Case Studies
Case Study #1
Law Office
Problem: Small legal office with 7 users. No server, all data stored on each individual computer, no centralized backup, no centralized Anti Virus solution. Security was difficult to maintain as each user had to have an account on each pc, resulting in hands on management on a daily basis. No remote access so employees had to work late nights and weekends at the office. Employee count was expected to double within one year. Most day to day IT functions were being handled by the office manager, each day requiring more and more of her time.
Solution: Far North Computers was called in to perform a needs analysis and make recommendations for improvements. Upon completion of the analysis a phased plan was developed based on our findings.
The first phase was to upgrade the hardware and software of the existing computers. It was discovered during the analysis that some of the machines were running XP Home Edition which is not an operating system geared for business. In addition it was discovered that some of the pc's had only 128MB of memory, while the pc's would function with this amount of memory it was causing a severe decrease in performance. First all of the data residing on each pc was backed up to an external USB drive. Then the new OS was installed and updated, in addition all programs were reinstalled. After the software portion was complete all memory upgrades were performed bringing all the computers up to a best practices standard.
The second phase consisted of purchasing and implementing Microsoft Small Business Server 2003 on new hardware purchased from Dell. This solution allowed all data to be centrally located on the server and to have correct security implemented so that only those that needed access had access. In addition it allowed for all critical data to be backed up from a central location on a nightly basis. Next, a centralized Anti Virus product was installed on the server, this allowed all pc's to be automatically updated and monitored for protection from one location. All users were setup for remote access so that they could get to their work pc's from home or while traveling, this feature has been the most popular by far.
The third phase was implemented later as the company began to grow. Additional licenses were purchased for Small Business Server as well as for the Anti Virus Solution. New computers were added as new employees were hired. Far North Computers helped with purchase recommendations and configuration of all new products.
Today: The staff of the legal company is very pleased with their new network. They now have the piece of mind that all data is backed up nightly and that all computers are virus protected. In addition there has been a shift for some users to working from home a couple days a week. The owner has been surprised as productivity has actually increased even though he doesn't see as many people at the office. Far North Computers is currently providing this client with monthly onsite visits in addition to 24/7 server monitoring.
Case Study #2
HR Company
Problem: Adec-Employer Solutions, a division of a large international corporation with locations in five countries. Adec-Employer Solutions needed assistance with an office move and network redesign at their Dallas, Texas location. Far North Computers was asked to propose a project for the office move and then a network redesign to accomadate the new division.
Solution: Far North Computers assisted with the office move by coordinating vendors for a new ISP account and additional cabling at the new location. We also assisted with prepping servers and pc's for the actual move as well as making sure specific networking pieces were brought over such as switches, routers and other devices.
After the office move was complete and all pc's were up and running on the internet at the new location, Far North had extensive meetings with the division president to understand the current and future technology needs for the new office and its employees. The president expressed the desire to do many things to increase reliability and productivity such as: hosting own email, sharing files and restricting access to files, remote access and wireless device capabilities. Given the client needs, Far North Computers determined that the new office was a perfect candidate for Microsoft Small Business Server 2003. This product would address all of the clients current needs as well as being able to scale for growth.
A new Dell server was purchased with the Small Business Server software and installed as a new domain. All pc's were either upgraded to XP Professional or were at Windows 2000 Pro with the latest service packs. Email was setup along with Outlook 2003 for all users.
Now all users are able to check email remotely and many can access their work pc from their homes to do work after hours. In addition, data backups and Anti Virus management have been centralized. Windows Software Update Server has been implemented to automatically update all approved Windows updates from one central location.
ADEC-Solutions decided on a monthly service agreement to ensure that their network is kept in tip top shape and that the server is monitored by Far North Computers 24/7.
As growth occurs within the ADEC- Solutions division plans are being made to introduce other features of the Small Business Server such as electronic faxing and mobile device sync.
