Regence BlueCross and BlueShield Opts for OpenDNS as Primary Web Content-Filtering Solution for all 7 Thousand Employees, Significantly Increases Network Security

Largest health insurer in the Northwest/Intermountain Region selects OpenDNS.

San Francisco (PRWEB) June 9, 2008 -- OpenDNS, the award-winning navigation service that makes the Internet safer, faster, smarter and more reliable, today announced Regence BlueCross and BlueShield has switched to OpenDNS from the BIND 9 software it previously used. Regence BlueCross and BlueShield is the largest health insurer in the Northwest/Intermountain Region and has been serving its members for over 90 years. OpenDNS is the world's-largest, fastest-growing DNS service.

Regence BlueCross and BlueShield network administrators found OpenDNS in a write-up on securing DNS when seeking a Web content filtering tool to deploy throughout the not-for-profit health care company (an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association), which serves 3 million members in Idaho, Oregon, Utah and Washington. Like lots of other large companies seeking to increase network security, Regence BlueCross and BlueShield previously used a pricey Blue Coat appliance as its sole filtering solution, but it was lacking services that OpenDNS provides for free.

"OpenDNS gives us more layered protection for services that Blue Coat doesn't proxy for," says Charles Koenig, network administrator for Regence. "Anti-Phishing is a big concern for us. Our number of security related incidents has decreased."

Given that more than seven thousand employees of Regence not only use the corporate network to access the company's own data, but also use the Internet in its entirety, making it safer, secure and reliable is on the top of the company's list of priorities. That is why in parallel they were looking to speed Web site loading time, make the Internet in the organization more reliable and provide an extra layer of protection against phishing scams.

OpenDNS proved to be the perfect all-in-one tool for Regence BlueCross and BlueShield and the company hasn't looked back since making the switch. In addition to using adult and phishing site blocking, the company's IT staff is learning more about its network every day with OpenDNS reporting features, and making the Internet experience friendlier by branding OpenDNS with the Regence logo.

"I recommend OpenDNS as a resource to everyone I know," says Koenig.

A list of OpenDNS customers can be found at http://www.opendns.com/customers

About Regence BlueCross and BlueShield
Regence is a not-for-profit health care company. It offers individual and group medical, dental, vision and life insurance, Medicare and other government programs, and pharmacy benefit management. It is the largest health insurer in the Northwest/Intermountain Region, serving members as Regence BlueShield of Idaho, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah and Regence BlueShield (in Washington). Each Plan is an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Regence BlueCross and BlueShield is 3 million members strong and stewards more than $8.3 billion in member premiums annually and maintains reserves of more than $1 billion.

About OpenDNS
OpenDNS makes the Internet safer, faster, smarter and more reliable. Based in San Francisco, the company operates a large distributed network that powers a new kind of recursive DNS (Domain Name System) service that provides all Internet users increased security, reliability and performance. OpenDNS is thoroughly committed to building and operating the best DNS platform in the world and to improving the Internet. For more information about OpenDNS, please visit: www.opendns.com

###