The Challenge
A clinical-stage oncology company needed to secure network access across a rapidly expanding multi-building research campus in California. Creating cancer therapeutics entails handling sensitive research data, clinical trial information, and proprietary intellectual property that demand strict access controls. At the same time, biotech campuses regularly host external collaborators who need guest Wi-Fi access.
The company’s multiple buildings each have their own network infrastructure and RADIUS IP configuration, and new buildings are being added as the clinical program expands. Each must come online with consistent authentication policies and without a dedicated deployment effort per site. Keeping IT overhead minimal during this process is key to avoid interfering with the pace of expansion.
With nearly 1,000 employees and a rapidly growing device fleet managed through Jamf, the company needed a platform that could handle three distinct use cases from a single management layer: certificate-based authentication for managed corporate devices, self-service guest registration for campus visitors, and per-building RADIUS configuration for a multi-site environment.
The Solution
The company deployed the JoinNow platform with Cloud PKI and Cloud RADIUS alongside JoinNow NetAuth, providing secure, certificate-based authentication that runs with little IT help needed.
JoinNow provides certificate-based 802.1X authentication for managed devices through Jamf, securing corporate Wi-Fi with digital certificates tied to individual device identities. NetAuth manages the multi-site RADIUS architecture, with per-building IP addresses and shared secrets controlled through the admin console. When a new building opens, the IT team extends coverage by adding the building’s RADIUS IP and shared secret, with no on-site hardware installation required.
The guest management portal handles the visitor use case. Researchers, collaborators, and vendors self-register for guest Wi-Fi without IT involvement. Guests across different campus buildings authenticate through the portal and connect to the guest network independently, eliminating the stream of IT requests that visitor connectivity would otherwise generate.
The Results
- 1,400+ devices secured with certificate-based authentication, up 133% from 600 at initial deployment
- Guest Wi-Fi operational across all campus buildings through a self-service registration portal
- New buildings online fast — RADIUS coverage extends through the admin console without on-site hardware
- Jamf integration automates certificate deployment to the managed device fleet across the research campus
The company continues to add facilities as its scientific programs advance through clinical trials. The integrated network security platform scales alongside the campus, bringing each new facility online with consistent authentication policies and self-service guest access.