Clark Builders Group Wins Ninth Consecutive Constructech Vision Award

CHICAGO — On Thursday, August 20, at their annual Technology Day conference in Chicago, Constructech magazine awarded Clark Builders Group (CBG) with a 2009 Silver Vision Award for the collaborative effort with Cisco Systems, Inc. to deploy a SSL VPN network. The Vision Award competition promotes excellence in technological leadership, honoring construction-based companies that implement modern technologies to solve critical issues in their everyday business processes.

CBG and Cisco's virtual network received Constructech's second-highest honor, which marks the ninth consecutive year that Clark has won an award from the magazine.

"In today's market, construction companies must face new challenges head on, and bring customers the most affordable, quality product they can. This goal can be achieved with the use of the right technology solutions," said Mike Carrozzo, chief editor of Constructech magazine. "The companies named as Vision Award winners recognize this necessity, and have become more successful as a result of implementing technology."

In search of a network conducive to the construction industry's mobile nature that would connect employees at remote job sites, CBG collaborated with Cisco to develop a Secure Socket Layer Virtual Private Network (SSL VPN). This process utilizes software provided by Cisco to create a Virtual Private Network operated on a Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA). It connects Clark headquarters, where the technology is stored, to individual computers, regardless of an employee's location.

The VPN allows remote access to the company network, utilizing the highest level of internet security available, eliminating the inconvenience of installing software on each computer independently. By using a virtual network, employees on construction sites can easily access internal network resources, saving time and travel expenses by eliminating the need to return to the office to complete vital tasks.

"We are honored to be chosen for such a prestigious award," said Les Okrasa, CBG's senior network administrator. "The SSL VPN has proved to be a beneficial asset to Clark's overall processes. The network not only improves internal communication, but also strengthens our external relations."

Constructech magazine's Vision Award recognizes both the construction companies that realize the importance of technological innovation and the software and hardware manufacturers that facilitate the initiative's success.

The award is open to a wide range of organizations, including those involved in residential and commercial construction, architecture and engineering, land development, and the government. The three most important criteria considered in the judging process include the problem or challenge faced by the company, the process used to overcome this challenge, and the final benefit achieved by the process.

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