BASCOM OVERVIEW

WHO IS BASCOM?

BASCOM Global Internet Services, Inc, Hauppauge, NY, is an innovative software development and professional services firm specializing in security and curriculum enhancement solutions that ensure the safe and effective educational use of the Internet. Since its founding in 1996, BASCOM has produced patented security and filtering software, Internet curriculum building tools, and community building Web portals for various learning environments, including schools, community technology centers, facilities for at-risk youth (including juvenile justice), and public libraries. Additional solutions are offered to Internet service providers featuring both customer premise and centralized Internet management systems that deliver Web filtering combined with network security components and educational Web content. BASCOM's professional services provides the expertise needed to design and implement large- and small-scale deployments that meet a variety of institutional needs.

WHY IS THERE A NEED FOR BASCOM'S OFFERINGS?

BASCOM fills a void in a market that has been unaddressed by technology companies and overlooked by traditional education companies. BASCOM has struck a unique and innovative balance between the traditional needs of networking security professionals and the special needs of educators in learning environments tasked with integrating the Internet into their curriculum. This educator-centric approach combines specialized security functionality that only learning environments require, with a centralized framework for systematically creating, storing, sharing, and delivering a Web-enriched curriculum. No other company offers an integrated software solution that combines Web enhanced curriculum building tools with classroom/program-based, educator managed Internet filtering.

WHAT IS BASCOM'S DESIGN PHILOSOPHY?

BASCOM empowers educators, program directors, and librarians to decide how the Internet should be used in their particular learning environment. To facilitate this commitment, BASCOM's solutions have been designed for the non-technical user with policy-based flexibility. This user empowerment allows customers to determine the amount of Internet access appropriate for their particular educational objectives, while operating within the established Acceptable Use Policy of their organization.

BASCOM also delivers security components specifically built for learning environments. These include out-of-the-box configurations that address concerns from both rogue internal users (such as students, public library patrons, and community center users) and external network attacks without requiring on-site expertise of such systems. By combining these integrated security components with non-technical user interfaces and automated system management, traditional customer technology burdens are alleviated through an easy to manage system which features automatic software and operating system updates, patches, and off-site system backups.

WHAT ARE BASCOM'S SOLUTIONS?

GLOBAL CHALKBOARD: BASCOM's flagship product, the Global Chalkboard, is an innovative Internet security and teaching tool for K-12 schools and community organizations that was designed with, and enhanced through, the constant input and feedback of professional educators. The Global Chalkboard provides immediate access to age-appropriate, educational Web content and Web-enriched lessons mapped to curriculum/program goals and state standards, facilitating the productive use of the Internet as an instructional resource. It delivers to educators/program directors a centralized system for creating, sharing, and delivering Internet-rich lessons, and provides continuity of instruction between schools in a district or community technology centers in an organization. The Global Chalkboard's security suite provides individual building or district-based networking, security, and filtering infrastructure. It is designed to either work with existing networking components or act as an all-in-one, appliance-based infrastructure solution.

MY WEB LIBRARY: BASCOM's My Web Library is a hosted, Web-based destination that is a fully customized, instructional Web portal, complementing an organization's existing Web strategy. My Web Libray includes: (i) a school/organization-branded, instructional Web dashboard that provides a single launching point for all of their Web-based resources and programs (ii) thousands of BASCOM supplied, educator reviewed and aggregated Web sites for instructional use by teachers, children, parents, and adult learners; (iii) school/organization-managed content control to add local, program-specific Web resources; (iv) anytime, anywhere access to curriculum content from the Global Chalkboard.

PATRONUS: BASCOM's Patronus is a flexible Internet filtering solution designed specifically for public libraries. Ongoing input from a large public library system set two design goals: (i) provide a flexible library Internet filter that complies with the Childrens' Internet Protection Act (CIPA); and (ii) provide a simple, non-technical user interface for the library staff to ensure that the filter did not have the negative First Amendment implications of traditional filters (over blocking, limited granularity, difficult on/off filter settings). Patronus accomplishes this by empowering librarians to easily define filter settings (or quickly disable the filter) for all user groups—children, adult patrons, and library staff. Patronus is deployed exclusively as a server-based security appliance that can function as an all-in-one network infrastructure solution.

FRONTERA: BASCOM's Frontera is a carrier-focused Internet filter deployed as either a hosted, network center based filter (Hosted Edition) or a local customer premise solution (Local Edition) that combines filtering with network security and infrastructure components. Frontera features quick hosted installation, plug-and-play local deployment, automated system upgrades, and remote Web-based administration. Frontera Hosted Edition includes an integrated, hardened operating system and is deployed on carrier-selected OEM server hardware. Frontera Local Edition is deployed exclusively as a server-based security appliance, providing a complete network infrastructure solution that includes an Internet filter, router, firewall, and DHCP server.

WHAT MARKETS DOES BASCOM SERVE?

K-12 SCHOOLS: Public (individual schools and districts), charter, parochial, and private schools.

COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY CENTERS: Boys and Girls clubs, housing authorities, and local community-based groups.

LIBRARIES: Individual public community libraries and library systems (cooperatives).

SERVICE PROVIDERS: Large cable carrier and local Internet service providers.