distributable online from the group's Atlanta headquarters to its local offices. The group also plans to hire a software delivery coordinator to run the distribution efforts.