"In the fast-paced world of FinTech, security and performance are non-negotiable. Parallels Desktop has been instrumental in safeguarding our intellectual property while ensuring seamless workflow operations."
The challenge — Protecting intellectual property while balancing security and innovation
A North American FinTech company was challenged with protecting its intellectual property in an environment where traditional solutions were either bandwidth-dependent or required relaxed endpoint-based security controls to support its remote work environment.
This company required software capable of supporting their custom-built, Linux-based virtual machines, while providing the security benefits of a local virtual machine.
"We needed a solution that provided the ability to control host-VM separation and network settings plus support for automation, all while protecting our intellectual property and supporting our research, development, and engineering workflows," explains the Director of Information Security.
Notably, this company was looking for a solution that offered:
- Highly efficient Linux-based virtual machines.
- The ability to precisely control host-VM separation and network settings.
- Automation support.
The test — Evaluating security and workflow compatibility
Over three months, 10 users spanning various roles evaluated Parallels Desktop, specifically using 20 of their critical applications, including the Linux operating system, Python, R, VSCode, Chrome, and Firefox.
The focus was on Parallels Desktop’s ability to navigate MacBook computers with Intel and Apple Silicon specifications—without compromising performance.
Laser focus was dedicated to assessing Parallels Desktop's capability to finely control security features like VM encryption and configuration settings and accommodate multi-monitor setups.
Competitors like VMWare Fusion and VirtualBox were also considered but fell short.
VirtualBox needed more polish and performance to meet the goals of the FinTech organization. VMWare Fusion lacked the functionality to restrict user actions within the virtual machine, requiring workarounds that were not scalable.
According to the Director of Information Security, "During the testing phase, it became clear quickly that Parallels Desktop is not just a solution, but a strategic asset. Its seamless deployment and robust feature set exceeded our expectations, providing a solid foundation for our virtualization and operational needs."
The solution — Strengthening security and workflow support with Parallels Desktop
Parallels Desktop’s capability of providing a locally secured virtual machine ensured secure access to intellectual property for research, development, and engineering workflows.
This was instrumental in safeguarding their sensitive data and facilitating seamless collaboration across their teams.
Encryption, Vagrant integration, uni-directional clipboard, multi-monitor support, and custom network configurations became indispensable in their day-to-day operations.
The result — 25% reduction in costs and 15% increase in time efficiency
- Cost Savings: 25% reduction in costs for hardware and software licensing.
- Time Savings: 15% increase in time efficiency thanks to support of automation with CLI and Vagrant.
According to the Director of Information Security, they encountered a few complex technical issues, which at times resulted in slower resolutions. However, the interactions with Parallels Technical Support were always prompt and came with a genuine commitment to achieving a full resolution.
Despite the challenges, the team was pleased with Parallels' commitment to excellence and maintaining a high level of responsiveness throughout the support interactions.
"Parallels Desktop offers higher granularity over security and usability features, seamless integration with automation tools, and the performance capabilities that we care about. Moreover, Parallels’ responsive technical support and openness to accommodating our feature requests have been invaluable."
